Dr. Funkenberry

Hi there!

So I want to give U an update on what is going on with my cancer battle(s).

Before that, i want to thank U for the overwhelming amount of love & concern and how many people reached out. Some i was surprised to hear from & some i have been surprised i haven't heard from. With that being said, I haven't responded to anyone yet because it truly has been overwhelming and it is easier to give updates this way than individually.

So...when i made my cancer announcement (stage 3 colon cancer for those that are curious), I just had major surgery to start removing the cancer. I was in the hospital for 4 days, released 2 days before my "birthday", and have been recovering. It has been crazy painful. I still did the Prince "Come" symposium that weekend. As i said before, concentrating on the Prince stuff & my health is going to get me through this. It is an important part of who I am and is part of my fiber and my being.

So after surgery, where they also removed my appendix & cleared out 20 lymph nodes, 4 of those lymph nodes came back as cancerous. So chemotherapy is going to be on the agenda no matter what & because of my age & how young i am (that’s what the doctor said, not me! lol) they want me on chemo for at least 6 months and will reevaluate depending on my other tests and how i handle the chemo.

Now i said earlier, cancer battle(s) not just battle. I will mention the other things & results when i feel comfortable. This is all so unreal to me, honestly. So many CT scans, ultra sounds, biopsies, and surgeries.

So yesterday, August 26th, i had another surgery along with a port being put in to help with chemotherapy. They want me to have another biopsy but I couldn't get it done in the same day as this surgery. More to come on that.

I am back home & am resting.

Please do not take offense if i haven't reached back out yet if U reached out to me. As I said earlier, I have not reached out to anyone yet. I am extremely private & I wanted to control how this information gets out. Give me time and i thank U for understanding.

I appreciate the love & concern & i am going to beat this. I won’t lose my hair during chemotherapy cause i would look terrible bald! lol. Thankfully i look good in hats. :)

I will update U soon & also discuss some Prince stuff with U. That is what i look forward to talking about.

Thank U all again tremendously.

Much love always.

Jeremiah/j7/drfunkenberry

Name your favorite "C.O.M.E." songs & moments from this era!

"This Is The Dawning Of A New Spiritual Revolution" Happy 30th Anniversary to the "COME" album by PRINCE released on August 16th, 1994. To celebrate, here a few rare outtake photos from "The Sacrifice Of Victor" book by Terry Gydesen These photos were taken from a projector screen in January of 2018 by Rich Benson.

Truly enjoyed being a part of the "COME" symposium last weekend and discussing the album & era. Much love to for the amount of work & time she puts into these events with zero ego and 100% love. Love & thanks. Also....COME. U should do that, baby.

Make sure to get your votes for Liv in by 7 A.M. Eastern Time Wed, 8/14!

https://agt.vote.nbc.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEpHr9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbqU6ycucS27TWb5Asxxka48SoolK1YoE1_JqhDfmrAfhd5FH-k775QJKg_aem_KtRek1JM-nHt3ZOXn14fQw

Tune in 2nite & don't forget to vote!!! 💜

Peoria Native Liv Warfield to perform live on AGT PEORIA, Ill. - After getting the golden buzzer from America's Got Talent Judge Simon Cowell in June, Peoria Na...

Hi there! I want to thank everyone for the birthday posts. I do truly appreciate it.

I also have some news to share.

So this year....has been a hard one to celebrate. Not because of being a year older. It's also why I've been more sensitive to many things.

I have been diagnosed with cancer. Yes. U read that right. Cancer. It all still seems not real.

I feel somewhat forced into having this big reveal because I do try to be a private person, only a few times pulling back the veil so to speak to let U in on what's going on in my life health wise but not personal wise.

A lot of U didn't know & are finding out this way. So the last time I saw U, I may have hugged U a little longer or a little tighter. I may have reached out to see how U are doing & wanting to talk about U, not me.

I didn't want to see people's faces or hear their voices when they found out. I also didn't want to tell some people & have it be a secret and them be burdened with that secret.

All of this again doesn't seem real. What also doesn't seem real are the things I've heard recently more than ever. "Oh, don't share funkenberry's post. I'm trying to get in & he is in my way." "Funkenberry has had his time. He needs to go away." Those are just two examples but there are more. It's really sad, honestly. All while I am going through what I am going through.

I say it all the time; people are fighting battles every day that U have no idea about. Be kind. Be patient.

When I first started covering Prince, there was no social media and the internet was very new. No one knew my identity for a long time. I didn't do it for likes. I didn't do it to get close to Prince. I was keeping as far away from him as possible. I truly wanted to promote him & help the fan community grow. Again, I didn't do it for likes. I didn't do it for notoriety. I didn't do it to attach myself to his legacy. He saw that. So he chose me. I was his digital Claire Fischer before he put everything together; j7 was drfunkenberry and also Jeremiah, the person he was seeing at his shows hundreds of times since 1993. When he put it all together, there was no turning back and I became more involved than ever, til the end. The bitter end.

I feel & hope that I helped people worldwide, be it find out about his music or see him in concert or get into one of those ever elusive after shows. I hope I helped U in those fun times when he was here & I hope I helped U grieve when he wasn't here any longer.

Let me make this crystal clear for everyone; I am not going anywhere. I am going to beat this. This motivates me to fight even harder to be involved in the future of the Prince legacy. So for those that have genuine love & care for me, for those that I have won over through the decades, we got work to do. To those who for real have said they want me out of the way, it's messed up. If U truly care about the legacy, U want the best people involved and ones that he trusted. Love4OneAnother truly hasn't existed in a long time.

Working on the Prince stuff to me is good for my health and provides the distraction I need through all of this. Posting about things and sharing information. To be a panelist. To be a moderator. To be involved with future releases. What he was wanting when he was here. So as I say to those that say concentrate on my health, I am 100% doing that by battling this, beating this, and working on helping the future of Prince's legacy.

Thank U for your time & understanding. I will update U on what's going on with my battle when I feel ready to share & I hope that can be understood & respected.

Much love always. Jeremiah/j7/drfunkenberry

Look familiar? 👀💜

So this one hurts a lot...and it took some time to comprehend let alone post about. This hurts the most since Dimitri & a few others.

Just 3 days prior, Rich reached out to message me as he did almost weekly for years. He was heart broken about many things going on in the purple world right now, along with certain people. He thanked me for all the purple updates through the years. I didn't think this was him checking out. He said it a lot over the years to let me know he appreciated me.

3 days later after our conversation...he was gone. To see some of those same people he brought up posting about his death like they truly cared or knew him really upset me. I needed to calm down and carefully think about what to write as a tribute to him and at the same time not let him be used as a ploy to pull on the communities heart strings.

Did these same people who claimed to be his friend contribute to a chair that he could lay in comfortably after breaking two vertebrae along with other health issues & being told he cant lay down in a bed anymore?

When Rich was planning & making holiday dinners for his neighbors, did they donate so he could provide all those meals?

I never met Rich and I know there are others who knew him more on a personal level. Still he reached out a lot over the years with jokes and asking my opinions on certain things. I went back to those conversations the last few days that again were over years. Letting me know that until i reported on something, it wasn't truly happening. I appreciated that & I appreciate him. Rich wasn't for everyone & I think he was more than ok with that.

That fakeness tho...bothers me. So when my time comes...which isn't happening anytime soon....when i am going through hard times...don't let certain people pretend like they were my besties for likes.

Don't let them say publicly "Let us know what we can do for U. We are here for U." No...they aren't. It's for show. To have that done & said to friends truly struggling & then they ask privately for help by the same people who said to let them know & they do nothing. Its all for show. Don't post about it. Be about it. Do it for Rich & others.

Thank U for your time, Rich. I'm sorry U didn't make it back out to Paisley in 2023 or after as U intended & tried to happen. I see true friends closer to U than I are trying to make sure all your last wishes are respected and they are trying to carry them out. U Rich, bad puns, & all....were truly irresistible. Much love man, & thanks.

J/Funkenberry

Brittany Howard on Prince, break-up songs and giving 'everything and leaving nothing'
(Audio interview)

Brittany Howard on Prince, break-up songs and giving 'everything and leaving nothing' As a kid, the former Alabama Shakes singer/guitarist was told repeatedly she didn't look like a lead singer. "It made me sing ... louder and perform just as hard as I could," Howard says.

....and where....is the Batman?!? Here is a rare photo from the "Batdance" video shoot at Culver Studios in Culver City, California in May of 1989. Pictured are .leeds, , & . The photo was taken by and first appeared in Black Radio Exclusive Magazine in 1989.

What was billed as a listening party at in 2014, turned into a full blown concert! For $25, U were treated to live performances & a merch item(👀)! Doors actually opened at 9:30 with a house band playing in the NPG Music Club room and as they finished, it was off into the sound stage for the main course. Prince with 3RDEYEGIRL & & performed along with special guest who ended up doing her own show back in the NPG Music Club room after the smoke cleared from the Paisley soundstage. From Karaoke night during "U Got The Look" along with "Let's Go Crazy" (reloaded), the 12 song set pleased those that came out on the eve of "Purple Rain's" 30th anniversary.

Thanks to of The Rich Benson Collection for these digital archives.

For a review of the show; https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2014/07/26/prince-and-3rdeyegirl-play-surprise-paisley-park-show-on-the-eve-of-purple-rain-30th

July 27th, 1984. Magic hit the silver screen with music that would define a generation and turn a PRINCE into a future emperor. $18 million, $683 thousand in 10 days in 1984, with inflation, that number in 2024 is over $57 million!! In. 10. Days!! Here is other promo ads for the movie & the movie soundtrack. I love the back with a vengeance one because "Lets Go Crazy" b/w the b-side to "Erotic City" was vengeance following "When Doves Cry" b/w the b-side of "17 Days". Phenomenal. ...And Then Came The Rain promo. Then all the songs he had a hand in blowing up radio. Thanks to of The Rich Benson Collection for allowing us to share these with U. $57 MILLION???? Let the rain come down indeed. 💜 🌧

Breaking Purple Alert! was just inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame at the at the "Purple Rain" 40th Anniversary event! Thanks to those who made this happen & our no name reporters live on the scene!

"Due to his schedule, Prince had to defer his induction until such time as he could be there," Linda Moran, President and CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, tells Bring Me The News. "His induction was very important to him, and he planned on attending the June 2016 gala." Prince died in April 2016.

"P. Control" part 2, the remix! Here are photos of the ticket from the July 25th , 1994 show at Glam Slam, photos outside of GS from that night, the ad promoting the show and reviews of the shows. Enjoy! Thanks to Spense Rowe for the scans & archive. One of the shots of Glam Slam is uncredited but has been circulating for years. Thanks to as well.

Which PurpleRain screening will fans attend Saturday in Minneapolis on 40th anniversary of its opening: ⁦⁩ for $40 or ⁦⁩ for $19.99?

Which 'Purple Rain' screening will fans attend: Paisley Park or Target Center? The 40th anniversary of Prince's movie is Saturday, with options from different factions of his estate.

On a beautiful day like today July 25th, 1994, PRINCE as O(+> started recording "P***y Control" later shortened to "P. Control." When discussions of The Gold Experience finally being released (it still took sone time after) Hits Magazine pointed out how a title track called "P***y Control" could spell trouble for retail to carry the cd. Shortly after, the title was shortened to "P. Control".

Prince played the song that night in July at Paisley Park (the studio version) and the Paisley Park shows from that point on & on The Ultimate Live Experience Tour, "P. Control" would be a live staple.

Different versions (remixes) of "P. Control ended up on The Versace Experience & on the 1998 release Crystal Ball and there was in house cassettes and cds that exist that include unreleased mixes of "P. Control".

Perhaps those mixes could be put out as a limited edition release or RSD release for the 30th Anniversary of "The Gold Experience"(with more) next year? Just a suggestion. A thought. A captain with no name speaking kinda deserves it.


📸

Here is George Clinton, Sheila E. , & Saadiq (When still using Wiggins) backstage at a performance in 1989/1990. Photo is from Black Radio Exclusive magazine. 💜😎

July 24th, 2011 Prince & The NPG perform a "surprise" show at the Melkweg In Amsterdam tonight at 11 p.m./23 Hours.....(local radio & internet including my social channels announced the show.)

Look at the crowd that showed up for the "Surprise" show!!!!!

Nederland, Amsterdam, 24 juli 2011
24 07 2011, 22:40 The Netherlands, Amsterdam, Lijnbaansgracht
Surprise concert Prince in the Melkweg. © Thomas Schlijper

A show in Oslo was postponed til August 3rd n they were already in town & Prince wanted to play. Most of the equipment was rented as their equipment didn't arrive yet.

Nothing more exciting than these surprise Prince shows. 😎

July 24th, 1990. "Thieves In The Temple" was released as the first single from "Graffiti Bridge" with radio stations promoting the single by calling it "When Doves Cry" part 2.
It did have a unique sound but...As for the charts, It hit #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
A week later, the 12" version dropped & shortly after, the longer version of the video as well. The video was directed by Craig Rice.

July 24th, 2007 "Planet Earth" was released to stores in the United States after being given away with "The Mail On Sunday" in the UK.

Although hitting #3 in the U.S., Sony/Columbia decided not to release the album overseas at all as Prince made deals with newspapers to include the CD. It was also passed out to each concert goer at the o2 Arena for 21 Nights In London.

Since the album was never officially released overseas, it didn't chart in the UK & did not work how "Musicology" cd sales did in America 3 years prior.

Videos made for "Planet Earth" included "Guitar", released in 2013, "The One U Wanna C" 21 Nights book )version (Posthumously an official video was released), "Chelsea Rodgers", and lastly, the beautiful video for the sultry ballad "Somewhere Here On Earth".

The album also features "Mr. Goodnight" and "Future Baby Mama" which won a Grammy (his last) for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance in 2008, along with a message, it is an album overlooked by many in the Prince world.

The design features the numbers 3121 behind the cover & insert images, perhaps a continuation of the 3121 era to some extent....

As previously stated, an album overlooked. Oh well. Not all of us can pull off a corset on a cover of an album, can we?

Photography
Art Direction
Post written by Jeremiah Freed

Another week, Another list of PRINCE'S top 25 songs of all time.
1970's 2 songs
1980's 14 songs
1990's 6 songs
2000-2016 3 songs
The #1 song this time is from the 90's.
What are YOUR top 25 PRINCE songs of all time (this week)...?

The 25 Greatest Prince Songs Of All Time Discover the best Prince songs showcasing his legendary talent and groundbreaking artistry. From his iconic hits to timeless classics, check out his top music.

"Prince? Prince is the greatest! Have you seen him play drums? And his ass. It's perfect. It's shaped like a peach!"-Dave Grohl March 18th, 1998 The Daily Show With Craig Kilborn

:

Prince and the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl danced around one another for years before finally getting on stage together for a short jam session.

In 2003, the Foo Fighters released a cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki" as a B-side to their song "Have it All," intending to only release it in Australia. The cover made its way into the hands of a DJ at Los Angeles's KROQ, who put it into rotation, which landed it onto Prince's radar; when the band asked Prince if they could release the cover in America, he declined.

Which made it all the more surprising when, four years later, Prince worked the Foo Fighters' song "Best of You" into his medley of hits for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, melding it together with the Bob Dylan-penned Jimi Hendrix classic "All Along the Watchtower." Was it payback to the Foos for covering his song without permission? Or simply a nod of appreciation for their songwriting and talent?



One thing is for certain: Prince continued to be intrigued by Dave Grohl and his group. When he heard that Grohl was in the audience for one of his legendary 21-night run of shows at the Forum in the spring of 2011, Prince reached out to finally connect with Grohl face-to-face. Although no documentation of their meeting or subsequent jam session exists, it's an experience Grohl will never forget.

Dave Grohl has only told the story publicly a couple of times: First, when he was playing at the Forum in 2011, just a few months after Prince's 21-night residency, Grohl regaled the crowd with his memories of jamming to an empty room during soundcheck. And in 2014, he shared the anecdote in detail with Rolling Stone:

"Three years ago, Prince books 21 nights at The Forum [in L.A.]. I can't wait. I go to the first show, in a party bus with all my friends, boozing it up. I walk into the Forum Club and bump into somebody from a road crew I'd work with before. He says, 'Prince knows you're here. He wants to jam.' The end of the night, I'm standing next to this black curtain. I pull it back – there's Prince with Sheila E. I go, 'Hey, man, great show.' He says, 'When do you want to jam? How about Friday?' All right, cool! For a week, I held that cellphone, on vibrate, waiting for it to ring. Friday comes around and I just go down there for soundcheck. The person who works with Prince says, 'He's a little under the weather. He's not going to soundcheck today.' So I go to catering. I'm talking to my tech; I have no idea what's going on. And Prince just appears: 'Hey, man, what are you doing here?' I thought we were going to jam. 'Alright. Do you want to play drums?' We start playing. He's got the whole band up there, throwing chord changes with his fingers, conducting the band as we're jamming. I can't believe this is happening. And it's happening in a completely empty Forum. Then he puts on a guitar and starts playing [LedZeppelin's] 'Whole Lotta Love'. It's ****in' bad-ass. We do that for ten minutes. It slays. He says, 'We should do that, man. What are you doing next Friday?' I go back to catering. I'm confused. I don't know if I should stay. One of his guys says, 'He knows you're here. He might call you up.' And his shows are long. I lasted two hours, tried not to drink. But I had to go. And the next Friday I had a fundraiser at my kid's nursery school. I never heard from Prince again. But I swear it happened. I swear. And nobody saw it."

Check out Dave recounting the full story here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUJbbw7hfM

10 Things We Learned Hanging With Dave Grohl - Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/10-things-we-learned-hanging-with-dave-grohl-20141124