From Brooklyn to Minneapolis, (New book to Chronicle) how a native New Yorker jumpstarted the Minneapolis Sound
New York native, Pepé Willie, is reportedly writing a memoir, entitled "From Brooklyn to Minneapolis" that chronicles his journey from the streets of Brooklyn, to working with the Rock and Roll impresario Murray the K at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre to eventually migrating to the Twin Cities, where he is known for his historic work with the legendary pop artist Prince.
- (1888PressRelease) November 18, 2014 - New York, NY - Pepé's memoir documents his childhood years and humble beginnings in the music business. At an early age Pepé started working as a valet for his uncle's group Little Anthony and the Imperials at the Murray the K Holiday Shows which showcased various artists including the Motown Revue, which consisted of Marvin Gaye, the original Temptations, Four Tops, and the Supremes and many more. "From Brooklyn to Minneapolis" also recalls Pepé's interactions with other legendary artists including Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, Jay and the Americans, Wayne Newton, the Ronettes, the Chiffons and the Shirelles as Pepé would run errands backstage and go to the store for them.
Pepé later brought all of his experience to the Twin Cities in the early 70's where he gained notoriety for jumpstarting Prince's career and is often referred to as the Godfather of the Minneapolis Sound.
Prior to Prince signing a recording contract with Warner Bros., Pepé began working with Prince's band, Grand Central (Morris Day, drums; André (Cymone) Anderson, bass; Linda Anderson, keyboards; and William Dowdy, percussion). Pepé went on to hire Prince to play guitar for his group, 94 East, at Cookhouse Recording Studios. This is said to be Prince's first professional recording experience at the age of 17. "He was like a kid in a candy store," recalls Pepé.
Pepé supported Prince during his early years in the business, teaching him song construction and valuable information about the entertainment industry. "Pepé Music produced Prince's first concert at the Capri Theatre and I hosted the Warner Bros. executives in 1979." says Pepé.
Pepé is currently in the process of finalizing "From Brooklyn to Minneapolis" and anticipates a 2015 release. Reportedly, Anthony Notargiacomo, CEO of Truth Entertainment and one of the executive producers of the Oscar-winning film, "Dallas Buyers' Club", has expressed serious interest in Willie's story and has been in talks about producing a film to coincide with the book.
Pepé's history with Prince is well documented through a variety of publications and documentaries on Prince's career and early recordings that feature Prince on various instruments. The most recent release of 94 East, featuring early Prince recordings, is from 1975, titled "The Cookhouse Five", now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Library and Archives. It is on the Reo Deo label and is distributed by eOne Entertainment.
About Pepe Willie
94 East is a Minneapolis-based funk group formed in December 1975 by Pepe Willie, the former husband of Prince's cousin. Willie was one of the people responsible for getting Prince's career up and running, and soon enlisted the talents of a young Prince and his childhood best friend, André Cymone. Prince also composed one song for them, "Just Another Sucker". The band disbanded when Prince became a star in his own right. The 94 East recordings were recorded between December 1975 and February 1979.[1] 94 East was named after Interstate 94.
For more information please contact:Tiffiany Vaughn Jones | E:tiffiany ( @ ) brashworldwide dot com T: 856.313.2012
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