Perhaps no feud in the history of pop music reached greater heights than the legal battle between Warner Bros. Records and Minneapolis music legend Prince. The conflict hit fever pitch in 1993, when Prince, on his 35th birthday, changed his name to an unpronounceable 'love' symbol, prompting media outlets to refer to him as 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.' While still somewhat murky, the reason was largely due to Prince wanting full artistic and financial control of his musical output.
His relationship with the label deteriorated, and Prince closed off communications with all but a scant handful of his Warner Bros. contacts, one of them being Marylou Badeaux, who first met Prince at his signing ceremony at Warner Bros. Records in 1977. She met him again a few weeks later when he dropped by the CEO's office. Unsure if Prince remembered her, Badeaux reintroduced herself, to which Prince responded: 'I know exactly who you are.'
Like Prince, Badeaux had her own meteoric rise in the music industry, starting as a secretary in the office of Tom Draper, the head of WB's 'Black Music' department, before earning a series of promotions that utilized her research and marketing acumen, a skillset that helped Warner Bros. become the most popular 'black music label' in the early 1980s. At the forefront of which was Prince, who was now very aware of Badeaux's talents and artist-first mentality.
By the time Badeaux had moved to the Jazz department from Black Music in 1995, she and Prince had collaborated on countless projects both large and small, from single distribution and TV appearances to full-scale promotional duties for mega hits like Purple Rain and Batman. Badeaux had earned her stripes as a trusted member of the Paisley Park family, and Prince was a fan.
After a particularly successful Lovesexy 'After Party' show, Prince approached Badeaux with a generous offer: 'Why don't you come work for me?' Badeaux hesitated, then gave her measured response. 'If I work for you, then I can't say what I need to say. I'm a better asset to you if I'm at Warner Bros.' Prince smiled, flicked his hand in the air, and walked away. He called back, looking over his shoulder, 'I always knew you were smart.'
