Incredible newly-unearthed footage shows 11-year-old Prince being interviewed by a local television station about 1970 Minneapolis teachers’ strike
- Archival footage has been uncovered of Prince as an 11-year-old boy
- Youngster featured in news footage shot in April 1970 during a teacher’s strike
- A producer at WCCO came across the footage by chance while sifting through old material for a report about a present-day teachers strike
- In order to confirm that it was actually Prince, a reporter tracked down a historian and an old childhood friend who grew up with him
- The friend, Terrance Jackson, was brought to tears upon seeing the old uncovered footage
- Very few pieces of video exist of Prince Rogers Nelson in his pre-teen years
- The pop superstar died at the age of 57 in April 2016
Newly unearthed footage was recently discovered that shows the late pop superstar Prince as a young boy.
The youngster was interviewed by a television news crew in April 1970 when his school was closed because of a Minneapolis Public Schools educator’s strike.
The footage was found by accident last month when a researcher working for the station WCCO was sifting through archival footage.
The producer for the Minneapolis-based station had been searching for suitable archive material to accompany a piece about a present-day teacher’s strike when he came across video footage of someone who he believed to be a young Prince.
The late pop superstar Prince was interviewed by a television news crew in April 1970 when his school was closed because of a Minneapolis Public Schools educator’s strike
The footage was found by accident last month when a researcher working for the station WCCO was sifting through archival footage
Very few videos exist of Prince during his pre-teen years. He is pictured here in 1986 at age 28
WCCO Production Manager Matt Liddy, who discovered the incredible 52-year-old clip, ran into the newsroom to see if his coworkers might also be able to identify who it was that was speaking on tape.
The response was overwhelming, with everyone identifying the young child as the man who would eventually go onto international pop superstardom.
But the television station needed to be sure.
Unfortunately, the interviewer did not ask the little boy for his name. And so a treasure hunt of sorts began in order to obtain confirmation that the youngster was, in fact, Prince Rogers Nelson.
A producer at WCCO, Matt Liddy, came across the footage by chance whilst sifting through old material for a report about a present-day teachers strike
WCCO reporter, Jeff Wagner, left, and Matt Liddy, looked through the footage together
The young boy spoke eloquently about the ongoing teacher’s strike in April 1970, saying that teachers deserved better wages and working conditions
Unfortunately, the reporter forgot to ask for the youngster’s name during the interview
A yearbook also showed Prince to have similar facial features and hairstyle to the video clip
‘I immediately just went out to the newsroom and started showing people and saying, “I’m not gonna tell you who I think this is, but who do you think this is?” And every single person said ‘Prince,’ Liddy explained.
In the short clip, Prince can be heard being asked for his views on the teacher’s strike.
Surrounded by his friends, the youngster with a cheeky smile replies with an intelligent answer.
‘I think they should get a better education too cause. And I think they should get some more money cause they work, they be working extra hours for us and all that stuff.’
In order to verify it really was the pop superstar who died at the age of 57 in April 2016, the WCCO team set about on some fresh research of their own.
His classmate, Ronnie Kitchen, pictured, enthusiastically identified himself on tape, but all present-day phone numbers for the man, likely now in his 60s, led nowhere
In the quest for answers, a reporter tracked down Minneapolis historian and archeologist, Kristen Zschomler, pictured above
When Zschomler was shown the clip for herself, a smile crept across her face. ‘I think that’s him, definitely. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I think that’s definitely Prince,’ she said
The first clue was to find out who else was speaking on tape at the time of Prince’s interview.
His classmate, Ronnie Kitchen, enthusiastically identified himself on tape, but all present-day phone numbers for the man, likely now in his 60s, led nowhere.
Minneapolis historian and archeologist, Kristen Zschomler, who is also a huge fan of Prince, took on the task of attempting to verify the extraordinary footage and brought her knowledge of Prince’s young life to the investigation.
‘They called him Skipper,’ she explained. ‘I’ve written a big document sort of outlining his historic journey from Minneapolis’ northside to Paisley Park and the world.’
What makes the video unique is that footage of him before he became a teenager is essentially non-existent.
In order confirm that it was actually Prince, a reporter tracked down an old childhood friend who grew up with him and was in his band
Terrance Jackson was brought to tears upon seeing the old uncovered footage
Terrance Jackson was a childhood friend of Prince’s. The pair attended elementary school together and he was also in his very first band, Grand Central, above, when they were teens
‘As far as video, I am not familiar with any. Doesn’t mean they don’t exist but I’m not familiar with any,’ she said.
When Zschomler was shown the clip for herself, a smile crept across her face.
‘I think that’s him, definitely. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I think that’s definitely Prince,’ she said noticing that his school appeared in the background.
‘This definitely looks like Lincoln Junior High School where he would have been attending school in April of 1970,’ she said.
Zschomler also managed to find a sixth-grade photograph of Prince during the year year of the strike. The young boy’s hairstyle both in the picture and on the video were identical.
‘There’s so much in his mannerisms and his eyes and everything that it looks like him,’ she said.
A second confirmation came from Jackson’s wife Rhoda who also grew up with the pair.
‘I think just seeing Prince as a young child in his neighborhood school, you know, it helps really ground him to that Minneapolis connection,’ Zschomler said.
‘Even if they’re momentary glimpses into what Minneapolis meant to him, what he stood up for when he lived in Minneapolis, just helps understand that symbiotic connection he had to his hometown.’
Still, despite Zschomler’s enthusiasm, it still wasn’t enough for a complete confirmation – but she knew of someone who would be able to seal the deal.
Terrance Jackson was a childhood friend of Prince’s. The pair attended elementary school together and he was also in his very first band, Grand Central, when they were teenagers.
The pop superstar died at the age of 57 in April 2016. Pictured, Prince performs at half time during Super Bowl XLI in February 2007
A fan away a tear after leaving flowers at a memorial to Prince outside the First Avenue nightclub in April 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prince, 57, was pronounced dead shortly after being found unresponsive at his Paisley Park Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Fans visit a memorial outside Paisley Park, the home and studio of Prince days after his death
Seeing video of the footage of the youngster required no verbal confirmation at all and tears soon began to flow.
‘Oh my God, that’s Kitchen,’ Jackson said excitedly. ‘That is Prince! Standing right there with the hat on, right? That’s Skipper! Oh my God!’
‘I am like blown away. I’m totally blown away,’ he said as he was overcome with emotion and childhood memories came flooding back.
‘He was already playing guitar and keys by then, phenomenally,’ Jackson said. ‘Music became our sport. Because he was athletic, I was athletic, but we wanted to compete musically.
‘That’s Prince, aka Skipper to the Northside,’ Jackson said.
A second confirmation came from Jackson’s wife Rhoda who also grew up with the pair.
‘It’s just amazing to see him, that small, that young, and hear his voice,’ Rhoda said, laughing.
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