The first television performance from Prince since the release of his two albums, Art Official and Plectrumelectrum, on Sept. 30 is not only going to be live, it will make history.
The music icon's return to the SNL stage on November 1 - his first since February 4, 2006 - will be a rousing eight-minute long jam session with no commercial interruption. The party will feature Prince along with his all-female band 3RDEYEGIRL (guitarist Donna Grantis, bassist Ida Nielsen, and drummer Hannah Ford Welton).
In the 40-year history of SNL, most performances have been broken up into two segments, often at midnight and one just before the 90-minute classic sketch comedy show ends. But Prince, known for his spontaneous and electrifying three-hour concerts in venues both massive and intimate, will perform his set in the middle of the show with no closing encore. It's anyone guess what the songs will be, but undeniable that it will be an incendiary and history making performance.
Host Chris Rock's singular request was for Prince to be the musical guest for his return to SNL as host after 18 years. It is the second time he will host the show. The two made the announcement via a press release on October 14 with a photo of Rock dressed as Prince from the film Grown Ups 2.
ART OFFICIAL AGE, Prince's solo album, bowed in at #1 on Billboard's R&B Chart while PLECTRUMELECTRUM, featuring Prince's new band 3RDEYEGIRL, debuted at #1 on the Rock Chart, making Prince the first artist in over a decade to debut two albums in the Top 10 at the same time.
"Saturday Night Live" is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.
