In no way does it diminish the vastness and depth of Prince’s achievements to acknowledge the contributions of his many collaborators through the years, from band members to costume designers, from dancers to engineers. One relatively unsung collaborator is Clare Fischer, who assisted Prince with string arrangements on many of the Parade album tracks and B-sides, as well as on albums by The Family and Jill Jones. Who was Clare Fischer?  How did Prince find out about him, and what was the nature of their collaboration over the years? This presentation explores the input of the musician Prince thanks in the Parade liner notes for “Making brighter the colors black and white.”

Adam Reid Sexton’s books include Desperately Seeking Madonna, which Pitchfork called one of the Best Madonna Books; Master Class in Fiction Writing; and the forthcoming Hang Us in the Louvre: How Rock ‘n’ Roll Became Art. He teaches Writing About Music at Yale University, where he is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department.