PRINCE's girlfriend

4.23.21 Vanity__.jpg

Dec. 1979 when I auditioned to DJ at ROXY Roller Rink NYC, I actually played 2 PRINCE songs in my brief 45 min. set. I got the job!

PRINCE was still huge in the ROXY, especially women... loved him. & were always claiming to be his girlfriend.

DJing at ROXY one night in 1980, an unusually pretty girl came to me with a request. Even with skates on, she wasn't very tall, but she was stunningly beautiful. She introduced herself as Denise & said, "I love PRINCE!... could you please play some PRINCE?", I said "sure" & she went to the floor.

Pretty quickly I had played 3 PRINCE songs. Soon she came back & thanked me. Then she asked if I had PRINCE’s new album Dirty Mind? I said "Yes"... but then told her, as big as the other songs of his were, the skaters weren't really digging Dirty Mind. Then she said in a syrupy sweet voice "I'm his girlfriend, could you pleassse play it for me?" The record playing was about to end, so as politely as I possibly could said "I'm really sorry, It's very crowded, I just can't", & had to turn around to make the mix. The light man was looking at me like... are you crazy? play whatever this drop dead gorgeous girl asks! As I'm mixing, I could feel her still there. In the corner of my eye... it seemed like her mouth was a little open... in awe, she looked a little stunned & bewildered. For sure she was absolutely gorgeous... & I couldn't help but feel, possibly I was the very first guy to ever deny her request. She finally left & the light man looked at me like I must be crazy.

About a year later, PRINCE performed at The Academy Of Music, East 14th St, NYC, just before its transformation into The Palladium. His opening acts were THE TIME, & VANITY 6. It was a great time & a perfect place to see PRINCE. THE TIME was really incredible too. VANITY 6 was also great... VANITY, in particular, was gorgeous! But wait... VANITY is that same girl from The ROXY... Denise! I saw PRINCE many times after that... but that was my favorite. It was the only time I saw THE TIME, & the only time I saw VANITY 6... with Denise Mathews. Never actually saw a photo that looked as good as she did in person :)