Exclusive: Never-Before-Seen Pictures of Prince, on His Birthday

It’s been a little over a year since Prince’s death at the age of 57, and today, on what would have been his 58th birthday, we have this trove of never-before-published photographs of Prince Rogers Nelson by Nicole Nodland, an L.A. photographer who while visiting her family in Minnesota in 1994 cold-called Paisley Park and offered her services. Prince, as he was wont to do—the first-hand accounts are many and never not entertaining—invited this perfect stranger to come by. She arrived at midnight, and ended up sticking around for two years, traveling the world with him on tour (this was during the famous “symbol” years). It’s no surprise that along the way Nodland, who is now the editor of the indie publication Us of America, found many iconic moments to document. Until his death, Prince was a prodigious producer of not just an endless stream of songs—surely, there will be many posthumous releases to come—but of fashion moments and awed anecdotes that only served to enhance his aura. This tiny man somehow gave depth to mystique, and still does. Prince forever.