More scrapbook than memoir, this collection of photographs documenting Prince's life from his birth through his 1980s heyday reminds readers how skilled, funky, and glamorous the artist was until his death by accidental fentanyl overdose at home at age 57. An introduction by cowriter Piepenbring, an editor for the Paris Review, is followed by a personal essay by Prince, followed by captions, sidebars, and quotes from rare TV and early magazine interviews, along with expressions of adoration by such greats as Santana, Sly Stone, and Beyoncé. Most touching are passages written in Prince's signature style ( Cari was the 1st girl 2 expose a brotha 2 just straight-up animal lust ) and revelations of his deep love for his musician parents ( My parents were beautiful ), especially his father, who taught him the Batman theme on piano, and, after his parents divorced, reluctantly accepted 12-year-old Prince into his apartment when his mother remarried. Here, too are 16 handwritten lyrics for such hits as ""Dirty Mind"" and ""Little Red Corvette."" Prince's 11-page treatment for the film Purple Rain wraps up the book's content.There is royal weirdness here. Prince, for example, required of Piepenbring a book proposal and a flight from New York to Australia, where he was left holed up in a hotel room with a stack of draft memoir pages to read and comment on, while Prince stayed next door, uncommunicative. Having finally earned Prince's trust, Piepenbring had to be the one to be aggressive about book advances and early marketing strategies before the book was even fully outlined. After all that, Prince died three months later. A work at turns affecting and raw, given that Piepenbring was not allowed to take notes or record conversations, this is, ultimately, an altar candle lit in the wake of an icon's passing.--Sean Chambers Copyright 2020 Booklist