![Pepe Willie stood for a portrait outside the Capri Theater, which is undergoing a major renovation, in Minneapolis. ] Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com Photo shoot with Pepe Willie, who helped put together Prince's first professional concert at the Capri Theater and is author of new book about his six decades in music biz, including his years w Prince, Little Anthony & Imperials and others.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4TPIVGPZLESDCIL3ZJ4J4T4ZDU.jpg?&w=712)
A hustler from Brooklyn, Pepé Willie spent his teen years as a valet for his uncle's hit group, Little Anthony and the Imperials. He learned the ins and outs of the business and set out to become an actor and a singer. Despite near misses in both arenas, Willie became a tireless, behind-the-scenes networker, meeting everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley to Muhammad Ali and Whoopi Goldberg.
Willie met a 12-year-old Prince when he was dating the youngster's first cousin, whom he married (and divorced). In Minneapolis, Willie became a mentor to Prince, introducing him to the recording studio and helping him stage his first concert after signing with Warner Bros. in 1977.
Willie had his own band — 94 East, which recorded with Prince on guitar — but became more of a Twin Cities scenester.
Willie can drop more famous names than Rolling Stone's Random Notes column (where he's been mentioned) and invariably uses his Prince connection as an entree. In Willie's "If You See Me: My Six-Decade Journey in Rock and Roll," the index indicates that Prince is cited on more than 250 pages of a 368-page book.
The 72-year-old author, who splits his time between the Twin Cities and Nevada, is talking to producers about making his memoir into a movie.
On why he wrote the book
The charismatic Willie likes to spin stories about his days in Brooklyn, hanging out backstage with a parade of stars including Stevie Wonder and Mary Wells. One of his unforgettable yarns is when Dusty Springfield asked him to go buy a set of dishes, which she promptly threw against the dressing room wall as a way to relieve stress. Factor in numerous anecdotes about Prince, and, for years, friends have badgered Willie to put these stories in a book.
"I remember everything — all those long-distance memories," said Willie. "I remember stuff my uncle don't even remember."
On co-writer Tony Kiene
Kiene — who has written for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and worked for various nonprofits including the Minneapolis Urban League — introduced himself to Willie at a benefit concert at Paisley Park. They became friends and played basketball together. For the book, Willie shared the narratives while Kiene did the writing and researching of historical facts and contexts.
