Publication: Chicago Sun-Times [US]
Date: April 5, 1995
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Title: "Guitar Suit Targets Former Prince"
Written By: Jim DeRogatis

The Artist Formerly Known As Prince has some explaining to do. A Chicago man is suing the funk-rock superstar, alleging he stole a custom-made guitar. The instument is shaped like the symbol that the artist now uses to represent his name.

Ferdinand Pickett, 31, a Chicago bike messenger who designs guitars and clothing in his spare time, met the former Prince after the artist's show at the Chicago Theater in April, 1993.

According to a lawsuit filed with the U.S District Court, Pickett presented Prince- who had recently changed his name to an unpronouncanle symbol- with the hand-carved guitar. The suit states thet the artist kept the guitar to try out after promising to buy it for $10,000 or return it to Pickett.

Pickett says he was never paid and never got his guitar back. His phone calls to the musician's office in Minneapolis were not returned. But the artist appeared in photos a short time later with a guitar shaped like Pickett's.

"We think that Prince just got the guitar from Ferdinand and referred it to his people and said, 'This is what I want,'" said Pickett's lawyer, Paul Weiss of Harvey Wallner and Associates. "He's pretending as if Ferdinand doesn't exist."

The artist's business manager, Michael Kane, said the lawsuit is without merit. He called it one of the dozens of "nuisance" complaints that his client is forced to deal with each year.

At a hearing last Friday, Judge Milton Shadur ordered the artist and his attorneys to comply with the discovery process.

Weiss is anxious to go to trial so that he can call witnesses who were present when Pickett allegedly gave the artist the guitar. Meanwhile, Pickett said he's not going to be giving any more guitars away. While he used to be a huge Prince fan, he said, "Things like this make you feel differently."