Susannah Melvoin grew up in a Los Angeles-based musical family, the daughter of legendary composer, keyboardist, and long-time NARAS President Michael Melvoin. Singing from the age of 8, Susannah got her first taste of professional recordings as a jingle singer for television and radio. By her late teens, she was working as a session singer in Los Angeles by night, for David Geffen and MCA Publishing by day.

Some of her earliest sessions were alongside R&B star James Ingram, for the legendary Quincy Jones, who subsequently employed her as a staff singer and as a member of his newly created a-cappella group.

By 1983, she had come to the attention of then up-and-coming musician Prince via long-time friend Lisa Coleman, keyboard player in his backing band The Revolution. Blown away by Susannah’s impromptu version of Aretha’s “Until You Come Back To Me,” Prince became enamored with her voice and asked her to sing on the debut album from Apollonia 6 before enlisting her as co-lead vocalist for a new group called The Family, who would score a US Top 10 R&B hit with “Screams Of Passion.”

After the dissolution of The Family, Susannah joined twin sister Wendy as a member of the newly expanded Prince & The Revolution and contributed to numerous successful albums including Around The World In A Day (which also featured her late brother Jonathan), Parade, Sign O The Times, and The Black Album. Sign O The Times’ quirky “Starfish & Coffee” gave the public the first glimpse of Melvoin’s immense songwriting talents.

After leaving the “Prince camp,” publisher/producer Dick Rudolph (Minnie Ripperton, Teena Marie) signed Susannah to a development deal, but sadly a solo album was never released.

She worked in the studio and on the road with Wendy & Lisa on their debut album, co-writing the European hit single “Honeymoon Express” as well as subsequent releases Fruit At The Bottom and Eroica, before inking a publishing deal with Chrysalis Music.

Some of the artists to have recorded Susannah’s material include Madonna (Ray Of Light album), Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Arc Angels, Doyle Bramhall II, and UK pop outfit All Saints, who scored a massive hit with her song “Pure Shores,” one of the biggest-selling singles of 2000. During this period, the ever-creative performer tried her hand at acting and appeared in several critically acclaimed independent films.

Susannah’s resume also boasts projects, studio work, and/or live performances with Seal, Billy Idol, Donna Summer, Trevor Horn, Questlove, Erykah Badu, Tchad Blake, Mitchell Froom, William Orbit, Neil Finn (of Crowded House fame), UK dance outfit The Grid, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, and Chaka Khan.

Jellybean Johnson is the drummer of the Prince-created band The Time. Jellybean is one of the architects of a unique blend of music that was created in Minnesota and called the Minneapolis Sound.

Jellybean’s resume includes drummer/guitarist/writer/engineer/producer for both local and national talent, including creating a number one pop song for Janet Jackson, “Black Cat.” Billboard’s Critic’s Picks ranked “Black Cat” as Janet Jackson’s best song of all time in 2017.

In 1980, Prince united members of Flyte Tyme, of which Jellybean was a member, and Grand Central to form the band, The Time. Jellybean has been their drummer ever since. The Time toured with Prince and went on to be the rival band in the film Purple Rain.

Prince also formed a band called The Family using Jellybean as its drummer yet again.

Jellybean also wrote, produced, and played on many songs by nationally known artists during his time at Flyte Tyme Studios in Minneapolis, including Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, New Edition, Alexander O’Neal, Mint Condition, and the Human League.

As a guitarist, Jellybean has lent his playing to many songs and recordings and plays nationally in the Blues circuit.

Locally, in the Twin Cities, you will see Jellybean most nights of the week sitting in with local artists and in his own band, The Jellybean Johnson Experience. The Jellybean Johnson Experience also presents several shows each year promoting and performing with up-and-coming bands and artists.

The Jellybean Johnson Experience put out a single in 2018 called “Put Some Jelly On It” and released another, “Let Me Shine On,” in 2019.

Jellybean is the recipient of twenty Gold and Platinum albums, Minnesota Music Awards, Minnesota Black Music Awards, and ASCAP Awards. In 2014, he was honored for his long-time work as a drummer with a special Local Legends Award.

Jellybean’s custom-made suit jacket that he wore in the film Purple Rain was donated to the Minnesota History Museum, securing his place in the history of Minneapolis music for all time.

Grammy Award-Winning saxophonist & flutist Eric Leeds first started working with Prince in the mid 80’s when he was offered a spot in the band The Family. Their debut was released in 1985 on Paisley Park records. Leeds continued to work in the studio and onstage with Prince, including a plethora of tours and performances on Prince and Prince-related albums, including but not limited to Parade, Sign O’ The Times, Lovesexy, and Batman.

In 1986 Prince created the group Madhouse to feature Eric’s saxophone and flute musicianship. Two albums were released for that project, 8 and 16, both released in 1987.

Eric subsequently released two albums of his own on Paisley Park/Warner Bros., Times Squared and Things Left Unsaid. He released a 3rd solo record in 2000, Now & Again.

With fDeluxe (formerly The Family), Eric recorded Gaslight (2011), AM Static (2014), and Live & Tight As a Funk Fiends’ Fix (2014).

As LP music alongside St. Paul Peterson, he released No Words in 2017.

Today, Eric continues to play with fDeluxe and with Paul Peterson in the group LP Music.

Prince discovered Paul Peterson, AKA St Paul, at the age of 17. He enlisted him as a keyboard player in The Time for the movie Purple Rain.

Paul took the lead vocalist spot in the Prince produced group The Family before becoming a solo artist and scoring hits for MCA and Atlantic Records.

St. Paul has recorded, toured or written with Steve Miller, Peter Frampton, Daryl Hall, Prince, George Benson, Oleta Adams, The Corrs, Kenny Loggins, and Morris Day and The Time to name a few.

Paul tours with his band, St Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All Stars, consisting of musicians and producers who helped to create the Minneapolis Sound.