Wendy Melvoin

Wendy Ann Melvoin (born January 26, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy & Lisa. Music career Wendy Melvoin met Prince in 1980 when her girlfriend Lisa Coleman joined Prince's band for the Dirty Mind period. Prince would stay at their house when he came to the L.A. area and she was regularly at the Dirty Mind, Controversy, and 1999 tour shows. She was watching from backstage when Prince and the band opened for the Rolling Stones in 1981. One night when she was practicing guitar in Lisa Coleman's room, Prince overheard and asked Coleman who was playing guitar. A few days later, when guitarist Dez Dickerson didn't show up at soundcheck, Prince asked Melvoin to play his guitar; that same night after asking Lisa first, Prince invited her to join the band. Melvoin sang back up on the 1999 album song "Free", as well as the B-side single "Irresistible Bitch". Melvoin's debut show with The Revolution was a benefit concert for the Minnesota Dance Theatre at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis on August 3, 1983. This concert was recorded and some of the songs ("Let's Go Crazy", "Computer Blue", "Purple Rain", "Baby I'm a Star", and "I Would Die 4 U") were released on Purple Rain, Prince's next record. Melvoin was 19 at that time. Melvoin then worked extensively with Prince in the studio on songs released and unreleased, as well as contributing to protégé projects such as 1984's Apollonia 6, 1985's The Family, and the 1985 Prince & the Revolution album Around the World in a Day. Shortly after the completion of Prince and The Revolution's 1986 album tour in October 1986 Parade, Coleman and Melvoin left the Revolution and started their own duo, Wendy & Lisa, also known as Girl Brothers.