Purple Reign began at the small
but then popular UNLV college club Tom & Jerry's in the summer of 1997. Front
man Jason Tenner formed the group with high school band-mates Jason Underwood
(bassist) and Brent Wheeler (guitarist) after dressing as Prince for a Halloween
party at the Hard Rock Hotel-Casino the previous year. " People's reactions
were crazy!" recalls Tenner. "They kept wanting pictures, asking where
I was performing and how they could get tickets! It was wild!"
Already a working group with their 70's era funk and disco tribute show "The
Mothership Connection", Tenner, Underwood and Wheeler were joined by keyboardist
Greg Orr and drummer Micheal Paul. Soon after, the group began to experiment with
Prince hits in their set. Those songs quickly became the most popular in the show
and it wasn't long before the platforms, afro-wigs and bell bottoms were traded
for high heels, eyeliner and spandex.
By 1998, Purple Reign could be seen
in much larger venues such as the Railhead in Boulder Station, The Beach night
club, Club Rio ( now Prince's club 3121 ) and has sharing billing with acts such
as Destiny's Child, Reynaldo Ray of BET's Comic View and The Bar-kays. In 2001
Purple Reign became headliners
of the mini showroom at the Boardwalk Casino, and according to a Nov. 2006 article
in What's On magazine "almost singlehandedly" kept the property alive
for years. While there, they expanded on their vision and theme using the classic
film "Purple Rain" as inspiration , and incorporated the celebrity characters
Morris Day and Jerome Benton of "The Time". The new show segment added
a wildly entertaining and upbeat dimension that rings just as true to the original
artists and character details that have made the show a success.
Upon the Boardwalks closing in Jan. of 2006 to make way for the new City Center
Project, Purple Reign returned to
larger venues at the Monte Carlo Brew Pub, The Chrome Showroom in the Santa Fe
Station and The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. 2006 also saw Purple
Reign get a landslide 190 out of 200 votes and receive the award
for best Tribute Artist Show by the Black Music Association of Las Vegas adding
to their previous 2005 and 2006 honors of being voted in the top 3 visitors choice
for best lounge act in the What's On Las Vegas Magazine. The LA Weekly also deemed
the show among the "16 Things You Can't Afford To Miss In Vegas".
The current show cast consists of world class entertainers and musicians some
of whom have played and toured with the likes of Ashanti & Enrique Iglesias
and still others who have had radio hits as high as #13 on the Billboard charts.
The members are: Chris Lukes - Drums, Anthony Pickett- Bass, Bridgett Tenner -
Percussion and Vocals, Michael ( Mico ) Lane - Keyboards & Musical Direction,
Chris Lane - Guitar, Sythe Cameron - as Morris Day, Stephen Miller - as Jerome
Benton, Adrienne Kramer - as Diamond "on the dancin feet", and Jason
Tenner as Prince.
2009 will see more growth as the show has plans to add an "Apollonia"
character, with supporting cast, and continue to expand their vision of paying
tribute to one of the greatest artists of our time!
