Photo: Steve Parke
A pillar of the local music scene reflects on his career.
Longtime Edina resident Paul Peterson was born into music. His parents, Jeanne Arland Peterson and Willie Peterson, met while working in the Minneapolis music scene—Willie as an orchestrator, arranger and commercial jingle writer; Jeanne as a pianist and organist for WCCO Radio, the Minnesota Twins and various jazz ensembles. “My boyhood home in Richfield holds such musical significance, not only for our family but for the Minnesota music community,” Paul, now 61, says. “It’s seen more rehearsals than I can count over more than 70 years.”
Paul’s father, Willie, died when he was 4. Paul and his four siblings—Linda, Billy, Patty and Ricky—helped their mom keep the family’s musical spirit alive. All five of them (and many of their children in the next generation) have had successful music careers and still often perform together. “I gravitated toward instruments because that’s just what we did at our house,” Paul says. He attended Richfield’s Academy of Holy Angels and started taking piano lessons from the nuns there at a young age.
During and after high school, Paul worked a series of music jobs, often playing with bands at local restaurants and other venues. Did he ever consider a different path or pursue a college degree? In short: no. “I always knew what I was going to be doing. I’ve been doing it since the minute I was born,” Paul says.
Paul “St. Paul” Peterson is a local music legend. Photos: Paul Peterson
Paul and Purple
Shortly after Paul graduated from Holy Angels in 1983, a friend heard about some upcoming auditions for The Time—Prince’s ensemble project, which longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were leaving. There was an opening on the keyboard. “I was on vacation and had to hurry home and learn the songs for the audition,” Paul says. He met the Purple One himself at the second callback. “I finished playing, and he came over to me and walked me to a whole bunch of swatches for clothing,” Paul says. Prince told him to pick out a suit. When he asked what it was for, Prince answered, “For the movie we’re about to do.” Paul chose a subtle black pinstripe—and the ever-flamboyant Prince immediately pivoted. “You’re never going to be noticed in that,” he told Paul. He plucked a bright orange suit from the rack.
Paul Peterson in 1981, before being discovered by Prince.
“The rest is history,” Paul says. He wore the suit when he and fellow members of The Time appeared in Purple Rain, Prince’s 1984 feature film, and he looks back on that first interaction with Prince with great fondness. “That time was filled with my mentors,” he says. “Minneapolis was one of the greatest places to cultivate artistry.”
Paul spent much of the 1980s in Prince’s camp, spending lots of time at Paisley Park in Chanhassen and playing with The Time, then with The Family, a subsequent Prince ensemble that was built around Paul. He was christened “St. Paul” by Prince. “I still wear that nickname as a badge,” he says. “The college of Prince taught me about performance, marketing, production and songwriting—it was an incredibly valuable time for me.”
Paul Peterson was discovered by Prince at the age of 17, and was hired as the new keyboard player for The Time. The album Ice Cream Castle debuted at the same time as Prince’s movie, Purple Rain—and that’s Paul Peterson on the keyboard. Next time you hear Jungle Love or The Bird, remember an Edina musician was on the keys. After The Time disbanded in 1984, Prince gathered the remaining members of the band and formed The Family with Paul as the lead singer.
The Family, Prince’s Paul-centered band, stayed together for a few years and recorded the original version of Nothing Compares 2 U, which would go on to become a mega-hit for Prince and then-up-and-coming Sinéad O’Connor. As in most real families, however, things weren’t always sunny. “I was not very happy with my paycheck, and I had two different major labels courting me at the time,” Paul says. “I ended up taking a deal with MCA Records and leaving Prince. He and I didn’t have a relationship for quite a few years after that.”
Solo Sojourn
Paul spent the next many years focusing on his own projects. He released his eponymous solo debut in 1987 and several albums thereafter. As a sought-after touring and session musician, he played with Peter Frampton, Kenny Loggins, Donnie Osmond, the Steve Miller Band and many other notables.
Paul Peterson played on tour with the Steve Miller Band from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. He also performed with Kenny Loggins and Peter Frampton.
In the mid-1990s, Paul reached out to Prince to bury the hatchet, and he reunited with many original members of The Family—most recently under the name fDeluxe—to play Prince hits and other original tunes together. The subsequent years have seen a mix of collaborations with the Paisley Park crew and Paul’s solo and family-
related ventures.
Since Prince’s death in 2016, Paul and his pals have found creative ways to honor their late mentor and keep his local legacy alive, performing the music that brought them all together. “Prince really recognized what the world needed and presented opportunities to musicians who might not necessarily have gotten those opportunities,” Paul says. “I miss him.” He jokes that Prince would probably hate many of the musical tributes that continue to roll in. “He’d say, ‘Quit singing my songs, man!’” Paul says.
“St. Paul” in Edina
When Paul’s mother, Jeanne, passed away a few years ago, he and his wife, Julie, moved back into his childhood house in Richfield. But before that, they’d called Edina home for decades. He says they couldn’t imagine raising their now-adult daughters, Kelly and Taylor, anywhere else. “We love how homey Edina is. We love the school district, the community itself and all of these tight-knit neighborhoods. People genuinely care about each other here,” Paul says. He says working in music afforded him a flexible schedule that let him be present for his kids’ important moments, from soccer games to prom. Paul is an active member of the Rotary Club of Edina and served as its 2024–25 president. He teaches music at several local studios and schools, and initiated a music festival sponsored by the Rotary Club of Edina last summer. He hosts the popular Music on the Run podcast, in which he interviews musicians from all backgrounds—including many former Prince colleagues. He released a new solo album, Break on Free, in 2022 and performs now with his primary band, St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All Stars.
Paul “St. Paul” Peterson and the Minneapolis Funk All Stars. Photo: Mike Madison/Bump Opera
He’s also the director of music and liturgy at the Church of St. Patrick–Edina, a place that holds a lot of meaning. “I’ve been so blessed and have had an incredible career, and it’s not over yet,” Paul says. “I’m grateful every Sunday morning that I get to come to church and play the 9-foot Steinway to give glory to God.”
Those dual images of Paul—in an orange suit on the set of Purple Rain, or playing liturgical music in an Edina church—coalesce to make a picture of the singular life of “St. Paul.”
Paul Peterson
Instagram: @stpaulpeterson
