By 2007, the NFL had tried all kinds of over-the-top productions for the Super Bowl halftime show, but rarely did the television audience feel engaged, much less impressed. But that year, they had booked Prince. Prince had his own ideas about the 12-minute show. He skipped some of his own hits to play covers. He didn't want to do interviews. And he didn't want to have a backup plan. And then game day came with rain, which had never happened in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday.
[Vocalist] Shelby J.: Not just a drizzle. Not just a light rain. It was like a monsoon.
[Prince's manager/assistant Ruth] Arzate: I was like, “Oh shit.”
Shelby J.: We’re thinking, “Are we gonna change some stuff? … Are we gonna wear tennis shoes now?” Prince was like, “Don’t change nothing.” And that was part of him teaching us and me personally to be fearless.
Arzate: I knew that the executives were concerned about the rain and about electrocution and they were like, “We can always pretend that you’re singing” and have everything off and just play the track. And Prince was like, “I’m Prince, I’m gonna play live.”
The rain continued through halftime, and the result was the greatest Super Bowl halftime show ever. Read the story of that show, from the people who were involved, at the Ringer. -via Metafilter