Q & A With Michael (Oslo) Oakvik
Q: What are you up to these days?

A: I’ve been a homeowner in Blaine, MN for 11 years.  I’ve been a cop (I mean, a  p-o-l-i-c-e  o-f-f-i-c-e-r) for the city of Brooklyn Park for the past 14 years.  Being single with no kids I am able to enjoy a variety of hobbies such as:  I own a classic 1968 AMC AMX which I race around town every chance I get (I carry a “get out of jail free” card, remember); I own a 2002 Honda CBR954 sport bike which I race around the farm roads of Wisconsin every chance I get (those WI cops are hardcore, my card doesn’t work over there); I’m still a bodybuilder (gotta stay in shape to chase all those felonious juveniles around); and I collect toys from the 1960’s & 1970’s, my childhood years (one would be surprised at how many cops collect toys of different varieties).   

Q: How did you hook up with Prince?

A: I was a doorman at First Avenue from 1982 – 1986 but my first introduction to Prince came from my younger brother, Jon, who has been a Prince fan since before day one!  He and I were at an old club in Minneapolis called “The Mirage” listening to another local band, “The Flamin’ O’s”.  The band went on break and put a cassette into the sound system for the audience to enjoy.  It was Prince’s Controversy album.  Jon became all excited and began pantomiming the Controversy video, “What? No flash again?!”  I said, “Who is this?”  Jon answered, “Prince.”  I irritatingly inquired, “Prince? Who’s Prince?”  Well, he looked at me as bewildered as could be and said, “You work at First Avenue and you don’t know who Prince is?!?”  That night, Jon lent me the first three Prince albums and I was hooked!  I also began to pay more attention to the bands that played at First Avenue, primarily Prince.

About 2 years later the girlfriend of one of the managers of First Avenue came screaming into the club saying there was this big guy (she used some other adjectives that I won’t repeat in print) in the garage that had just called her a “Bi**h” (she was) and that she didn’t want him coming in the club.  I told her I would take care of the matter and stepped outside the entry doors to confront this big guy.  I was a bodybuilder myself so, how big could this guy really be?  Well, around the corner out of the garage came this semi-truck of a man!  He was huuuge! I mustered up all the courage I could and, as he approached, said “Excuse me, sir.”  This hulk of a man answered me in the tiniest, most genteel voice I have, to this day, ever heard, “Yess?”  (I suddenly had a mental picture of Mickey Mouse.)  I explained that there had apparently been a problem, with whom he had had the problem and that I wouldn’t be allowing him into the club that particular night.  His response was simply, “Um, I’m with Prince…”  He needed say no more.  I opened the door and accompanied him into First Avenue, much to the chagrin of the manager’s girlfriend!  Later in the evening I took a break from the door, went to find the large man and introduced myself.  He introduced himself as Prince’s bodyguard, “Hucky”…

About a year later First Avenue closed its doors for a month while the Purple Rain set took over the club and the club scenes of the movie were shot.  I stayed on as building security working the front door as it was a closed set (closed even to Taja without a pass!).  Once Prince was settled into his dressing room, his bodyguards, Hucky & Gilbert, were free to come hang at the front door and visit.  During one of these visits, toward the end of filming at First Avenue, I asked what plans were once the filming was wrapped. “We’re going on a world tour,” was the answer they gave.  I more or less joked and, with a wink and a nudge, told Hucky & Gilbert that if they needed any extra security, they knew where to find me…

The Purple Rain Tour kicked off and I was never contacted.  What did I expect?  About a month later I received a telephone call at about two o’clock in the morning. The voice on the other end of the long distance call said, “This is Gilbert, are you still interested in a security position on the Purple Rain Tour?”  I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, shook my head and said, “Who is this?”  Gilbert had to repeat himself about three times before I finally got it and said, “Well,yeaah!!”  So, I was given two weeks to quit two different jobs and pack my things before Chick Huntsberry flew into town, met me at the Minneaolis-St Paul airport and accompanied me back to Philadelphia where I started my life with Prince & The Revolution…!

Q: What is your favorite Prince album?

A: My absolute favorite Prince album is, hands down, Controversy.  For two reasons:  As stated above, it was that album with which I received my very first introduction (both audibly on cassette and visually by Jon) to Prince.  And, I love the rawness of its sound. No frills, just pure, hardcore, funky Prince!

Q: Have you heard Prince’s 3121 album, and what do you think of it?

A: Honestly, I’ve only heard bits and pieces of it.  I have not yet had the opportunity to sit down and really get into it.  From what I have heard it truly shows off the musical genius of Prince but,  compared to the simplicity of Controversy,  it sounds a bit too busy or overproduced for my own personal taste.  That does not make it a ‘poor’ album in my book, just a stretch from my own preferences…

Q: Best Prince Drummer?

A: I have only had personal experience with two of Prince’s drummers, Bobby Z and Sheila E. (and, of course, Prince himself [maan, can he drum for having taught himself!]). Being somewhat of a drummer myself, I can say that Bobby Z was great at ‘finding the pocket’ and staying there.  He was (is) a very good, no frills, just hold the tempo kind of drummer; a must for every drummer.  Sheila E., on the other hand, was not only, ‘in the pocket’ but very flashy.  I watched her do some things on those drums of hers that, to this day, I have yet to figure out how she ever did them!  And the stamina!  Woo-eee!  My girl can play!  And play!  And play!  Tireless!
So, since my personal experience rests only on these two, and they were both extremely good, yet different styled, drummers, I can’t say who’s ‘best’.

Q: Favorite city?

A: How about favorite cities?  Stockholm.  L.A.  Paris.  Amsterdam.  (aka Eva.  Carmen. Cecile.  Audrey.)

Q: How did you get the name Oslo?

A: Some guy named Hucky gave it to me.  My heritage (some of it, at least) is from Oslo, Norway.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I don’t consider myself to be a prideful man so, let me change the question just a bit: I’m very touched and very honored to be considered a part of the Prince family.  I’m just a humble guy from the Midwest who happened to be in the right place at the right time and said the right thing to the right person and look what it got me!  (The Lord truly does work miracles in mysterious ways!) 

The Prince family to which I refer extends from Prince himself to his band members, management, support staff, hair, makeup, wardrobe, sound crews, stage crews, lighting crews, instrument techs, the list goes on and on.  (Oh yes, I mustn’t leave out his incomparable security team!)  This entire group of people is made up of some of the kindest, most loving and loveable people I know!  And I consider them all my brothers and sisters.  I cannot find the words to express the feelings of love that flow through me when I, for instance, see Wendy & Lisa and Sheila after a long absence and I hear Wendy exclaim, “Oh – My – God!” and Lisa, “Peeaaches!!”, and see Sheila’s quiet, beautiful smile from behind her trademark sunglasses, then see all of them come toward me and embrace me like they will never let me go.  To me these are not celebrities, they are my sisters.  And the same goes for Bobby, Matt, and Mark, my brothers.  (And, of course, these same feelings abound for the countless brothers and sisters both in front of behind the scenes, as well!)

The tours I was involved in were some of the best times of my life and I thank all those involved for adopting me into the family!                  

Q: Favorite tour and why?

A: Well, Purple Rain, for nostalgic reasons, because it was my first.  Occasionally I stop and think about Purple Rain and realize how historic that tour was.  It changed the face of music as we know it and, I was a part of it!  The Parade tour because it was my first opportunity to travel overseas!  “Sign O’ The Times will mess with yo’ mind!”  And Lovesexy, oddly enough, because it was my last.

Q: Best Prince Moment

A: There’s a couple… “Uh-oh! Look out! Mike Oakvik’s running after Earl Jones!!”  And, when I realized Prince was sitting behind me pantomiming me pantomiming Sheila E. on the drums!  And, when I lost my pearl tie pin (but that’s a story to be submitted later)…  But I think, as a musician myself, the best moments were sitting in the sound checks listening to Prince “ramble” on his piano then slowly coming to the realization that he was not “rambling” at all but, rather, creating what was soon to become his next hit song!!  To actually experience the genius at work… indescribable! 
Thank you, Mike.

Thank you Hucky, et al., not only for the opportunity to take part in this venture and see something I have talked about doing for so long come to fruition but also for allowing me the honor of being the first.  There are so many hilarious “behind the scenes” stories that I’ve heard told throughout the years from various family members; I would truly love to see those stories submitted here for all the family to reminisce to and for all the fans to enjoy. 
For more on Michael Oakvik, check out his Myspace Page at www.myspace.com/rudeboy