He’s definitely an American superstar—one of the most important of the ’80s—and his ascent still appears to be just above ground level. He’s praised and adulated by peers, critics, music biz insiders and the public alike. Not just a music star, mind you; the guy actually went and won himself an Oscar for his songs in Purple Rain (viz: “the best rock film ever made”; “the Citizen Kane of rock”; comparable to Capra and Hitchcock—or a great MTV video featuring a lame story, abysmal acting, hackneyed psychology and a main character who came off as a bit of an emotionally immature jerk).