{"id":2041,"date":"2019-07-12T07:28:43","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T07:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/?page_id=2041"},"modified":"2019-07-12T19:29:12","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T19:29:12","slug":"spotlight-peggy-mccreary","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/spotlight\/spotlight-peggy-mccreary\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight: Peggy McCreary"},"content":{"rendered":"

STORIES FROM THE PARK<\/h3>\n
\n\t

PRN Alumni Foundation is comprised of the former employees of Prince, Paisley Park, Paisley Park Records, PRN Productions, NPG Records, Love4OneAnother, any and all of Prince\u2019s companies spanning his impressive nearly 40 year career.<\/p>\n

There have been, quite literally hundreds of us in Prince\u2019s employ. The Foundation represents our collective voice.<\/p>\n

We are musicians, engineers, managers, lighting directors, wardrobe designers, stylists, makeup artists, drivers, bodyguards, admin staff, valets, drivers (and more!)<\/p>\n

This \u2018Stories From The Park\u2019 chronicle is a way for our colleagues of all tenures and job types to share a little bit of Prince\u2019s magic with you through our individual voices.<\/p>\n

We hope you enjoy getting to know us\u2026we feel as if we\u2019ve known you, Prince\u2019s fans (fam) forever <3<\/p>\n

With love and gratitude,
\nPRN Alumni Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Read More Spotlights<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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\n\t\t\"Peggy\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>

Spotlight: Peggy McCreary <\/h3>\n
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\u201cTHERE WAS NOBODY LIKE HIM\u201d<\/h1>\n

Peggy McCreary Reminisces About Recording Prince and the Front Row Seat from which She Watched Him Conquer the 80s <\/h2>\n

Written by Tony Kiene<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In the mid-to-late 1970s, Peggy McCreary was making her living on the Sunset Strip as a cocktail waitress at the fabled Roxy Theatre. And, before long, she found herself tending the best station in the house where rock stars, movie stars, and other Hollywood elite gathered to socialize and be entertained by the likes of Bill Withers, George Benson, Robert Palmer, and Bruce Springsteen as well as other musical giants of that era.<\/p>\n

Sure, there was no doubt it was an exciting gig. But at some point Peggy wondered aloud, \u201cIs this it? There\u2019s got to more to life than this.\u201d So, since she\u2019d long been interested in recorded music, Peggy enrolled at Sound Masters, an audio engineering school in North Hollywood. \u201cBy day, I would set up live sound and at night, I continued to waitress.\u201d <\/p>\n

Then, one day, Peggy met someone who suggested she get into a studio. While pondering to herself \u201cif only it were that easy,\u201d she replied, \u201cYeah, wouldn\u2019t that be great.\u201d The gentleman continued, \u201cLook. If you are really serious about it, call this number. I work here and I know they are looking for a gopher.\u201d Peggy heeded his advice and in relatively short order, she had landed a job at yet another one of Sunset Boulevard\u2019s most iconic addresses; Sunset Sound Recorders.<\/p>\n

As there were few women in the field, Peggy always assumed that she was hired as sort of a joke. \u201cThey made me work really hard,\u201d she remembers, \u201cI knew they were trying to break me.\u201d Since the pay wasn\u2019t all that great, Peggy kept her station at The Roxy. Nonetheless, she was determined to prove not only her mettle, but her skill in the studio. That\u2019s when opportunity smiled on the twenty-four-year-old Peggy McCreary.<\/p>\n

Making a Name for Herself<\/h3>\n

The year was 1977 and on the heels of the critically acclaimed film and soundtrack, A Star is Born (with Barbara Streisand), Kris Kristofferson was recording his latest record Easter Island at Sunset Sound. When the production needed an extra hand, Peggy stepped right up. She immediately got the studio ready, set up the mics and did whatever else was necessary. She even got the coffee.<\/p>\n

Thinking that her duties had been fulfilled, she began to walk out when renowned producer, manager, A&R guy, and regular renaissance man David Anderle grabbed her by the arm. Anderle \u2013 who at the time was best known for his work with The Beach Boys, Judy Collins, The Doors, and Frank Zappa\u2019s Mothers of Invention \u2013 looked at her and said, \u201cI don\u2019t know who you are or what it is that you do here. But you make my session work and I want you in my studio.\u201d Just like that, Peggy became a staff engineer at Sunset Sound. And, she was able to put the waitressing gig behind her forever.<\/p>\n

Only a couple of years into her new career, Peggy was recording the likes of Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the M.G.\u2019s fame), Little Feat, Rita Coolidge, Frankie Valli, Van Halen, Bernie Taupin, and Elton John. And, it was out of these sessions that she\u2019d already earned assistant engineering credits on classic songs such as \u201cLittle Jeannie,\u201d \u201cJamie\u2019s Cryin\u2019,\u201d \u201cGrease (Is the Word),\u201d \u201cI\u2019d Rather Leave While I\u2019m in Love,\u201d and a cover of the Stevie Wonder standard \u201cI Was Made to Love Her.\u201d Yet nothing could prepare Peggy for who would walk through Sunset Sound doors during the summer of 1981. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeggy Can\u2019t Work Alone in the Studio with this Guy\u201d<\/h3>\n

A call came into Sunset Sound from nearby Hollywood Sound Recorders (literally a half-mile away), where Prince was in the process of finishing up his fourth studio album for Warner Brothers Records. \u201cOur board went down,\u201d said the voice on the other end of the line, \u201cDo you have a room and an engineer available?\u201d The response was yes on both counts and the only available engineer happened to be Peggy. For her part, Peggy had not yet heard of Prince, but Debbie, the receptionist who took the call from Hollywood Sound certainly had.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeggy can\u2019t work with this guy alone,\u201d Debbie exclaimed, \u201cHe writes dirty songs.\u201d Although it was the weekend and the receptionist was overwrought with fear, Peggy was up to the challenge. Still, she couldn\u2019t help but wonder what she might be getting into. \u201cIn those days there were no sexual harassment laws,\u201d Peggy recalls, \u201cWomen in the industry simply put up with whatever they had to put up with.\u201d<\/p>\n

To her surprise, in walked a guy who was \u201cextremely polite, quiet\u2026 short.\u201d As she would soon learn, Prince wasn\u2019t too fond of change, so having to abruptly switch studios probably didn\u2019t sit well with him. Even so, she demanded his attention. After Prince mumbled something in her direction, Peggy asserted herself and plainly stated, \u201cHey! If you want me to work for you, then you\u2019re going to have to speak to me.\u201d After the session was over, Prince left without saying much of anything as Peggy thought, \u201cI\u2019ll never see him again.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cHappy Birthday\u201d<\/h3>\n

Only a few months had passed since her first encounter with the young kid from Minneapolis when Peggy got the word, \u201cPrince is coming back and he\u2019s requested you.\u201d One of the sessions that fall came the day after Prince infamously opened for the Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Peggy recollects, \u201cEveryone heard about what happened the night before and we knew it was bad.\u201d <\/p>\n

One of the things Peggy immediately picked up on were Prince\u2019s capricious and sometimes surly moods. \u201cYou could tell what kind of day it was going to be by the way he walked in the room, or even by what he was wearing,\u201d she explains, \u201cThe day after the Rolling Stones show\u2026 now that was a hard day.\u201d <\/p>\n

At another point during those early days, Peggy, who was still somewhat frustrated by Prince\u2019s proclivity for little, if any conversation, asked him if he liked her work. And, in his typical deadpan fashion, Prince countered, \u201cYou\u2019re here, aren\u2019t you?\u201d After that, Peggy just assumed that\u2019s how things would be with this mercurial young superstar in the making. She\u2019d also discover, however, that Prince was full of surprises.<\/p>\n

For example, one particular session that started off rather dubiously for Peggy would ultimately be counted among her most treasured memories and supply her with a one-of-a-kind keepsake. \u201cIt was my birthday and he called me into the studio,\u201d says Peggy, \u201cI was like \u2018F%#k!' I couldn\u2019t believe it.\u201d <\/p>\n

As was quite common, Prince completed a brand new song in a single session. And, although she was still feeling a little put out, per his usual request, Peggy handed him a cassette on his way out the door. \u201cHe stopped, stared at me for a second or so, tossed the tape back to me and said \u2019Happy Birthday.\u2019 I had no idea that he even knew until that very moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building a Connection<\/h3>\n

By the spring of 1982, Peggy had contributed significantly to three new projects; Vanity 6\u2019s self-titled debut album, The Time\u2019s sophomore effort What Time is It, and Prince\u2019s ground-breaking double LP 1999. The way Peggy explains it, she and Prince developed not so much a rapport as \u201ca connection,\u201d at least in the studio. Though the fellas from The Time might have periodically showed up as did Vanity, Brenda, and Susan, such occasions were rare. \u201cMost times it was just the two of us, sometimes for as much as 18 hours a day for days on end,\u201d notes Peggy. That said, it was still hard for Prince to open up, not that he didn\u2019t sometimes try.<\/p>\n

Prince, who rarely failed to dress the part of a rock star, showed up at Sunset Sound one evening in a complete suit with black shirt, matching hat, and what, according to Peggy, seemed to be a black lace handkerchief in his breast pocket. \u201cHis suit was sort of this copper, mustard color. He looked really nice.\u201d Peggy adds, \u201cThen, right out of the blue Prince asks me, \u2018Do you want to go to a movie?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

A bit surprised, Peggy insisted that he go on ahead and she\u2019d make sure everything was set up to record when he got back to the studio. Prince responded, \u201cAwww. But I have a limo. Let\u2019s go to a movie.\u201d Peggy remembers, \u201cIt was as if he were a little kid and I\u2019d hurt his feelings. I saw those eyes and I just had to surrender.\u201d <\/p>\n

While on their way to see the French film Diva somewhere on Fairfax Avenue, Prince pulls that black lace item out of his suit pocket and declares, \u201cI\u2019ve got women\u2019s panties in my pocket.\u201d Speechless at the time, Peggy can\u2019t help but laugh about how hilarious Prince thought that was. \u201cHe was just so unique no matter what he was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Much Soul<\/h3>\n

On yet another occasion, more specifically an April night in 1982, Prince arrived at Sunset Sound where he asked Peggy, \u201cWhat you do like to drink?\u201d Bemused, Peggy said that she preferred something known as R\u00e9my Martin, while also assuring him that \u201cYou don\u2019t want me to drink.\u201d Prince persisted and per his instructions Peggy ordered her favorite cognac as well as a bottle of Asti Spumante.<\/p>\n

Eternally aware the inspiration could strike Prince at any time, Peggy was always prepared. \u201cNo matter where he was in the studio, I always had a mic on him,\u201d she illuminates, \u201cSometimes he\u2019d hop from instrument to instrument then all of a sudden instruct me to \u2018Throw some fresh tape up.\u201d Then, as Peggy raced to do just that (a task that took a minute or so no matter how prepared one might be), Prince would often say something like, \u201cCome on girl\u2026 you\u2019re blowing the groove.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, after Prince and Peggy both had one or two drinks, Prince made his way to the piano where everything was set up and he just began to play\u2026 and sing\u2026 oh did he sing. The result was the inimitable and stirring ballad, \u201cHow Come You Don\u2019t Call Me Anymore,\u201d which would appear that September as the b-side to \u201c1999.\u201d Peggy reminisces, \u201cI remember his voice and piano sounded so beautiful. And how he kept time with the piano pedal, so amazing. I could sit and listen to Prince play piano for hours on end. He poured every bit of his soul into it and he melted my heart every time.\u201d <\/p>\n

For a long time afterwards, not remembering precisely what single the song accompanied, Peggy sporadically searched for it while wondering, \u201cWas the song really that good,\u201d or was it just the alcohol she\u2019d imbibed in that night? Then, years later, while rummaging through the used cassettes at the world famous Amoeba Records \u2013 which is ironically only a couple of blocks from Sunset Sound \u2013 she noticed a single tape titled, \u201cPrince: The B-sides.\u201d Overjoyed at seeing the song on the track listing, Peggy quickly sought out the nearest cassette deck and her question was answered, \u201cYes! The song was absolutely that good.\u201d <\/p>\n

Understanding Prince<\/h3>\n

At the end of 1982, Prince invited Peggy to join him on tour. \u201cI don\u2019t think that he thought I got exactly who he was or what he was about,\u201d admits Peggy, \u201cWhich, I suppose was true. He dressed so flashy, even in the studio, whereas a lot of artists looked like they just rolled out of bed. There was never a time where Prince wasn\u2019t Prince. I think he needed me to understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Excited to see Prince perform live for the first time, Peggy journeyed to the Lone Star State where a New Year\u2019s Eve concert at Dallas\u2019s Reunion Arena was first on tap, to be followed by a January 2nd show at The Summit in Houston. Prince even provided Peggy with a personal handler during her time in Texas. Her \u201chandler\u201d was none other than Carol McGovney, Prince\u2019s management assistant and occasional background vocalist, whom Peggy says took care of all travel arrangements and \u201cmade sure I was well taken care of.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI got to watch both shows from the soundboard, which for an engineer is unquestionably that best place to experience a live performance,\u201d says Peggy. The soundboard is also where she met the one and only Rob \u201cCubby\u201d Colby, Prince\u2019s long-time live audio engineer. As for her impressions of Prince on stage, Peggy asserts \u201cI got it! I now understood who he was and it blew me away. He literally made me weak in the knees\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Gonna Make a Movie\u201d<\/h3>\n

In the summer of 1983 \u2013 while Don Batts, Susan Rogers, and David Z. handled engineer duties in Minneapolis (generally at Prince\u2019s Kiowa Trail home in Chanhassen) \u2013 Peggy continued to hold the fort at Sunset Sound. Yet as Prince\u2019s ideas began to expand, for example, he wanted to incorporate elaborate string arrangements, recording became more complicated. <\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes we didn\u2019t have enough tracks, so we brought in another 24-track board,\u201d explains Peggy. Moreover, she had to bring in additional help, which included her then fianc\u00e9, David Leonard, whose credits to that point involved studio work Chaka Khan, Hall & Oates, Sheena Easton, The Go-Go\u2019s, and The Manhattan Transfer, among many others.<\/p>\n

According to Peggy, Prince never cared about how technically difficult something might actually be to record. His only stipulation was \u201cjust make it work.\u201d So in August, as they began to overdub and mix and mix some of the tracks that would make up Prince\u2019s next album (including those recently recorded live at First Avenue), Prince suddenly proclaims, \u201cI\u2019m gonna make a movie.\u201d \u201cSure enough,\u201d notes Peggy, \u201cwhen he came back to L.A. to finish editing the album, he\u2019d already filmed his movie.<\/p>\n

During those early 1984 sessions at Sunset Sound, Prince and Apollonia recorded \u201cTake Me With U,\u201d to be included on the soundtrack to Purple Rain. And, when the film\u2019s director Albert Magnoli asked him for one more track to round out the album, he came up with what soon chart as his first number one single, \u201cWhen Doves Cry.\u201d<\/p>\n

After an all-day session that yielded basic tracking for the song, Prince and Peggy returned to the studio for day two. \u201cI remember thinking it was a really pretty song, but it was so overproduced. I sort of checked out on it.\u201d confesses Peggy. <\/p>\n

The session continued into the next morning, when around seven or so, Prince began to strip the song down. \u201cHe began to subtract stuff,\u201d recalls Peggy, \u201cA little something here, a little something there. Then he punches out the bass, looks at me and says, only as he could, \u2018Ain\u2019t nobody ever gonna believe I\u2019d do this!\u2019\u201d After listening to the playback, Peggy was amazed by what she heard. The moment Prince left the studio, she made a beeline to the receptionist, Suzanne Edgren, and announced, \u201cOh my God! You\u2019ve got to listen to this song. It\u2019s otherworldly.\u201d <\/p>\n

Prince\u2019s Purple Reign<\/h3>\n

Peggy had suggested to Prince that he consider holding the premiere of Purple Rain at the world famous Mann\u2019s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. And, when that day arrived \u2013 July 26, 1984 \u2013 Peggy was overcome with excitement. \u201cI would finally be able to relax a bit and have some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Peggy was getting ready for the big night, the phone rang, it was Alan Leeds. \u201cPeggy,\u201d he said, \u201cWe need you at The Palace. We have a truck set up to record the afterparty.\u201d Aghast, she thought to herself, \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be f*%#ing kidding me!\u201d So, Peggy spent the entire evening in a mobile recording truck on South Broadway Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. And thus, she missed the red carpet, the movie, and the entire party.<\/p>\n

In spite of her disappointment, Peggy was truly happy for Prince and his extraordinary success. After all, he was the first artist ever to own the number one single, number one album, and number one motion picture all at the same time. And, to have been a part of that remains one of Peggy\u2019s most notable achievements in a career that has witnessed many. Plus, she\u2019d soon have the opportunity to get in on some of the fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic Literally Poured Out of This Man\u201d<\/h3>\n

It was February of 1985 when the Purple Rain Tour first rolled into Southern California for a six-night stand at The Forum in Inglewood. \u201cPrince asked me if I wanted to go opening night,\u201d reveals Peggy, \u201cTo which I smugly replied, \u2018Oh. I don\u2019t go to concerts unless I have a back stage pass and a limo.\u2019\u201d The next thing Peggy knew, she had a ticket, backstage pass, and limousine ride to The Forum where she found herself sitting front row center next to Madonna. \u201cNow that was a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

By then, Prince and Peggy had already recorded some of the tracks that would make up the next album Around The World in A Day. What is more, is that right after the Purple Rain Tour finished up at the Miami Orange (Purple) Bowl they began working on several songs that would comprise Parade nearly a full-year later (including \u201cSometimes It Snows In April,\" which was ominously recorded on April 21, 1985).
\nOf course, it\u2019s not as if Peggy was ever aware of this fact, at least not at the time. \u201cI almost never knew in advance what any of these songs were for,\u201d concedes Peggy, \u201cPrince didn\u2019t tell me.\u201d What she does know, unequivocally, is that Prince was \u201cunlike anybody I\u2019ve ever worked with. He never took a break.\u201d <\/p>\n

She recalls a moment where Prince said to her, \u201cThe only reason I ever go home is because I know that you need to sleep.\u201d To that, adds Peggy, \u201cMusic literally poured out of this man. On the rare occasions that he did sleep, he told me that he even dreamt music.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Paisley) Dreams Deferred<\/h3>\n

Even before construction began on Paisley Park Studios in early 1986, Prince requested Peggy and her husband David serve as his principal engineers at what was to be his brand new state-of-the-art recording complex in suburban Chanhassen. \u201cWe were preparing to completely uproot our lives and move to Minneapolis,\u201d says Peggy, \u201cWe worked with Frank De Medio (famous console designer) to design the type of board that would best serve Prince\u2019s needs in the studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, as time went on, Peggy and David didn\u2019t hear from anyone regarding the progress on Paisley Park. After not hearing anything for nearly a year, the young couple \u2013 now uncertain of a potential future in Minneapolis \u2013 made the decision to buy a house in Los Angeles where they would start a family. \u201cPrince was so pissed off when he found out,\u201d acknowledges Peggy, who responded, \u201cBut nobody\u2019s talked to us. We had no idea what was going on.\u201d To that, Prince countered, \u201cIt takes a lot of time and money to build a studio.\u201d Still frustrated, Peggy said, \u201cYeah, I understand that. But someone could have still kept us in the loop.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Prince didn\u2019t stay mad at Peggy long and a few months later she received another phone call from Alan Leeds, who told her, \u201cPrince would like you to come to Minneapolis to record.\u201d Although thrilled at the invitation, Peggy had to decline as she was now several months pregnant with her first child.<\/p>\n

Peggy still worked on a few more Prince-related projects at Sunset Sound, in particular Shelia E.\u2019s eponymous 1987 release along with Jill Jones\u2019 self-titled debut that same year, both on Paisley Park Records. One of the last times she was ever able to visit with Prince at length, was that spring when her daughter Morgan was around eight-months-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrince held her and I wish I would have taken a picture at the time,\u201d regrets Peggy, \u201cBut that really wasn\u2019t something you ever did\u2026 take photos of Prince.\u201d Although, she does have one of Sheila holding Morgan during the same visit. As for Morgan - who now works for a company that is headquartered in Minneapolis \u2013 when first asked by her employers to share something about herself that others may not know, she was able to say that Minnesota\u2019s favorite son Prince Rogers Nelson held her as an infant. \u201cShe just wowed them with that one,\u201d remarks a very proud mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cMom. Did you really work with this guy?\u201d<\/h3>\n

As the years went by, Peggy started to lose touch with Prince. She had pretty much left the business to focus time and efforts on raising a family. And, after Prince parted with Warner Bros., Peggy essentially had no viable way to make contact with him, something she truly regrets to this day.<\/p>\n

Pleasantly, Peggy\u2019s second child, a son named Eli, made her revisit her time with Prince one day when he took notice of the platinum records that adorned her home studio (including several Prince albums). \u201cMy kids just always thought of me as mom, they really didn\u2019t know I had a past life,\u201d she explains. So when Eli asked, \u201cMom. Did you really work with that guy,\u201d Peggy promptly replied, \u201cYes I did! For five years.\u201d <\/p>\n

So in 2011, when Prince set up shop for an extended run of dates at The Forum (his first visit to the venue since the Purple Rain Tour 26 years earlier), Peggy thought she would give her kids a history lesson as to what her \u201cpast life\u201d was like. \u201cI bought tickets for each of them, plus a friend.\u201d \u201cOf course,\u201d she reveals, \u201cI got a little better seats for my husband and I.\u201d While Morgan and Eli both had a wonderful time, for Peggy it was a life-affirming experience. \u201cIt was as if I\u2019d stepped back in time. He pulled off a beautiful show and, as always, Prince gave everything he had to his audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

By this time, Peggy was well transitioned into a new career of her own in the motion picture industry. As a Foley Mixer (named for Hollywood legend Jack Foley), she is responsible for adding sound effects (such as footsteps, door slams, breaking glass) during the post-production of films, videos, television, and other visual media projects. \u201cI love that I\u2019m still able to work with sound. It allows me to fulfill that creative need.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Who this Man Was?\u201d<\/h3>\n

Among Peggy\u2019s lasting memories of Prince \u2013 of which there are many \u2013 one that speaks directly to his incomparable genius came when he asked her to edit a song. \u201cMind you,\u201d she says, \u201cThere was no Pro Tools back then. No digital editing at all. Everything had to be done with a grease pencil and a razor blade.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always nervous when having to slice into a master tape, Peggy carefully sought to cut a quarter inch right on \u201cthe kick or the snare, or wherever it was\u201d to remove the chorus as Prince instructed and replace it with something else. She then played it back for him and immediately he said, \u201cNope. It\u2019s out of time.\u201d \u201cWhat,\u201d she thought, \u201cHow can he tell that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prince then told her to \u201ccut half as much, and then cut half as much again.\u201d So, with those edits made, she played it for him again. \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d said Prince. She kept the little pieces of tape for a long time just as a reminder of his brilliance. \u201cThis is who this man was,\u201d affirms Peggy, \u201cI couldn\u2019t hear it, but he could. There were times I\u2019d wonder if he was just f*%#ing with me. But no, I think he was really that good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Has Lost a Treasure\u201d<\/h3>\n

Sometime after eight o\u2019clock pacific standard time on the morning of April 21, 2016, Peggy\u2019s phone rang. On the other end of the line was Suzanne, the former receptionist from Sunset Sound. \u201cPeggy have you heard,\u201d she asked. \u201cNo, what,\u201d replied Peggy. \u201cPrince has died.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peggy\u2019s heart dropped, unsure of what to say or do. \u201cI was really having a hard time. I sent a text to Sheila, connected with her, and then somehow managed to make my way to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

As people began to speculate as to Prince\u2019s cause of passing, Peggy was certain it wasn\u2019t what some people were saying. \u201cWhenever somebody in rock and roll dies people\u2019s minds turn to drugs,\u201d she observes, \u201c\u2019No way! No f*%#ing way I said. I know this man. He didn\u2019t want this stuff anywhere around him. That\u2019s just not possible.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

When media reports confirmed the news, Peggy was beside herself. \u201cI was shocked. I was mad. I was mad at him. I was mad at the people around him. For him not only to die, but die that way. I cried that he went like that. It makes me sick. It makes me sad.\"<\/p>\n

When thinking of all the tears she\u2019s shed since Prince left us, Peggy takes solace in the gifts he left behind. \u201cI still marvel that I was able to spend so much time with him, just me and him in the studio,\u201d says Peggy, \u201cI was able to see this young man mature into such an amazing artist and storyteller. It\u2019s just that he had so much more to give. The world has lost a treasure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n***<\/p>\n

\u00a9 PRN Alumni Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRN Alumni Foundation is comprised of the former employees of Prince, Paisley Park, Paisley Park Records, PRN Productions, NPG Records, Love4OneAnother, any and all of Prince\u2019s companies spanning his impressive nearly 40 year career. There have been, quite literally hundreds of us in Prince\u2019s employ. The Foundation represents our collective voice. We are musicians, engineers, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1581,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nSpotlight: Peggy McCreary - PRN Alumni Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The PRN Alumni \u201cStories From The Park\u201d Spotlight series continues with this interview with Kimberly Arland\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/spotlight\/spotlight-peggy-mccreary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spotlight: Peggy McCreary - PRN Alumni Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The PRN Alumni \u201cStories From The Park\u201d Spotlight series continues with this interview with Kimberly Arland\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/spotlight\/spotlight-peggy-mccreary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PRN Alumni Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PRNalumniFDN\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-07-12T19:29:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/prnalumni-share.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"951\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"499\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PrnAlumniFDN\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"22 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/spotlight\/spotlight-peggy-mccreary\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prnalumni.org\/members\/spotlight\/spotlight-peggy-mccreary\/\",\"name\":\"Spotlight: Peggy McCreary - 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