How working for Prince shaped one former bodyguard’s life and career

Ten years after Prince’s death, Bob Blake reflected on how working security for the musician shaped his life and career. In an interview with MPR News, Blake, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation, said he began working for Prince in his early 20s after being recruited by a cousin. He said the experience taught him professional skills, including how to communicate with attorneys and promoters.

Blake worked for Prince for about six years and said the experience influenced his future path. According to MPR News, Blake now runs a solar energy company and serves as executive director of a clean-energy nonprofit. He said Prince’s support of environmental activist Van Jones helped connect him to his first renewable energy job.