Prince plays three shows in his hometown

Prince thrilled his hometown fans with three shows in Minneapolis over 12 hours during the weekend, stopping only when police shut him down early Sunday. The Minneapolis native first performed Saturday at a department store to promote his new cologne, cramming nine songs into a 45-minute set. He then played that night at the Target Center arena. He capped the night with a return to First Avenue, the club he made famous in the movie Purple Rain. ''Minneapolis, I am home,'' the Purple One declared after the first song at the department store. Minnesota's governor and the Minneapolis mayor issued proclamations honoring Prince, and fans flew in from all over the country to see the performer.

After the Target Center, Prince waited until nearly 2:45 a.m. before starting the First Avenue show, the first time he had played at the club since 1987. The city lets musicians perform until 4 a.m. He was 15 songs and 70 minutes into a 24-song set when he announced from the stage, ''The authorities say we gotta go. We always listen to the authorities. I promise I'll be back.'' (AP)