Prince Cheat Sheet: What You Should Know

With tour dates announced, our 'Princexpert' Cyclone takes us through some key facts you'll be able to use in conversation:

Madonna isn't the only pop legend to rediscover Australia. Prince is returning to these shores for the first time in nine years.

His Purple Highness will bring his Welcome 2 Australia Tour to arenas in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, performing on a customised 360 degree stage (in the round).

Back in 2003 Prince caused near hysteria with speculation about his infamous secret side-shows. He played one such word-of-mouth gig at Melbourne's Bennets Lane. Prince first toured Australia in the '90s on the back of Diamonds And Pearls.

Prince, who in recent years has played festivals like Coachella, had been tipped to join Big Day Out over summer.

According to promoters Chugg Entertainment, this tour he'll be performing his hits – songs like Controversy, Purple Rain and Kiss.

The Minneapolis native has been industrious in later years. He's explored alternative modes of music distribution – including online, though also expressing ambivalence about download culture.

Prince, who battled Warner in the '90s, signed a one-off album deal for what would be his commercial comeback Musicology. But Prince copped flak from the music industry – and embattled retailers – when he gave away Planet Earth as a CD with the UK's The Mail On Sunday. His British distributor, Sony BMG, ceased to put it in stores.

Prince contributed The Song Of The Heart to the movie Happy Feet, winning a Golden Globe for 'Best Original Song'.

The rock – and funk – muso was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004.

In 2006 Prince divorced his second wife, Manuela Testolini, now wed to Halle Berry's ex, neo-soulster Eric Benet.

The oft-paradoxical Prince became a Jehovah's Witness in the early 2000s and since has edited out some of his racier lyrics live.

The man who raised the ire of Tipper Gore with the sexual lyrics in Darling Nikki has also generated heat for conservative social views – with accusations of homophobia after he apparently rejected gay marriage in The New Yorker.

Speaking to The Guardian last year the usually interview-shy Prince said, "It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that."

Unlike Madonna, Prince was conspicuously silent when his old rival Michael Jackson passed in 2009.