Prince's Bodyguard Built Solar Career From Pop Icon's Legacy

When Bob Blake stood outside the shuttered Glam Slam nightclub in Minneapolis this April, he wasn't just remembering late nights providing security at Prince's downtown venue. He was reflecting on how a chance job in his early 20s transformed him from a "kid from the neighborhood" into a solar energy entrepreneur.

Blake, a citizen of Red Lake Nation who grew up in St. Paul, didn't plan on a mentorship when his cousin recruited him to work at Paisley Park three decades ago. He just wanted to meet girls and make some extra money.

Instead, he got a masterclass in business and possibility. Working alongside Prince, Blake learned how to wear a suit, negotiate with attorneys and promoters, and carry himself with confidence in rooms where he once felt out of place.

"It really made me want to elevate my game," Blake said. "It made me feel like there was an abundance out here. Like there was no limits to what you could accomplish."

The lessons went beyond etiquette. Blake remembers a chaotic Los Angeles video shoot where he was coordinating flights for multiple performers, nervous about making mistakes. Prince called him onto the tour bus just to calm him down.

"He knew I was nervous. He knew I didn't want to mess up," Blake recalled. "He took the time out to calm me when he had to do everything. He wanted to try and make me better."

The Ripple Effect

Prince's influence on Blake's life took an unexpected turn years after their professional relationship ended. Blake landed his first renewable energy job with a solar startup in Oakland, California, founded by environmental activist Van Jones.

The connection? Prince had quietly funded Van Jones' early work, including paying for rooftop solar panels for Oakland residents who never knew who their anonymous benefactor was.

"Fast forward now, I get this passion for renewable energy, for solar and for the environment," Blake said. "And how do I, indiscriminately, get this job, but through Prince's donation to Van Jones, right? It's wild to think about that."

Prince's private philanthropy only became widely known after his death in 2016. Tax filings revealed $1.5 million in donations between 2005 and 2007, including $1 million to the Harlem Children's Zone and $200,000 to a Minneapolis charter school network.

Today, Blake runs his own solar energy company and serves as executive director of a clean energy nonprofit. He's one of hundreds of Twin Cities residents who credit Prince with creating opportunities they might never have had otherwise.

Ten years after Prince's passing, Blake's gratitude remains profound: "He took a lot of us on the ride with him and made such a big difference in our lives."