There is a current of fascination with celebrity running through popular culture that is truly peculiar. While fascination with celebrities is itself peculiar, the fixation on what they were like "before they were stars" really takes the cake. It's this interest that sustains E! Entertainment Televsion for the most part, and there's usually some awkward yearbook photo in the press each week, exposing a celeb's terrible mid-70's style for the world to see. Most recently, photos of Barak Obama made the news, thanks to his assimilationist nickname "Barry" and his modest 'fro.

Taking this notion just a lil farther is Robert Whitman's upcoming show "Prince: PRE-FAME" at Chelsea's Black And White Gallery presents several MASSIVE images of a bellbottom-wearing, puffy afro-having, weasly moustache-rocking Prince in the days before he wanted to be your lover, drove a litte red corvette, or partied like it was 1999.

While Barry Obama sounds like he was a cool enough college kid from his pre-fame news coverage, Prince was obviously a superstar in the making. Dude has a look and man he's clearly obsessed with music. Just check this images out! They are all 33" x 49"

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