André Cymone, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, is more than a branch in the Prince musical family tree. Born Andre Simon Anderson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Cymone grew up in a supportive household where fellow aspiring musicians congregated and practiced. One peer was Prince, who even stayed with the family for some time. Cymone and Prince, whose fathers also played together, were in fledgling bands, Grand Central and Champagne, until Prince signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. After Prince released his debut, 1978’s For You, he had Cymone join his touring band as its bassist. Cymone remained with Prince until 1981, signed with Columbia as a solo artist, and released three albums -- Livin’ in the New Wave (1982), Survivin’ in the ‘80s (1983), and A.C. (1985) -- that fused funk, new wave, hard rock, and pop. Six singles from these releases made Billboard’s R&B chart; the biggest hit, 1985’s “The Dance Electric,” was written by Prince and reached number ten.