The Artist Takes A Stand Against Clothing Formerly Known As Sheep

For Immediate Release:
November 29, 1999

Contact:
Joey Penello 757-622-7382

Minneapolis — As PETA schemes to make leather as unpopular as fur, one of the animal rights group’s most famous members is taking things a step further by targeting wool. The liner notes to the new CD “Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic” find The Artist (formerly known as Prince) counting sheep-as in the number of animals who suffer to make wool clothing. The singer, a strict vegan, called PETA headquarters for some facts and figures after deciding to pose for the CD in faux wool.

“If this jacket were real wool, it would have taken 7 lambs whose lives would have begun like this …” The Artist writes, before launching into a detailed description (complete with spelling fit for a Prince) of what sheep endure at the hands of the wool industry:

“Within weeks of their birth, their ears would have been hole-punched, their tails chopped off, and the males would have been castrated while fully conscious. Xtremely high rates of mortality r considered normal: 20 2 40% of lambs die b4 the age of 8 weeks; 8 million mature sheep die every year from disease, xposure, or neglect. Many people believe shearing helps animals who would otherwise b 2 hot. But, in order 2 avoid losing any wool, ranchers shear sheep b4 they would naturally shed their winter coats, resulting in millions of sheep deaths from xposure 2 the cold.”

The Artist closes with a simple sentiment, “Respect all of God’s creatures,” and a quote from Gandhi: “2 my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.” To illustrate the point, a photo of a lamb standing in a field of flowers hides under the disc itself.