He Held Live Wires in a Storm—The Man Who Saved Prince’s Legendary Performance

The most electrifying performance in Super Bowl history almost had no power.

On February 4, 2007, during a torrential downpour in Miami, Prince delivered a 12-minute halftime show that instantly became iconic. His legendary performance, which included the unforgettable moment of him playing “Purple Rain” in the pouring rain, almost didn’t happen the way it did—if not for one unsung hero who risked everything to make it work.

The 41st Super Bowl had already broken the mold by being played in the rain. This was a first for the prestigious event, and as the date neared, organizers continued to emphasize how unprepared they were for inclement weather. Prince, already a music legend by the time his performance was announced, was known for his perfectionism. Yet, even with months of preparation, the reality of a wet field and unpredictable weather had not been part of the planning process.

“I knew that the executives were concerned about the rain and about electrocution,” Ruth Arzate, Prince’s personal assistant and manager, shared in a conversation with The Ringer. As showtime approached, some questioned whether it was too dangerous to proceed with the live show. “Someone suggested that lip-syncing to a recorded performance would be safer,” Arzate explained. But in true Prince fashion, the musician’s response was swift: “I’m Prince, I’m gonna play live.” With that, the show went on.

Yet, the rain wasn’t the only obstacle. As the massive Prince-logo stage was being rolled onto the field, a crucial malfunction occurred. The stage, built in pieces and already complicated to move, wheeled over a cable and severed it. This could have spelled disaster for the entire performance. The clock was ticking, and the show had to go on.

Charles Coplin, the show’s executive producer, recalls the chaotic moment: “That stage had a bunch of moving parts, and it was pouring rain. Part of the stage wheeled over a cable and severed the cable.” The situation seemed dire. “Some very heroic guy had to plug in this cable in a pouring rainstorm and probably risk serious electrocution,” Coplin continued.

That “heroic guy” was Tony Ward, a member of the lighting crew. Don Mischer, another executive producer of the show, remembers the pivotal moment. “There was a man on our lighting crew named Tony Ward, and Tony, realizing we were now counting down to going on the air, took his pliers, stripped the insulation off the three cables, and inserted them into a plug. He held that for the entire 12-and-a-half-minute duration, in the rain, to keep the lights and all that working.”

Ward’s selfless and dangerous actions ensured that the show would continue uninterrupted, allowing Prince to perform one of the most electrifying moments of his career—one that is still talked about today. Despite the personal risk, Tony Ward remained out of the spotlight, his critical role in saving the performance largely unknown to the public until years later.

“I’m glad I didn’t know about that until afterward,” Mischer said, reflecting on Ward’s heroic actions. “Because that would’ve scared the hell out of me.”

Tony Ward’s quick thinking and unwavering determination were integral to Prince’s unforgettable Super Bowl performance. Thanks to him, the rain-soaked stage was lit, and the audience was treated to an extraordinary show that cemented Prince’s place in Super Bowl history. His sacrifice in the storm is a testament to the unsung heroes who often work behind the scenes to make the magic happen.