SUNDAY'S FORECAST: PURPLE RAIN.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

MIAMI - In its ever expanding effort to entertain the world, the NFL brought out America's most famous androgynous, eclectic rock star Thursday in the most decidedly non-news conference news conference ever held.

Moments after introducing the Cirque du Soleil as the stars of their Super Bowl pregame show and Billy Joel as the national anthem singer, the NFL brought out that sexually charged Jehovah's Witness, that 5-foot-2 giant of the music industry -- Prince.

And he didn't take a single question.

It was the only news conference in the history of mankind that consisted of three songs and ``Thank you, see you at the Super Bowl. Peace.''

He blew a kiss and was gone. The artist formerly known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, was off to prepare for Sunday, or ring door bells.

Now it's hard to hold a news conference and not make a statement or take questions, but this is the NFL and Super Bowl week. And history says Prince has a way of doing things his way.

Prince is going to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl, one year after the Rolling Stones did the honor.

This has to feel a tad sardonic for those in L.A. who remember when he opened for the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981 and was pelted with garbage and booed off the stage. While wearing underwear and a trenchcoat.

But, hey, that was a long time ago. Like when L.A. actually had an NFL team.

This is a somewhat mellower Prince, having just won a Golden Globe for best original song, ``Song of the Heart,'' from that animated penguin movie, ``Happy Feet.''

Still reeling following the Janet Jackson left bosom halftime scandal, the NFL is counting on a somewhat more subdued Prince on Sunday. You roll the dice, you take your chances.

Thursday he wore a bright, velvety orange suit without a shirt that was opened to mid-chest. Pretty sure if you looked hard enough, you could also have seen his left nipple.

He took the stage with a four-member band, and a pair of twins wearing something that looked like a man's shirt the morning after. They danced and sang and spun their hips in ways most of are only vaguely familiar. Every man should have two. There was a third backup singer, and on the final song, he was joined by trumpet, saxophone and trombone players.

As news conferences go, it was some production.

It was in stark contrast to Cirque du Soleil, which doesn't speak during its performances but had representatives talking away Thursday, and Joel, who brought what might be called an amusing New York attitude to his news conference.

Peppered with questions mostly from the international media, Joel was asked if the singing the national anthem was as exciting as playing on Super Sunday.

``I don't know, I've never played on Super Sunday,'' he said.

Asked how it felt to be the first individual to sing the anthem twice at the Super Bowl, he said: ``I don't know, I haven't done it yet.''

Asked if anyone told him he was starting to look like comedian Alan King: ``Yeah, I've heard that before. Look, I ain't no matinee idol. I never have been.''

Asked about the gambling interest in the time it will take him to sing the song: ``I won't say anything, because I might be betting myself.''

Asked if he was surprised by what an overall entertainment spectacle the Super Bowl has become: ``I'm actually surprised doing this (news conference) to sing the national anthem. Prince's doing the halftime show, he's really the guy who should be doing all this.''

Well, that would have been nice. If that Princely guy was actually talking.

When he first took the stage Thursday, Prince took the microphone and announced: ``Contrary to rumor, I'd like to take a few questions now.''

Somebody started to ask a question and he immediately went into a loud guitar riff to start his opening song, ``Johnny B. Goode.''

The room at the Miami Beach Convention center was packed. At least 500 press members jammed the room. Not sure I have ever seen so many TV and photo cameras in one room.

That NFL, clever all the way.

Prince is 48 now and doesn't appear to have aged a day. Maybe it's the twins. He still bounds about the stage, still flashes that teasing bedroom-eye look, still manages to be both highly sexual and asexual at the same time.

He is once again returning more to the commercial scene, not only performing in the most watched TV program in America, the Super Bowl appearance, but appearing as the closing act in last season's final episode of ``American Idol,'' after which the wife proclaimed, ``He's still got it,'' not that I took that as some kind of personal message.

He wrapped up his mini-concert Thursday with ``Get on the Boat'' and ``Anotherholenyohead.''

These could be the same songs he sings Sunday, but who knows? He wasn't talking. He's been in this business for 30 years and somehow still manages to be mysterious.

This is the man who once had Tipper Gore's 12-year-old daughter Karrena singing ``Darling Nikki,'' which only inspired the then-senator's wife to found Parents Music Resource Center, which slaps those explicit lyrics stickers on album covers.

Now he inspires smiles from the NFL, and historic news conferences.

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(1 -- color) PRINCE

(2 -- color) Prince gives a preview of his Super Bowl XLI halftime performance for the media Thursday.

Evan Agostini/Getty Images