Prince Dead at 57

Prince Dead at 57

Prince Rogers Nelson, the icon known to the world simply as Prince, has died. He was found this morning at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was 57 years old. In a statement, Prince’s publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said, “It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57.” The cause of death has not been confirmed, but last week, Prince had been on a flight home from Atlanta when his pilot was forced to make an emergency landing to take Prince to the hospital. At the time, a representative said he had the flu. Update 4/21 3:34 p.m.: The Carver County Sheriff’s Office has issued a press release about Prince’s death. It says that Prince was found in an elevator and pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. The investigation into his death is ongoing. 

Here is the full statement from the Sheriff’s Office:

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson reports that on April 21, 2016, at about 9:43 am, sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical call at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen. When deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male in the elevator. First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR, but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced deceased at 10:07 am. He has been identified as Prince Rogers Nelson (57) of Chanhassen.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Prince’s influence on modern pop music cannot be overstated. His incredible run from the late ’70s through the ’90s, including albums such as Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind, Sign O’ the Times, Controversy, Lovesexy, and Diamonds and Pearls, was nearly unparalleled in its combination of diversity, popularity, and innovation. He starred in Purple Rain, a 1984 movie incorporating music from the album of the same name, which is widely revered as one of the great musicals. 

In 1993, he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. Subsequently, he began warring with his label, Warner Bros., over creative control—a fight that lasted the length of the decade. In 2000, he changed his name back to Prince. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2007. 

Prince’s most recent albums were 2015′s HITNRUN Phase One and Two. His final concert was last Thursday at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, as part of his “Piano and a Microphone” tour. His memoir, The Beautiful Ones, is scheduled for release next fall.

Pitchfork named the title track of Purple Rain the best song of the 1980s. Read our features “Do It All Night: The Story of Prince’s Dirty Mind and “Seeing Purple: Prince in the ’80s.”

 

 

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