On Thursday morning, authorities found the singer unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minn.
“First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR, but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced deceased at 10:07 a.m.,” the Carver County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“We are investigating the circumstances of his death.”
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, he was born epileptic but defied the odds and went on to sell more than 100m records over his career ,fusing rock, pop, funk and R&B and demonstrating an audacious, idiosyncratic sense of style and a willingness to court controversy.
Despite his illness, Prince still made it to Atlanta’s Fox Theater last week for an intimate, piano-focused show. On April 15, just after his hospitalization and just days before his death, Prince had written a grateful note to fans on Twitter “I am #transformed.”
Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. He emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock.
Speaking to Smiley in 2009, he cited his religious views to explain why he hadn’t voted for President Obama: “The reason why is that I’m one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and we’ve never voted…. President Obama is a very smart individual and he seems like he means well. Prophecy is what we all have to go by now.”
Testifying to the enormous impact Prince had on the pop culture landscape, reactions quickly poured out from fans and music peers including Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Elton John, who called him the “greatest performer I’ve seen. A true genius.”
Meanwhile, various radio stations went on to play his music in his memory and the obvious choice ‘Purple Rain‘ was indicative of the role this prodigal son played in elevating music, particularly in black communities.
Additional reporting Sydney Morweng, news editor
