Legendary Singer Prince Found Dead At Paisley Park Estate
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Music superstar Prince has passed away at his estate in Minneapolis.
His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, confirmed the music icon was found dead Thursday morning in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
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"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer has died," Noel-Schure said in a written statement. "There are no further details as to the cause of death at this time."
Sheriff's deputies responded shortly after 9:30 a.m. to his Paisley Park home and recording studio, located in suburban Minneapolis-St. Paul, for report of a medical emergency, according to Carver County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud.
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After hearing the news of his passing, a small group of fans quickly gathered in the rain outside the music studio, where Prince's gold records are on the walls and the purple motorcycle he rode in his 1984 breakout movie, "Purple Rain," is on display.
The 57-year-old legendary singer, born Prince Rogers Nelson, recently battled a bad bout of the flu and was briefly hospitalized in Illinois on Friday.
His illness subsequently resulted in the cancellation of two shows earlier this month.
Prince had been touring and recording right up until his death, releasing four albums in the last 18 months, including two on the Tidal streaming service last year.
The singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist was widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive musicians of his era, drawing upon influences ranging from James Brown to the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix. His hits included "Little Red Corvette," ''Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry."
He was fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name. Prince once wrote "slave" on his face in protest of not owning his work and famously battled and then departed his label, Warner Bros., before returning a few years ago.
The Minneapolis native broke through in the late 1970s with the hits "Wanna Be Your Lover" and soared over the following decade with such albums as "1999" and "Purple Rain."
The title song from "1999" includes one of the most widely quoted refrains of popular culture: "Tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999."
In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame, which hailed him as a musical and social trailblazer.
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