Prince, who defined the sound of the ’80s with songs such as “Kiss” and “Purple Rain” and defied the music industry in a fight for creative freedom, died Thursday.
The 57-year-old singer was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said.
Paramedics tried to perform CPR but were unable to revive him, the sheriff said. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m., less than 30 minutes after sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical call at the scene.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, Olson said. An autopsy is scheduled to take place Friday.
Prince’s publicist confirmed his death but didn’t provide details about the possible cause or who was with the musician.
“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,” publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said.
A man called 911 at 9:43 a.m. from Prince’s estate, first reporting an unconscious person and then reporting a death, according to a transcript of the call released by authorities.
“The person is dead here. … And the people are just distraught,” the man said as he struggled to find an address to give the dispatcher.
The person who died, deputies soon discovered, was Prince. Authorities haven’t identified who made the call to 911 or details about the circumstances surrounding the call.
Fans flock to Paisley Park
Word of Prince’s death sparked a massive outpouring of grief on social media, outside his famed studios and even from the White House.
Fans rushed to record stores to pick up albums and other Prince memorabilia. Some said the icon’s death “is what it sounds like when doves cry,” a reference to his monster hit from 1984.
“As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader and an electrifying performer,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. ” ‘A strong spirit transcends rules,’ Prince once said — and nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.”
Kaleena Zanders cried in the car as she drove to Amoeba Music in Los Angeles on Thursday. She spent $173 on Prince-related items at the store, including a vinyl edition of Prince’s iconic album “Purple Rain.”
“Prince means the future, because he’s changed music, everyone in music, he’s influenced every person,” she said, “and I believe that he represents our future, and it kind of died with him in a way.”
Fans camped out by Paisley Park, the artist’s home and recording studio, leaving bouquets of flowers and signs at a makeshift memorial.
They also flocked to First Avenue, the downtown Minneapolis dance club that became a landmark after Prince used it in the movie “Purple Rain,” CNN affiliate WCCO reported. Mourners left flowers, cards and candles on the sidewalk outside, and snapped photos of the wall where Prince’s name is painted inside a large star. Many lined up for an all-night dance party in Prince’s honor.
Asher Wade, 27, spent the day listening to Prince music with friends and came to First Avenue with a purple teardrop painted on his face.
“I grew up listening to his music,” he said. “My parents loved him. I grew to love him. … (it’s) heartbreaking.”
Prince Rogers Nelson: ‘Every song was either a prayer or foreplay’
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/
Author: Chief Editor
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