Prince 1958 – 2016

Acclaimed musician Prince has died at age 57. Authorities responded earlier today to reports of a fatality at his Paisley Park complex outside Minneapolis. He was later pronounced dead as confirmed by TMZ. Prince’s publicist has also confirmed The Purple One’s passing. “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,” publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement shared by KTLA.

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis on June 7, 1958 and by the time he was a teenager he was playing guitar with the local funk group 94 East. Prince issued his first solo album For You in 1979. He reached worldwide success behind such hits as “Raspberry Beret,” “Kiss,” “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Purple Rain.” Never one to shy from controversy, for a period of time beginning in 1993 he began referring to himself as an unpronounceable symbol, in part due to conflicts with his record label.

Prince fronted such prominent backing groups as The Revolution, The New Power Generation, and more recently 3RDEYEGIRL. Last year, Prince released a pair of new albums HITnRUN Phase One and HITnRUN Phase Two.

Prince recently postponed two of his planned Piano & A Microphone shows in Atlanta, due to a case of the flu. Last week, Prince’s private plane made an emergency landing and he was rushed to a hospital in Moline, Illinois.

He was the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards and also was honored with an Academy Award and Golden Globe. In 2004 Prince was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Fame.