Prince performs onstage at the 36th Annual NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

CHANHASSEN, Minn. (AP) – Pop superstar Prince, widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era with hits including “Little Red Corvette,” ”Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry,” was found dead at his home on Thursday in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57.

His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, told The Associated Press that the music icon died at his home in Chanhassen. No details were immediately released. The singer postponed a concert in Atlanta on April 7, after coming down with the flu, and he apologized to fans for the cancellation during a makeup concert last week.

The singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist broke through in the late 1970s with the hits “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I 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 PHOTOS: Prince Through The Years

The Minneapolis native, born Prince Rogers Nelson, stood just 5 feet, 2 inches tall, and seemed to summon the most original and compelling sounds at will, whether playing guitar in a flamboyant style that openly drew upon Jimi Hendrix, switching his vocals from a nasally scream to an erotic falsetto or turning out album after album of stunningly original material. Among his other notable releases: “Sign O’ the Times,” ”Graffiti Bridge” and “The Black Album.”

He was also 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.

“What’s happening now is the position that I’ve always wanted to be in,” Prince told the AP in 2014. “I was just trying to get here.”

In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which hailed him as a musical and social trailblazer.

“He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties,” reads the Hall’s dedication. “Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone. From the beginning, Prince and his music were androgynous, sly, sexy and provocative.”

Rarely lacking in confidence, Prince effortlessly absorbed the music of others and made it sound like Prince, whether the James Brown guitar riff on “Kiss” or the Beatle-esque, psychedelic pop of “Raspberry Beret.”

He also proved a source of hits for others, from Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” to Cyndi Lauper’s “When You Were Mine.” He also wrote “Manic Monday” for the Bangles

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. He performed in Atlanta last week as part of his “Piano and a Microphone” tour, a stripped down show that has featured a mix of his hits like “Purple Rain” or “Little Red Corvette” and some B-sides from his extensive library.

Prince debuted the intimate format at his Paisley Park studios in January, treating fans to a performance that was personal and was both playful and emotional at times.

The musician had seemed to be shedding his reclusive reputation. He hosted several late-night jam sessions where he serenaded Madonna, celebrated the Minnesota Lynx’s WNBA championship and showcased his latest protege, singer Judith Hill.

Ever surprising, he announced on stage in New York City last month that he was writing his memoir. “The Beautiful Ones” was expected to be released in the fall of 2017 by publishing house Spiegel & Grau. The publishing house has not yet commented on status of book, but a press release about the memoir says: “Prince will take readers on an unconventional and poetic journey through his life and creative work.” It says the book will include stories about Prince’s music and “the family that shaped him and the people, places, and ideas that fired his creative imagination.”

A small group of fans quickly gathered in the rain Thursday outside his music studio, Paisley Park, 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 white building surrounded by a fence is in Chanhassen, about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

Steven Scott, 32, of Eden Prairie, said he was at Paisley Park last Saturday for Prince’s dance party. He called Prince “a beautiful person” whose message was that people should love one another.

“He brought people together for the right reasons,” Scott said.

Celebrities and others immediately reacted on Twitter with surprise, disbelief and sadness.

One of the most talented individuals we'll ever see. Rest in peace Prince. — Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) April 21, 2016

PRINCE passed away???! WTF??!!! — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) April 21, 2016

We've lost the greatest artist of my generation. I danced on stage with him when milo was in my belly. Prince, I will forever love you. #RIP — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 21, 2016

Heartbroken to hear about the sudden passing of Prince. RIP. 💔 #Prince — Lori Loughlin (@LoriLoughlin) April 21, 2016

Oh my god….Prince is literally one of my heroes. I don't even know what to say right now 💔 I'm sending as much love as I can to his family — Laura Marano (@lauramarano) April 21, 2016

R.I.P PRINCE, another icon gone to soon — SHAQ (@SHAQ) April 21, 2016

Oh my god I can’t believe that Prince has died…he was a great great talent…RIP — Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) April 21, 2016

So Prince and Chyna die in the same day NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! My heart is hurting 🙁 R.I.P — Jay Pharoah (@JayPharoah) April 21, 2016

A culture pushing icon and creative genius. Rest in peace Prince. pic.twitter.com/vPWCGipU95 — Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) April 21, 2016

Having Prince on our show was one of the best moments of my life. He was extraordinary. — Liz Meriwether (@lizmeriwether) April 21, 2016

Omg….. RIP Prince…. 😨😔😢 — Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) April 21, 2016

RIP Prince..So bummed!!! supposed to hook up with him on Lookin for a fight Minn but he was in Europe. Amazin artist pic.twitter.com/Hh8e2juR7b — Dana White (@danawhite) April 21, 2016

Oh this cannot be real. I love Prince. — roxane gay (@rgay) April 21, 2016

Damn RIP #Prince 🙁 — DJ Pauly D (@DJPaulyD) April 21, 2016

The rain this week is definitely going to be purple.#Prince you were a true master. — Heath Buckmaster (@buckmasterflash) April 21, 2016

Tonight we're going to party like it's 2016, THE WORST YEAR EVER. #Prince — Holly Brockwell (@holly) April 21, 2016

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