Prince: Pop icon dies at Paisley Park home aged 57

Updated

Pop icon Prince — one of the most influential but eccentric and elusive figures in music — has died at his home in Minnesota aged 57.

Key points: No details yet on cause of death

Investigation begins at Prince's Paisley Park home

Tributes flow from around the world

Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios compound, which included his home, in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, according to a Carver County Sheriff's Office statement. Emergency workers tried to revive him and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson has died," his publicist Anna Meacham said.

Entertainment website TMZ reported Prince was treated for a drug overdose in the week before his death.

The 57-year-old was treated at a hospital after his private jet made an unscheduled landing in Moline, Illinois last Friday following a gig in Atlanta, amid reports that he had been battling influenza.

"Multiple sources in Moline tell us Prince was rushed to a hospital and doctors gave him a 'save shot' ... typically administered to counteract the effects of an opiate," TMZ reported.

It quoted unnamed sources as saying Prince had been advised by medics to remain in the hospital for 24 hours but decided to leave after three hours when he couldn't get a private room.

Authorities said an investigation was underway at the Grammy and Oscar winner's Paisley Park complex, where local media showed images of emergency vehicles.

Prince's autopsy will be conducted on Friday, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Prince became an international sensation in the 1980s, when he popularised the Minneapolis sound of funk.

His 1984 album Purple Rain is often described as one of the greatest of all time, while his hit songs included Purple Rain, Kiss and Little Red Corvette.

Prince won an Oscar for best original song score for Purple Rain, the 1984 movie whose music was based on his album of the same name. He also starred in the movie.

During his career Prince recorded 47 songs that reached the Billboard top 100 in the US, including 19 top 10s and five that reached number one: When Doves Cry, Kiss, Let's go Crazy, Cream and Batdance).

When Doves Cry, which featured on Purple Rain, remained number one on the Billboard charts in the US for five weeks and was ranked by Billboard as the number one single in the US for 1984.

In the 20 years from 1980 to the end of 1999 he had 44 top 100 hits on the Billboard chart - more than any other artist.

As well as writing and performing his own songs, Prince penned numerous songs that became hits for other artists, including Manic Monday for the Bangles in 1986 and Nothing Compares 2 U, a worldwide smash hit for Sinead O'Connor and the top selling single in Australia in 1990.

The artist, who was born as Prince Nelson, lived in the outskirts of Minneapolis, where he was known for throwing parties and preserving masters of his work in the vaults of his Paisley Park studio.

He was recently prolific in his output, releasing albums through streaming site Tidal, and had taken to scheduling shows at the last minute to avoid scalpers, and toured Australia earlier this year.

In January, another music icon, David Bowie, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was 69.

Just weeks ago, Prince paid tribute to the late singer at his concert in Toronto, performing the Bowie classic, Heroes.

A 'true visionary' with a unique gift

Fellow musicians and other celebrities led an immediate outpouring of tributes and expressions of shock.

Inside Paisley Park

Paisley Park Studios, where Prince recorded nearly 30 albums, was also where the music icon lived.



He had other places of residence, but the $10 million compound just outside Minneapolis long served as the central location for his work.



The music haven is made up of several studios and conference rooms.



It also reportedly houses a secretive basement vault housing a legendary collection of unreleased songs — reputedly enough material for Prince to keep releasing albums long after his death.



The singer also hosted events at Paisley Park, with his final public appearance being a dance party at the studio on Saturday. Paisley Park Studios, where Prince recorded nearly 30 albums, was also where the music icon lived.He had other places of residence, but the $10 million compound just outside Minneapolis long served as the central location for his work.The music haven is made up of several studios and conference rooms.It also reportedly houses a secretive basement vault housing a legendary collection of unreleased songs — reputedly enough material for Prince to keep releasing albums long after his death.The singer also hosted events at Paisley Park, with his final public appearance being a dance party at the studio on Saturday.

US President Barack Obama called Prince "one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time."

"Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly," Mr Obama said in a statement. "Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer."

"RIP our dearly beloved Prince. Tears and love on our tour bus … I'll never forget my brother. We've had good times," American musician, producer, and guitarist Nile Rodgers tweeted.

Sheila E., a singer and percussionist who worked closely with Prince in the 1980s, wrote on Twitter: "My heart is broken. There are no words. I love you!"

Madonna mourned Prince as a "true visionary".

"He changed the world!! A true visionary. What a loss. I'm devastated," she wrote on Instagram, where she posted a picture of herself with the Purple One.

"I Miss My Brother. Prince Was A Funny Cat. Great Sense Of Humor," director Spike Lee tweeted.

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow mourned the seven-time Grammy winner, calling him "one of the most uniquely gifted artists of all time".

"Never one to conform, he redefined and forever changed our musical landscape," he said in a statement.

"Prince was an original who influenced so many, and his legacy will live on forever."

Shocked fans gather at Paisley Park

Shocked fans gathered with media crews outside Paisley Park's gates to mourn the award-winning singer and musician, whose genre-defying music combined jazz, funk and disco.

Music TV channel MTV said it was changing its logo to purple for the day in honour of Prince.

Social media lit up with reaction from dismayed friends and fans.

An intensely private person, Prince sold more than 100 million records during his career, won seven Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

His music was marked by sexually charged lyrics and explosive live performances, while his private life was marked by a string of romances linking him with the likes of Madonna and actresses Kim Basinger and Carmen Electra.

In 2007, he played the Super Bowl in one of the most celebrated such performances.

ABC/AFP/Reuters

Topics: music, arts-and-entertainment, death, united-states

First posted