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Music Legend Prince Dies at 57
| By Kenny Servera
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The music industry suffered a tremendous loss early on Thursday.
Prince, the multi-talented musical genius was found dead in his Paisley Park compound in Minneapolis, Minnesota, TMZ first reported, and confirmed later by the musician’s publicist.
“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,” said publicist Yvette Noel-Schure in a statement provided to CNN.
“There are no further details as to the cause of death at this time.”
USA Today has reported that Carver County Sherriff Jim Olsen confirmed on Thursday that medics were dispatched to Paisley Park at around 9:43 a.m. CT. They found Prince unresponsive in an elevator and despite many attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m.
The cause of Prince’s death is currently unknown and will continue to be investigated by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
The singer, who was known as the “Purple One,” was hospitalized with the flu last week, sparking rumors about his health. Putting his health rumors to rest, he appeared at a Paisley Park dance party last Saturday.
Born Prince Rodgers Nelson, the musician started his career in 1976. His first album, For You, was released in 1978. He achieved international stardom when he released his 1999 album in 1982. He went on to produce hits like “Purple Rain,” “I Would Die For U,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “When Doves Cry.” During the aftermath of the Freddie Gray shooting, Prince released the song “Baltimore” and performed a charity concert in the city and proceeds went toward youth groups in Baltimore.
Prince changed his stage name in 1993 to an unpronounceable symbol following a dispute with his record label Warner Bros., and he released five records between 1994 and 1996 to close out his contract with the company. In 1998, Prince signed with Arista Records and brought back the Prince moniker in 2000.
In addition to winning seven Grammy Awards and earning 30 Grammy nominations, Prince performed during the Super Bowl XLI halftime show, which many considered to be the greatest halftime show performance ever. You can check out the entire performance below.
Reportedly, he was in the middle of writing a memoir and was slated for release in 2017.
Nelson is survived by his ex-wives Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini. In 1996, his son, Boy Gregory, died of natural causes shortly after he was born.
This story has been updated throughout.
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