Renowned Music Icon Prince Found Dead In His Elevator
He was 57.
By Tang Ruxyn — 22 Apr 2016, 10:25 AM
International media reported that the multiple Grammy awards winner was "found unresponsive" in an elevator at his home recording studio, Paisley Park in Minnesota, U.S.
Paramedics tried to perform CPR but were unable to revive him, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said. Prince was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. Central Time, less than 30 minutes after sheriff's deputies responded to a medical call at the scene.
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.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Prince's sudden death comes just one week after he was rushed to a nearby hospital in Illinois, U.S., and was treated for a flu
That illness followed him cancelling a pair of concerts in Atlanta.
He tried to allay concerns about his health by announcing a dance party Saturday night at Paisley Park, where he briefly appeared, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Meanwhile, American celebrity news website TMZ claims that Prince was treated for drugs just days before his death
"Prince's private jet made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois last Friday, hours after he performed in Atlanta. At the time his reps said he was battling the flu, something we questioned because his plane was only 48 minutes from home before the unscheduled landing," TMZ said.
"Multiple sources in Moline tell us, Prince was rushed to a hospital and doctors gave him a "save shot", which is typically administered to counteract the effects of an opiate," it added.
Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, was a multi-talented artist who was not afraid to challenge the conventions of music
In his nearly four decades career in the music industry, Prince shaped his career in his own unique way, often defying the traditional ways and courted controversy in equal measure.
Having sold more than 100 million records worldwide, Prince was also a popular sex symbol and a known musical prodigy. He had the habit of recording his music entirely on his own, from playing all the instruments to producing them.
Jon Pareles from New York Times said this of him, "Prince’s music had an immediate and lasting influence: among songwriters concocting come-ons, among producers working on dance grooves, among studio experimenters and stage performers. His music was a cornucopia of ideas: triumphantly, brilliantly kaleidoscopic."