Atlanta City Hall will turn purple for Prince; singer's autopsy results pending

ajc.com

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

In honor of Prince, Atlanta City Hall will be illuminated in purple lights Friday night in his memory.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in a statement, "Prince led a singular, dynamic career, spanning four decades and reaching generation after generation of fans. His incredible live performances moved people to dance and to feel. As scores of people listen to Prince singing and playing the piano at the Fox Theatre, his memory will be indelibly tied to our city and the fans who celebrated him here."

The Mayor also encouraged fans to listen to their favorite Prince song as a way to celebrate the musician's legacy.

His choice? “Raspberry Beret.”

“It never fails to put a smile on my face and a song in my heart,” Reed said.

On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials held a press conference in Carver County, Minnesota. The autopsy on Prince was completed earlier in the day, but no official information will be available from the medical examiner’s office for days or possibly weeks.

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson couldn’t answer most of the questions asked by reporters at the conference, citing the ongoing investigation, but said there was no reason to believe Prince’s death was a suicide.

Olson noted that an acquaintance dropped Prince off at his compound around 8 p.m. Wednesday and that the musician was found unresponsive late Thursday morning in an elevator on this first floor of his Paisley Park home. Staff members came to the compound after they were unable to reach Prince that morning.

Olson promised that Prince’s death would be fully investigated: "This is certainly a big event internationally and nationally and I can tell you that we are going to leave no stone unturned on this and make sure the public knows what happened."

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