Prince, one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times, was found dead at his home Thursday in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57.
The local sheriff said deputies found the singer, known for such hits as “Little Red Corvette,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry,” unresponsive in an elevator late Thursday morning, and first-responders couldn’t revive him.
No details about what may have caused his death have been released.
On April 14 — exactly one week before his death — Prince performed in Atlanta in what would be his final two full public concerts.
Those shows at the Fox Theatre – postponed from April 7 when the musician abruptly canceled due to illness – were presented by Atlanta promoter Rival Entertainment.
On Thursday, Lucy Freas, partner and senior talent buyer at Rival, said they were “devastated” by the loss of such a prolific talent.
“It was an honor to work with Prince and his team to bring two unforgettable shows to Atlanta and make memories we will forever cherish. May he rest in peace and his legacy live on forever through his music,” Freas told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Also Thursday, Allan Vella, president and CEO of the Fox Theatre, said, “Prince was a music pioneer, innovator and cultural icon. His music moved and inspired many, including the fans that were able to join him as he took the stage for his final performances last week at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. We, along with the world, mourn the loss of a music legend.”
Prince performed 12 concerts at the Fox during his career, including the pair last week.
The music icon downplayed reports of ill health after his plane made an emergency landing in the early hours of April 15 on the way back to Minnesota after his second Fox show. Last Saturday, he made a brief appearance at his Paisley Park studios and told a small group of fans, "Wait a few days before you waste any prayers."
Prince was notorious for setting his own schedule and thrived on last-minute announcements.
“He is the only artist I know of at that level that could sell out arenas with five days’ notice,” said Peter Conlon, president of Live Nation Atlanta.
Conlon recalled trying to wrangle the elusive star for Music Midtown in recent years, but Prince’s preference for hit-and-run performances was a hindrance.
When Prince performed at the Tabernacle in 2000, Conlon spent some time with the musician backstage.
“He was an interesting guy. Brilliant. A genius on so many levels, and such an incredible performer. His performances were mesmerizing,” Conlon said. “With certain artists, it’s not about the money anymore. They need to see their music performed and see people’s reaction to it. They need to have that back from the audience.”
Atlanta-based singer Chris Cauley attended one of Prince’s concerts at the Fox and expressed his devastation about the singer’s death.
“Seeing Prince for the first time was completely surreal,” he said “I just wish the significance of that night didn’t weigh as much as it does now. He just never seemed human to me. And there he was, 15 feet from me. A legend. A pioneer.”
President Barack Obama, who welcomed Prince as a White House guest last year, said he and his wife “joined millions of fans from around the world” in mourning Prince’s sudden death.
“Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent,” Obama said in a statement. “‘A strong spirit transcends rules,’ Prince once said — and nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.”
The dazzlingly talented and charismatic singer, songwriter, arranger and instrumentalist drew upon musicians ranging from James Brown to Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles, creating a gender- and genre-defying blend of rock, funk and soul.
He 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 Minneapolis native, born Prince Rogers Nelson, stood just 5 feet, 2 inches — yet he made a powerful visual impact at the dawn of MTV.
But his greatest legacy was as a musician, summoning original and compelling sounds at will, whether playing guitar in a flamboyant style, switching his vocals from a nasal scream to an erotic falsetto, or turning out album after album of stunningly innovative material. Among his other notable releases: “Sign O’ the Times,” ‘’Graffiti Bridge” and “The Black Album.”
Prince was fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name. Anxious to get out of his contract with Warner Bros., he identified himself for a while by a key-like symbol with an unpronounceable name. (Journalists called him “the artist formerly known as Prince.”)
“What’s happening now is the position that I’ve always wanted to be in,” Prince told The Associated Press in 2014. “I was just trying to get here.”
Prince’s records sold more than 100 million copies. He won seven Grammys and received an Academy Award in 1985 for his music from “Purple Rain,” the movie in which he starred as a young musician. In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll 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.”
Prince became not just a star in his own right, but a veritable music factory, whether with such side projects as Vanity and Morris Day and the Time or the songs he wrote for others. Sinead O’Connor had a hit with his “Nothing Compares 2 U,” while other covers included Cyndi Lauper’s “When U Were Mine” and the Bangles’ “Manic Monday.”
Prince had been touring and recording right up until his death, releasing four albums in the past 18 months, including two on the Tidal streaming service last year.
