Music legend Prince dies at 57 - He had been suffering from flu for weeks
Pop superstar Prince has died at his home in Minnesota, US, at age 57.
Sources told entertainment website TMZ that his body was found at his Paisley Park studio.
Paramedics were called out at 9.43am yesterday (10.43pm Singapore time). Carver County Sheriff ’s Department initially confirmed that there had been a fatality but did not confirm his identity.
A forensics team and a medical examiner were at the scene.
Prince - full name Prince Rogers Nelson - had been hospitalised six days ago with flu symptoms.
He was reportedly aboard his private flight when he fell ill, forcing the jet to make an unscheduled landing in Illinois last Friday morning.
TMZ reported that the seven-time Grammy award-winning singer’s plane diverted to Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, to make the emergency landing.
The pop superstar had been suffering from flu for a number of weeks and was believed to be recovering, but took a turn for the worse in the early hours of last Friday.
His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, told The Associated Press that the music icon died at his home. No details were immediately released.
The multi-talented musician was known to have combined rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip-hop, psychedelia and pop to create a unique sound that led to him selling more than 100 million records during his 40-year career.
His hits include When Doves Cry, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and 1999. He also wrote the smash hit Nothing Compares 2 U, made famous by Irish singer Sinead O’Connor.
FLAMBOYANT
The flamboyant star also starred in the 1984 movie Purple Rain, named after his hit song.
At one point, the album, single and Movie all held the number one slot in their respective charts simultaneously.
He was also fiercely protective of his independence, battling his record company over control of his material and even his name.
Prince once wrote "slave" on his face in protest of not owning his work and famously battled and then parted with his label, Warner Music, before returning a few years ago.
He also legally changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, and became known as the Artist Formerly Known As Prince, but later changed it back again.
In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall 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."
In 2007, he played the Super Bowl in one of the most celebrated such performances.
His most recent album, "HITn- RUN: Phase Two" was released in December 2015, and the artist had been on tour in the US as recently as last week.
Almost immediately following news of his death, a small group of fans quickly gathered outside his music studio at Paisley Park.
Director Spike Lee said on Twitter: "I Miss My Brother. Prince Was A Funny Cat. Great Sense Of Humor."
WATCH: First ever live performance of Purple Rain, 1983
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