TMZ is reporting (and the Associated Press has now confirmed) that Prince Rogers Nelson, known simply as Prince, has died at the age of 57. The singer’s body was discovered early Thursday morning at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota. Prince is said to have been battling an illness—identified by reps for the performer as the flu—severe enough to force his private jet to make an emergency landing on April 15 and to cause him to cancel several performances. He managed to make a show in Atlanta on April 16, however, afterwards tweeting this to a fan: “I’ve barely slept since that nite. #FeelingRejuvenated #FeelingInspired #FeelingLoved.”
Prince’s breakout 1982 album, 1999 launched a career that spanned several decades and included groundbreaking and now iconic albums such as Purple Rain, Dirty Mind, Sign O’ the Times,Controversy, Lovesexy, and Diamonds and Pearls. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and fashion icon sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. Prince also won seven Grammys, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
