In this 2015 file photo, Prince appears at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
Legendary musician Prince — one of the most popular, inventive and influential recording artists of his generation — died Thursday morning at his suburban Minnesota compound, his publicist said.
“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 at the age of 57,” publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement. “There are no further details as to the cause of death at this time.”
The Carver County’s Sheriff’s Office said the musician was “found dead at Paisley Park Studios.”
“We are investigating the circumstances of his death,” the sheriff’s office said.
Prince — an eccentric and eclectic singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger — became one of pop music’s leading icons in the 1980s, a towering figure who found enormous critical and commercial success.
“Perhaps more than any other artist, Prince called the tune for pop music in the Eighties,” Rolling Stone declared.
His epochal 1984 album, “Purple Rain,” featuring a string of hit singles including “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” sold more than 13 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and is regarded as one of the greatest recordings of the decade.
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The Minnesota native was inducted in 2004 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which noted that when Prince first arrived on the scene in the 1970s, “it didn’t take long for him to upend the music world with his startling music and arresting demeanor. 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.”
“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. His colorful image and revolutionary music made Prince a figure comparable in paradigm-shifting impact to Little Richard, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and George Clinton.”
Deputies first arrived at his Paisley Park compound at 9:43 a.m. local time, responding to reports of a medical situation, Carver County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud told CBS Minnesota.
Prince was hospitalized last week. His private plane reportedly made an emergency landing in Illinois following concerts in Georgia.
The music legend held a party at Paisley Park on Saturday. He posted a photo early Sunday morning showing a scene from the compound in Chanhassen.
Appearing for less than five minutes at that party, Prince addressed reports of his health scare, played “Chopsticks” on a purple Yamaha piano and showed off a new purple guitar, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
“I have to leave it in the case or I’ll be tempted to play it,” Prince said of the guitar. “I can’t play the guitar at all these days so I can keep my mind on this [piano] and get better.”
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Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman — former members of Prince’s band, the Revolution — said in a statement that they were “completely shocked and devestated [sic] by the sudden loss of our brother, artist and friend, Prince. … We offer our love, support, and condolences to our extended family, friends and all fans of our sweet Prince.”
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow referred to Prince — a seven-time Grammy winner — as “one of the most uniquely gifted artists of all time.”
“Never one to conform, he redefined and forever changed our musical landscape,” Portnow said in a statement. “Prince was an original who influenced so many, and his legacy will live on forever. We have lost a true innovator and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends, collaborators, and all who have been impacted by his incredible work.”
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Despite his iconic public persona, Prince was known for being a deeply private individual.
When speaking to journalists, The Post reported in a 2004 profile, Prince forbid his voice from being recorded and refused to answer questions about his private life.
He enjoyed massive success, but his personal life was marked by trauma: The 1996 death of his one-week-old son from a rare bone disease; a subsequent divorce from his first wife, a former backup dancer named Mayte Garcia; the passing of both of his parents. Prince never wanted to discuss any of it.
Even in 2004, after nearly two decades in the public spotlight, the musician was keenly aware that he’d reached pinnacles that would be difficult to continue topping.
“Once you’ve done anything, to do it again ain’t no big deal, you feel me?” Prince told The Post. “I was on the cover of Rolling Stone with Vanity, I was on the cover of Rolling Stone when I didn’t even do an interview, when I wouldn’t talk to them. Once you’ve done something like that it’s like, okay, what’s the next thing?”
“Times were different back then,” Prince explained. “I wouldn’t stand out today if I was brand-new and came like that. But see, back then nobody else was doing that, and I knew that would get me over. I didn’t dress like anybody, I didn’t look like anybody, I didn’t sound like anybody. We still try to do that. Why do what everybody else is doing?
“Bowie and Madonna, even if it wasn’t good, we still talk about it because it was something new. That’s a beautiful word.”
Musicians who worked with Prince came away stunned by his near-maniacal work ethic and rare energy. He was known for only needing about three hours of sleep a night. After finishing multi-hour shows on tour, he would peel off to a local club and continue playing until nearly dawn. It’s one reason, he told reporters, that he handled so many of the instruments on so many of his albums — he’s the only guy up at 5 a.m. recording.
“The curse part of it is that it physically drains you,” Prince told The Post in 2004, “when you try to do everything that comes into your head. Like right now, I could write a song. If I go over there,” he said, gesturing toward the instruments, “and start noodling around, I’ll write a song. Because I hear stuff all the time. I can make something out of nothing.”
This post has been updated.
