Catherine Donahue
Staff Writer
Prince Rogers Nelson, better known by the shorter variation of his name, Prince, died on April 21 at age 57 after being found unconscious in an elevator in his studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Prince, who sold over 60 million certified units in his lifetime, reported in early April that he was battling the flu. On a flight home from a performance, his private plane had to make an emergency stop in Illinois to seek medical treatment.
President Barack Obama expressed his condolences, stating that Prince was a “creative icon.” Media outlets also responded to the death immediately, and countless news articles were released within hours of the announced death. MTV canceled their scheduled programming to play back-to-back Prince music videos in memory of the singer.
Several U.S. landmarks also acknowledged the singer’s death, with Madison Square Garden, the New Orleans Superdome, and city halls in Los Angeles and San Francisco lighting up purple alluding to the singer’s “Purple Rain.” Celebrities including Bruce Springsteen and Gene Simmons performed and spoke on behalf of Prince, and specials were aired focusing on his song for Baltimore and his activism to raise donations for the poor at concerts.
Circumstances around Prince’s passing are currently unclear, but there has been an autopsy and his remains were cremated.
