Pop Music Icon Prince Found Dead At Paisley Park Residence
(CBS) -- Prince, a force in popular music for three decades, died at his home and recording studio in Minnesota on Thursday.
"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.
The cause of death was not immediately known, Noel-Schure said.
When authorities arrived, they found Prince unresponsive in an elevator. They administered CPR, but were not successful, according to the Carver County Sheriff.
Prince was hospitalized briefly last Friday for treatment for the flu. His plane was diverted to Moline, Ill., where he reportedly was treated for dehydration.
According to Carver County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud, deputies responded to Paisley Park at 9:43 a.m. on the report of a medical situation, CBS station WCCO reported.
Prince Rogers Nelson was born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis and has been a major figure in popular music for over three decades.
In Chicago, WXRT's Lin Brehmer says Prince androgynous persona broke barriers, and his talents on stage were only surpassed by his skills as musician.
"He was eccentric in the best possible way, that he presented himself in ways that few artists would have been brave enough to do," Brehmer said.
Prince fans were drawn to music stories, to hunt down something of the artist to remember.
"It's like the soundtrack, essentially, to my life. It's been a very rough day," Logan Square resident Michael Zmora said at Reckless Records.
Prince first saw success in 1979, with the release of singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
However Prince didn't begin to attract mainstream artists until he released his single, "1999."
In 1984 Prince would release his iconic feature film/sound-track album, "Purple Rain" in 1984.
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 and his band were was the surprise performers at the Chicago wedding reception of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and Mellody Hobson at Promontory Point in June, 2013.
That same weekend he played at a private concert at City Winery. He played a concert at United Center in 2012.
Prince performed during the Chicago Bears last Super Bowl in a downpour in Miami. Before the took the stage, he was asked he was OK to perform. He told NFL organizers, "Can you make it rain harder?"
Contributing: Associated Press
