Prince Dead At 57 After Battling The Flu

Prince, the legendary artist behind such songs as “Purple Rain” and “Kiss,” was found dead on Thursday. He was 57.

Prince Dies At 57

Deputies responded to Prince’s studio on his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minn., before 10 a.m. Thursday morning. Initially, it was only confirmed that there had been a fatality on the property before authorities confirmed that it was Prince who had died, reported TMZ. An official cause of death has yet to be revealed, though Prince had reportedly been suffering from flu-like symptoms as of late.

There were concerns over Prince’s health last week when his private plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., where he was briefly hospitalized. He had also recently canceled a pair of shows due to his health. However, in an effort to reassure his fans that all was well, Prince made an appearance onstage at Paisley Park during a dance party the day after his hospitalization. Though he didn’t sing, he showed the crowd his new piano and guitar.

Prince also told his fans in attendance, “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”

Prince released his debut album, For You, in 1978. He followed it up with a self-titled album in 1979, Dirty Mind in 1980 and Controversy in 1981. His mainstream breakout came with 1982’s 1999, and he cemented his place in music and pop culture with the Purple Rain soundtrack in 1984. Future albums included Around the World in A Day, Sign “O” The Times, Parade, (Love Symbol Album), Emancipation, Musicology and Planet Earth. His latest albums, HITnRUN Phase One and HITnRUN Phase Two, came out in 2015.

Over the course of his career, Prince sold more that 100 million records, racked up a total of seven Grammy wins and earned an Academy Award. Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.