Prince found dead at his Minnesota studio at age 57; music icon was reportedly treated for drug overdose days before death

This is what it sounds like when the world cries.

Music megastar Prince, whose iconic and influential 40-year career transcended genre and defined genius, collapsed inside an elevator and died Thursday at his suburban Minnesota home. The cause of death was under investigation and officials wouldn’t comment on a report that he was recently treated for a drug overdose.

The 57-year-old winner of seven Grammys and an Oscar died inside his Chanhassen, Minn., recording studio at 10:07 a.m. First responders tried to revive the unresponsive musician for 20 minutes.

“The person is dead here. ... And the people are just distraught,” a man said in a 911 call from the singer’s estate, according to a transcript released by authorities.

Celebrity gossip site TMZ.com reported that Prince was treated for an overdose six days before his death. His private jet made an emergency landing on Friday in Illinois — less than an hour from his home. The music legend was given a “save shot” at a hospital to “counteract the effects of an opiate,” TMZ.com reported.

 

Sources told the site doctors advised him to stay 24 hours, but he flew home within three hours. The site posted a photo of Prince reportedly taken at a Walgreens near his home around 7 p.m. Wednesday — his fourth trip to the pharmacy this week. He looked nervous and frail, workers told TMZ.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

The revelations threatened to cast a dark pall on the music legend’s legacy.

Prince’s brilliant musical output in the 1980s defined the decade: His classic albums included “Purple Rain,” “1999” and “Sign O’ the Times,” along with a string of chart-topping singles like “When Doves Cry,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Raspberry Beret” and “U Got the Look.”

The “Purple Rain” soundtrack alone sold more than 13 million copies, earning Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Prince’s death brought devastated Minnesotans, including one clutching purple tulips, to stand mournfully in the rain outside the legendary musician’s home at Paisley Park.

“It hurts on a bunch of different levels,” said Justin Sirota. “We’re robbed of a musical talent. He’s part of our identity as Minnesotans.”

A rainbow later appeared above the $10 million estate, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd. His sister, Tyka Nelson, briefly addressed the crowd.

“Thank you for loving him,” Nelson said. “He loved you all.”

Others gathered outside the First Avenue club, where the stage performances of the “Purple Rain” movie were filmed, to leave candles and balloons. A dance party at the club was scheduled to last until 7 a.m.

On Broadway, Jennifer Hudson and the cast of “The Color Purple” belted out a heartbreaking rendition of “Purple Rain” after their Thursday performance.

A flood of fans, friends and fellow musicians of all generations marveled at the legacy left behind by a prodigy taken far too soon.

“Prince’s talent was limitless,” tweeted Mick Jagger, who hired the young singer-songwriter as the Rolling Stones’ opening act for a 1980-81 tour.

“He was one of the most unique and talented artists of the last 30 years . . . a revolutionary artist, a great musician, a wonderful lyricist, a startling guitar player.”

Justin Timberlake, like many others, found reports of Prince’s death impossible to accept.

“This can’t be real,” he tweeted.

Funk mastermind George Clinton called Prince a powerhouse who “inspired you to want to keep up with him.”

President Obama remembered Prince as “one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.”

 

Prince — whose reps said he was hospitalized with the flu last week — assured fans on Saturday that rumors about his health problems were overhyped.

“Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,” Prince advised the invited guests at the same suburban estate where his body was found.

Prince emerged from the chilly obscurity of his home state of Minnesota as a one-man band playing an untamed mix of funk, dance music and rock guitar — a merger of Little Richard, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix.

He was sexual yet androgynous, incredibly gifted and eager to share his music with the world. Yet he refused to surrender one bit of his musical independence to his corporate masters.