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.
No comments:
Post a Comment