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Pop Superstar Prince Dead at 57

His body was reportedly discovered in his recording studio at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.

Published April 21, 2016

 (Rolling Stone)
Image Via Rolling Stone

Longtime music star Prince, whose music and life have made him a household name, was found dead in his Minnesota recording studio on 21 April 2016.  He was 57 years old.

Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, had cancelled some recent shows because of health issues, but representatives told media he had the flu.

Prince sold more than 100 million records during his decades-long, influential career.

The Carver County Sheriff's Department officially confirmed his death:

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson reports that on April 21, 2016, at about 9:43 am, sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical call at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen. When deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male in the elevator. First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR, but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced deceased at 10:07 am. He has been identified as Prince Rogers Nelson (57) of Chanhassen.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Prince's publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, also released a statement:

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.

The night after his death, Prince's trademark color — purple — was projected onto landmarks across the United States, including the Superdome and Los Angeles' and San Francisco's city hall buildings:

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A few days before his death, Prince's plane was forced to make an emergency landing as he was returning home from a show in Atlanta due to health issues.  At that point, his representative told news outlets that he was suffering from a bad case of the flu.  According to TMZ, however, it wasn't the flu: the plane landed so that he could receive a "save shot," to counter the effects of the opiates he had overdosed on.

His official cause of death has not yet been released, but police say they have no reason to believe that it was a suicide or that there was any foul play or trauma involved.

Brooke Binkowski is a former editor for Snopes.

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