Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, was hospitalized April 15 after a medical emergency in which his private jet was forced to make an emergency landing in rural Illinois. The celebrity gossip site TMZ and the New York Daily News report the singer was treated for a drug overdose. He was reportedly released a few hours later against the advice of doctors and the following day invited fans to a dance party at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
“Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,” Prince reassured his concerned fans, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
One of the most naturally talented and iconic musicians of the modern era, Prince rose to fame in the late 1970s as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose sexually charged lyrics and legendary live performances were often controversial and usually critically acclaimed. He released his debut album, For You, in 1978, but it was his eponymous second LP, released the following year, that catapulted him to stardom with hits like the dancefloor classic “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Sexy Dancer” and “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?”
Released in 1980, Dirty Mind cemented Prince’s reputation for hypersexual lyrics, with singles like “Dirty Mind,” “Do It All Night” and “Head” raising eyebrows and record sales. “Sister,” one Prince’s littlest-known but most controversial tracks, shocked critics with its incestuous lyrics. But Dirty Mind also had dancefloor hits like “Partyup” and “Uptown” that further established Prince as a leading force in soul, funk, disco and R&B.
That reputation only grew with the release of Controversy in 1981, an album that tackled issues ranging from the artist’s own identity—“Am I black or white, am I straight or gay?”—to escalating nuclear tensions between the Cold War superpowers (“Ronnie, Talk to Russia”). As usual, the album dripped with sex, with tracks including “Sexuality,” “Do Me Baby” and “Jack U Off.” But critics also noted how Prince played nearly all of the instruments on this, and all of his first five, albums, earning him respect and admiration in the music industry.
Prince became an international superstar in 1982 with the release of his album “1999.” Although already famous, songs like the title track “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” made him a household name around the world. In 1984, Prince and the Revolution released Purple Rain, the soundtrack to his debut film of the same name. He won the 1985 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for “Purple Rain.” Other top 10 hits from the album include “Let’s Go Crazy,” “When Doves Cry” and “I Would Die 4 U.”
The mid-to-late 1980s saw Prince release hits including “Raspberry Beret” (1985), “Kiss” (1986) and on the critically-acclaimed 1987 album Sign “O” The Times, “U Got the Look” and “If I Was Your Girlfriend.” In 1991 his New Power Generation band debuted, followed by a personal name change to what he called the Love Symbol. Nineties hits included “Sexy MF” (1992) and the ballads “Diamonds and Pearls” (1991) and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (1993).
All told, Prince released some 39 albums and sold more than 100 million records over the course of an incomparable career spanning five decades. He had 47 Billboard Top 100 singles, including 19 top 10 songs and five number one hits. He won 7 Grammys and an Academy Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2004, where he performed The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with Tom Petty, Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne.
Over the years, the Purple One changed his sound—and name—but always remained true to his unique style that fused rock, funk, dance and pop into hit after hit after hit. Prince was also a prolific collaborator, working with everyone from Sheena Easton and the late Vanity to fellow Minneapolis funksters Morris Day and the Time.
“Right now there are no words that can express the feelings we all have for our dear brother Prince,” Day tweeted. “Thank you!”
“It is impossible to imagine him not being here,” Easton told Entertainment Weekly. “The world of music was forever changed the day he picked up his guitar. His talent was breathtaking, his heart was kind, and all of us have been blessed to have had a glimpse into this sweet and magical soul.”
“He changed the world,” tweeted Madonna. “A true visionary. What a loss. I’m devastated. This is not a love song.”
Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted the opening lines from Prince’s second number one single, “Let’s Go Crazy”: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”
“The key to longevity is to learn every aspect of music you can,” Prince once said. And while longevity in life eluded the superstar, he—and his fans everywhere—enjoyed one of the longest and most successful pop music careers of any artist who ever lived.
