RIP: Music Legend Prince Gone at Age 57

80s superstar Prince, widely acknowledged as one of the most creative forces of his generation, died at his suburban Minneapolis home on Thursday, April 21, 2016. He was only 57 years old. His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, confirmed to the Associated Press that the report is true but no further details were released immediately.

The 5’2″ singer, born Prince Rogers Nelson, took the music world by storm in the late 70s and 1980s, with a flamboyant style that was often shocking and sometimes made him the butt of jokes. His appearance at the 1991 MTV Music Awards was voted No. 12 on Rolling Stone’s 31 Most Outrageous MTV VMAs Moments of All Time, when he performed in an peek-a-boo outfit that exposed his rear end. He was also known for dropping out of the “mononymous brigade,” changing his name to a symbol during a period of time when he was referred to as “the artist formerly known as Prince.”

His many hits include “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” 1985 was a particularly good year at the American Music Awards:

On April 15th, TMZ reported that the singer’s plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois due to a medical emergency on April 15th, when they learned that Prince was suffering from flu-like symptoms. The following day, Prince appeared at a concert and told his fans to “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.” No one could have foreseen this tragic outcome.

Prince was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

More details at the Daily Mail. World-wide condolences are pouring out on Twitter.

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