Prince dead at 57: Tributes and reaction | Live updates
The pop superstar was unresponsive in a lift when he was found. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.
Prince, the innovative US music superstar whose hits included Purple Rain and When Doves Cry and whose songwriting and eccentric stage presence electrified fans around the world, has died in Minnesota at age 57.
That concludes our live coverage of the reaction to music icon Prince’sdeath this morning.
10.25am:
Medical examiners have received Prince’s body and plan to perform an autopsy.
The cause of death isn’t known. Authorities said deputies who were summoned to a medical emergency found him in an elevator, unresponsive, and CPR failed.
The Midwest Medical Examiners Office in Ramsey, Minnesota, tweeted that it has received Prince’s body. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.
10.10am:‘Bowie ... Prince - it’s too much to take’
Veteran music journalist Molly Meldrum, who interviewed the artist several times, said he went into shock upon hearing the news.
“To have all these people passing away, the great greats, David Bowie, and now Prince, it’s really too much to take in for me,” he told ABC radio.
Others have touted Prince’s influence on rock and r’n’b music, and his electrifying stage performances.
“I mean who hasn’t he influenced? Best live show I’ve been to. RIP #prince,” singer Guy Sebastian tweeted.
Former Savage Garden pop idol Darren Hayes spoke of Prince’s maverick independence.
“It makes me happy the man who made this 12 year old kid feel proud to be a freak, who never conformed to gender norms and refused to be a slave to the old corrupt ways of the music industry left this earth giving the finger to conformity.
“You can’t find a single one of his recordings on YouTube or Spotify today. He was an artist to the very last second of his life.”
9.55am:Melbourne to honour Prince
Melbourne will honour music legend Prince by turning the city’s Arts Centre spire purple for a night. Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday tweeted the “doves are crying in Victoria” after Prince - whose hits include 1984’s Purple Rain - died aged 57 at his home in Minnesota.
“The Arts Centre’s spire will be lit in honour of the purple one,” Mr Andrews tweeted. Prince was in Melbourne two months ago when he played several shows at the State Theatre.
Doves are crying in Victoria. RIP Prince. Tonight the Arts Centre's spire will be lit in honour of the purple one. pic.twitter.com/Vd9N1SiAu1
— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) April 21, 2016
9.40am:Secret stash of songs
Within 45 minutes of his death at the age of 57 being confirmed, his greatest hits was already the best selling album on iTunes and other records were rapidly climbing the charts. There is more to come - there is said to be enough recorded material at Paisley Park for a new Prince album every year for the next 100 years. Read more HERE.
9.15am:Prince’s final performance
9am: Where to stream Prince songs
Heartbroken Prince fans wanting to grieve their icon through his music will not be able to hear it on Spotify or Apple Music.
Prince pulled his work from those streaming services, as well as Vevo and Rhapsody, in favour of Tidal last year.
Tidal, backed by Jay-Z, claims to pay more royalties than any other music subscription platform.
Aside from the royalties, Prince said it was important to support African-American-owned enterprises, such as Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network.
“Tidal is a new company, it’s brand new,” Prince told Ebony Magazine last year.
“They’re just getting their footing, and I think when there’s a company like that, or the OWN network - situations where we finally get into a position to run things - we all should help.
In honor of Prince, an early look at next week's cover, "Purple Rain": https://t.co/lF0Nwyd7q8 pic.twitter.com/myN15OxsCO
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) April 21, 2016
8.45am:Investigation will take weeks
Sheriff’s officials in Minnesota say it’s too early to say whether foul play was involved in the death of music superstar Prince.
Carver County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Kamerud says foul play “is neither suspected nor not suspected.” Kamerud tells AP that it’s simply too early in the investigation. He says he’s not sure how long it will take to process the death scene because of the size of the compound. Kamerud says the medical examiner typically takes a few days to have preliminary findings, and typically weeks for toxicology results.
The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday it had no information on the death.
The local sheriff said deputies found Prince unresponsive in an elevator late Thursday morning after being summoned to his home, but that first-responders couldn’t revive him.
8.30am:Five great performances
Prince wasn’t a big believer in YouTube — he sent take down notices often — but there are several videos of him performing in his early days and jamming with other legendary musicians. Check out more performances HERE.
8.15am:Prince in Australia
Australian fans, of course, got to the chance to see Prince perform back in February at a special ‘Piano and Microphone’ show at the Sydney Opera House.
RIP @Prince. So sad. It was amazing to see you @SydOperaHouse in Feb & it is hard to think of you gone. #RIPprince pic.twitter.com/XyXi1G8CZv
— Bronwyn Orsatti (@BronwynOrsatti) April 21, 2016
8am:
A bridge in Prince’s hometown will be lit up in puprle tonight to remember this music icon.
I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis "will reign purple tonight" in honor of Minneapolis native Prince, Minnesota DOT says. pic.twitter.com/0TVJdJqpqJ
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) April 21, 2016
While NASA tweeted this image as their tribute.
A purple nebula, in honor of Prince, who passed away today. https://t.co/7buFWWExMw pic.twitter.com/ONQDwSQwVa
— NASA (@NASA) April 21, 2016
7.45am:Fans gather at Paisley Park
7.30am:
Sales of Prince’s music have soared since news broke of the pop star’s death.
Three of his songs Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, and When Doves Cry, - surged to 7th, 9th and 10th on iTunes’ Top Songs chart.
Four of his albums The Very Best of Prince, Purple Rain, The Hits / The B-Sides and 1999- jumped to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 8th on iTunes’ Top Albums chart.
The singer’s music catalog, including last year’s “HITNRUN Phase One & Two,” was streaming on Tidal, another high-profile exclusive for the Jay Z-backed service. Other streaming services like Spotify and Rhapsody did not offer Prince’s songs.
7.15am:
Many celebrities took to Twitter to express their sadness. Basketball star Magic Johnson wrote that he was “so devastated by the passing of my good friend Prince.” Director Spike Lee remembered Prince as “A Funny Cat” with a “Great Sense of Humor.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson praised Prince for fighting for the freedom of artists and for himself, recalling the rocker’s skirmishes with the recording industry. Jackson says Price “was a transformer.”
I am so saddened to hear of Prince's passing. Prince was a revolutionary artist, a wonderful musician and composer. 1/3
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) April 21, 2016
Prince was an original lyricist and a startling guitar player. His talent was limitless. 2/3
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) April 21, 2016
Prince was one of the most unique and exciting artists of the last 30 years. 3/3
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) April 21, 2016
7am: Death under investigation
Sheriff’s officials in Minnesota say deputies found music superstar Prince unresponsive in a lift after they were summoned to his suburban Minneapolis compound.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson says first responders tried CPR but couldn’t revive the 57-year-old musician. Olson says Prince was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. Thursday, about half an hour after deputies arrived. Olson says the death is under investigation.
Hundreds of fans have gathered outside Prince’s Paisley Park studio to mourn his death.
6.50am:
Madonna mourned fellow 1980s pop icon Prince as a “true visionary” after his sudden death at age 57.
“He changed the world!! A true visionary. What a loss. I’m devastated,” Madonna wrote on Instagram, where she posted a picture of herself with the Purple One.
6.45am:
US President Barack Obama, who is due to arrive in the Britain, paid tribute to the star saying the world has lost a “creative icon”.
“Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent.
"'A strong spirit transcends rules,' Prince once said—and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative." —President Obama
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 21, 2016
“As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer.” Obama quoted Prince, saying “A strong spirit transcends rules”. He added: “Nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band, and all who loved him.”
6.40am:
Tributes have quickly flooded in for pop superstar Prince, after the 57-year-old was found dead at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota.
Television pictures from the scene on Thursday showed fans gathering across the road from his home in the rain, with a number of dark-coloured cars parked inside property.
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