aNewDomain — The artist known as Prince has died. He was 57.
The award-winning rock, jazz, funk and pop performer, whose legal name was Prince Rogers Nelson, was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park, Minnesota today, a spokeswoman said in a statement.
Police say the cause of death is as yet unknown, and that a police investigation has begun. An insider told TMZ he’d been sick with the flu for weeks, however, and that he’d been recently hospitalized.
Prince is probably best-known for his end of millennium anthem, released in the late 1980s, called “1999 (Tonight I’m Gonna Party Like It’s … ).”
His albums, Purple Rain and Sign O’ the Times, were critical hits.
Over his career, Prince has sold more than 100 million records, according to a Billboard report from last year.
“It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died,” the statement announcing his death said. “There are no further details as to the cause of death at this time.”
Prince had long been rumored to be HIV positive.
I saw Prince in concert just one time. It was at the Summit in Houston,
where the Rockets played, which by then was called Compaq Center. It was New
Year’s Eve, not 1999, but 1997.
Prince held the entire crowd, which including floor seating must have been about 20,000,
completely spellbound. The band played for about four hours. The
hits just kept coming and coming. Boundless energy and endless talent. I
remember heading home at around 2 a.m. totally drained and smiling.
“Let’s Go Crazy” (1984) begins: “Dearly beloved/we are gathered here today/to get through this thing
called life/ and if the elevator tries to bring you down/ go crazy …”
Here is Prince performing “Let’s Go Crazy” live in 2007. RIP Prince.
For aNewDomain, I’m David Street.
Above: Prince’s symbol, which Prince used instead of his name for several years in the 1990s: Simon Cousins, via Google+
