The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Superstar Prince dies at 57.
Singer’s death under investigation after he is found in a lift at his home
Pop superstar Prince has died at the age of 57.
His body was discovered at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota early yesterday, his publicist confirmed.
The music star was found unresponsive in a lift by police after they were called to his house, the Minnesota Sheriff’s office has said.
Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson is quoted as saying the first people on the scene had tried to revive the star with CPR.
The singer was pronounced dead at the scene and his death is being investigated, Mr Olson said.
Prince, whose real name was Prince Rogers Nelson, suffered a medical emergency last weekend.
The Purple Rain singer was flying home from a show in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 15 when he was taken ill and his private jet made an emergency landing in Molina, Illinois.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he was treated and released a few hours later.
At the time a representative for Prince assured fans he was feeling much better and was resting at home.
Carver County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it was investigating the death, tweeting: “Prince Rogers Nelson (57) found dead at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, MN. We are investigating the circumstances of his death.”
Audio of the emergency services dispatch call obtained by celebrity news website TMZ calls for paramedics to go to 7801 Audobon Road and describes a “male down, not breathing”.
Tributes quickly flooded in for the music maverick, with Madonna, who collaborated with Prince on Love Song on her album Like A Prayer, posting a picture of the two of them together on Instagram, writing: “He Changed The World!! A True Visionary. What a loss. I’m Devastated.”
The star was regarded as one of the most inventive musicians of his era and many of his songs are seen as classics.
He became an international superstar in 1982 after his breakthrough album 1999 and was most famous for hits including Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and Kiss.
He was in the process of writing an untitled autobiography which was due to be published next year.
Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 2004, where he was hailed as a trailblazer.