Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Editor's Picks
Editor's PicksEntertainment

Music Icon Prince Dies at 57, ‘Purple Rain’ Artist’s Memoir Was Pending

Posted byBy Ricky Riley | Published on: | Updated on April 22, 2016 CommentsComments (0)

prince-vanity

Legendary artist and pop star Prince has died at the age of 57, according to reports by the Associated Press.

According to local Minnesota authorities, the artist died at his estate in Carver County on Thursday.

Prince Rogers Nelson (b. June 7, 1958) was one of the most prolific and successful artists of all time. The 30-time Grammy nominated artist was taken to a hospital last week after an emergency landing at Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois because of the flu. Last Friday, he was released from an Illinois-area hospital but was still recovering from the virus.

Local news station Fox 31 reports that one of Prince’s shows in Atlanta was rescheduled for April 14th after it was canceled the week prior due to his illness.

However, the “Purple One” went on to perform that evening to a packed Fox Theatre crowd in the southern city.

The superstar’s publicist confirmed the sad news. The artist was in the midst of releasing his memoir,  set to come out next year.

“It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57,” said his publicist Yvette Noel-Schure.

The singer and guitarist died just months after his protege Vanity passed on in February. She was 57 as well.

Fans worldwide are venting their grief via social media, leaving tributes and thanking him for his inspiring music.

https://twitter.com/neyshajasme/status/723199012657090560

 

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top