Prince (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016)
A singer with a decades-long, boundary-defying career, Prince died at 57 of a drug overdose at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota. Known as “The Purple One,” the singer earned massive success churning out hits like “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” and “1999,” but Prince also was an activist. He believed Black lives matter and frequently spoke about Egyptian philosophy and historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke. Prince also supported self-determination.
Billy Paul (Dec. 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016)
Best known for the single “Me and Mrs. Jones,” Billy Paul was 80 years old when he died and had been hospitalized following a recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
