The world of music has been rocked by the news that one of its most beloved icons, Prince, has died at the age of 57. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was found dead at his home in Minnesota on Thursday morning.
Prince was a unique talent who transcended genres and generations with his incredible musical output. He released 39 studio albums over four decades, selling more than 100 million records worldwide and winning seven Grammy Awards along the way. His influence extended far beyond music too; he was an actor, producer and philanthropist as well as a fashion icon whose style inspired many others to follow suit.
The outpouring of grief from fans around the world is testament to how much Prince meant to so many people – not just for his music but also for what he represented: freedom, creativity and individuality. His death leaves a huge void in popular culture which will be felt for years to come.
Prince’s career began when he signed with Warner Bros Records in 1978 aged 19 after recording demos at home on a four track recorder given to him by his father as a birthday present two years earlier. It wasn’t long before he made waves across the industry with hits such as ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ (1979) and ‘Little Red Corvette’ (1982). But it was 1984’s album Purple Rain that catapulted him into superstardom thanks largely to its title track which won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score in 1985 – making Prince one of only three African American artists ever to win this award alongside Quincy Jones (1985) and Herbie Hancock (2008).
Throughout his career Prince continued pushing boundaries both musically and visually through performances such as those during Super Bowl XLI where he performed ‘Purple Rain’ despite heavy rain falling throughout the show or collaborations like Madonna’s 1989 hit single ‘Like A Prayer’. He even changed his name briefly in 1993 due to disagreements with record labels over ownership rights – becoming known simply as ‘the Artist Formerly Known As Prince’ until 2000 when reverted back again following legal action against Warner Bros Records over copyright infringement claims related to internet distribution rights .
In recent years there had been signs that all may not have been well health wise; however no cause of death has yet been confirmed other than reports stating it came suddenly without warning leaving family members devastated including sister Tyka Nelson who said “My brother was a very private person”.
Despite being gone too soon we can take comfort knowing that we still have access today –and forever–to some truly timeless works created by this remarkable artist who will never be forgotten nor replaced within our hearts or minds anytime soon if ever!
BBC
