Those who came of age in the 1980s lost another music icon today. The legendary artist known as Prince died at the age of 57. He was reportedly discovered at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota early Thursday morning, following a medical emergency on April 15th.
Prince became an international superstar in 1982 after his breakthrough album 1999. A trailblazer on the music scene, he pioneered "the Minneapolis sound" and took on the music industry in a fight for creative freedom. Prince's iconic song Party Like It's 1999 became an anthem for New Year's Eve parties around the world at the turn of the century.
Prince sold more than 100 million records, won seven Grammy Awards and the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain in 1985, which he performed in pouring rain at Super Bowl XLI.
A massive outpouring of grief hit social media Thursday morning.
#RIP our dearly beloved #Prince. Tears and love on our tour bus. @CHICorg @nilerodgers I'll never forget my brother. We've had #good times
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) April 21, 2016
WHAT!!???? PRINCE!!!????? IS THIS A DREAM!????????? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! We just lost a true artistic PIONEER. Heart broken
— Chris Daughtry (@CHRIS_Daughtry) April 21, 2016
R. I. P to the King Prince thank u for inspiring me to be a Musician First and using this tool to heal people
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) April 21, 2016
And just like that...the world lost a lot of magic ✨ Rest in peace Prince! Thanks for giving us so much...
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) April 21, 2016
I'm Crushed!! UK news reporting Prince Is Dead?! For Real?! Massive Loss for us all! What a Genius! Speechless.
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 21, 2016
Numb. Stunned. This can't be real.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) April 21, 2016
This is what it sounds like when doves cry.
Featured Image: M. Zack Urlocker