On April 21, 2016, Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, passed away on Thursday after he was found unresponsive in his elevator at his studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Paramedics tried to perform CPR on him but were not able to revive him. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m, less than 30 minutes after the sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical call at the scene. The last time that Prince was seen alive was a Paisley Park, around eight at night. He was found alone in the complex, which was not surprising because Prince was a private person. Members of his staff were trying to contact him, they went to Paisley Park to check on him and discovered him in the elevator. Nobody knows exactly how long Prince had been there, they wouldn’t say whether or not there was surveillance cameras in the building. Many fans were grieving over the loss of the singer who blended rock, R&B, jazz, funk, and pop. In his home state, Minnesota they wanted to remember Prince, they did it in a way he would of accepted, they danced. They played the song “Nothing Compares 2 U” and held dance parties in Prince gear. A fan of Prince, Allison Werthmann-Radnich said, ““When I heard, it was like the finality of a giant chapter of my life knowing that there would be no more music.”
Crowds ranged all the way from their twenties to their eighties in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They sang, and showed the music industry that you do not have to be from the West or East coast to make it big. Fans of Prince camped out at Paisley Park, which was his home and recording studio, they left bouquets of flowers and signs. Also, several crowds went to First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, to a dance club that Prince used in the movie “Purple Rain” in 1984.
A fan of Prince, Asher Wade, twenty seven years old, said “I grew up listening to his music,” he said. “My parents loved him. I grew to love him. … (it’s) heartbreaking.” Princes music went beyond genres. He established the sound of the ‘80’s with hit songs, such as “Kiss” or “Purple Rain.” These songs defied the music industry in a fight for creative freedom. When fans heard about his unfortunate death, they went to record stores to pick up albums and other Prince memorabilia. The U.S. president had a statement on his death, “As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader and an electrifying performer..” Prince also performed at the White House, Obama also said, “He came to perform at the White House and was extraordinary, and creative, and original, and full of energy. So it’s a remarkable loss.” While his fans are grieving of his loss, they are also celebrating the life he lived and the music that he had made.
