Music fans and professionals are mourning the loss of revolutionary performer Prince Roger Nelson, better known as Prince.
The artist was found dead in his home near Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thursday. He was 57 years old.
Prince was a highly skilled musician. He played many instruments including guitar, piano and drums. He wrote popular songs that crossed many musical borders. He had a powerful voice with a wide high to low range.
Prince’s music brought together many musical styles including jazz, rhythm & blues, rock and roll, funk, and disco. He had his own unmistakable sound.
Prince had music in his blood. His father was a jazz musician and his mother was a singer. He became a performer at a young age. His first album, “For You” came out in 1978. Prince was 19 at the time.
American singer and songwriter Prince performs on the Isle of Amager in Copenhagen, Denmark, Aug. 6, 2011.
Prince performs during the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 19, 2013.
U.S. musician Prince performs on stage at Yas Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Nov. 14, 2010.
Prince accepts the award for Outstanding Male Artist at the 38th NAACP Image Awards, March 2, 2007, in Los Angeles.
Prince performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida, Feb. 4, 2007.
FILE - Singer Prince performs in a surprise appearance on the "American Idol" television show finale at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California, May 24, 2006.
Recording artist Prince speaks during a news conference about his recording agreement between himself and Universal Records and his new single "Te Amo Corazon," Beverly Hills, California, Dec. 13, 2005.
Singer Prince arrives with his wife Manuela Testolini for the 77th Academy Awards, Feb. 27, 2005, in Los Angeles.
"The Artist" formerly known as Prince gives his acceptance speech after being named Male Artist of the Decade at the 14th annual Soul Train Music Awards, March 4, 2000.
Rock singer Prince performs at the Forum in Inglewood, California, during his opening show, Feb. 18, 1985.
Pop vocalist Prince holds up a hand as he accepts an American Music Award for his single "When Doves Cry" during presentations at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jan. 28, 1985.
Prince was famous for more than just his music. He wore makeup and bright, sexy clothing, including pink furs, shiny purple brocade, and high boots. Sometimes he wore very little at all.
Many of the performer’s lyrics described or referred to sex. One song, “Darling Nikki,” came under special attack by a powerful critic: Tipper Gore. Tipper Gore was married at the time to then Senator Al Gore.
Tipper Gore helped lead a parents' movement to place parental advisory messages on albums that included offensive words or language about sex and drugs. She said that she decided to act after watching her young daughter listen to “Darling Nikki.”
Another of Prince’s best-known songs is the 1984 single, “Purple Rain.” The album of the same name sold 20 million copies. “Purple Rain” was also made into a movie starring Prince. He won an Academy Award for the movie’s music.
Prince was a seven-time Grammy award winner. He was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. The Hall of Fame said Prince “rewrote the rule book, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting edge music in the 80s.”
British national newspapers' front pages leading with the story about the death of U.S. musician Prince are displayed, April 22, 2016.
A sign above the Mayor Clinic in Minneapolis, April 22, 2016, asks people to wear purple in memory of the pop super star Prince who died Thursday at the age of 57.
Flowers lay on a T-shirt signed by fans of singer Prince at a makeshift memorial place created outside Apollo Theatre in New York, April 22, 2016.
Visitors look at a 1993 photograph of musician Prince by Lynn Goldsmith at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., April 22, 2016. . The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is recognizing the life and accomplishments of Prince with the photograph by Goldsmith. It will be installed in the museum’s In Memoriam space.
Lorraine Womble wipes her eye at a vigil to celebrate the life and music of deceased musician Prince in Los Angeles, California, April 21, 2016.
NASA tweeted out a photo of a purple nebula, in honor of Prince, April 21, 2016. The image shows a composite view of the Crab nebula, an iconic supernova remnant in our Milky Way galaxy, as seen by the Herschel space observatory and the Hubble space telescope.
Julya Baer, 30, (R) cries at a vigil to celebrate the life and music of deceased musician Prince in Los Angeles, California, April 21, 2016.
Pedestrians pass New York's Apollo Theater where the marquee displays a message about Prince's death, April 21, 2016.
Donnie Straub of Minneapolis touches a star bearing U.S. music superstar Prince's name on an exterior wall of First Avenue, the nightclub where Prince got his start in Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 21, 2016.
A couple watches on as fans gather at Harlem's Apollo Theater to celebrate the life of deceased musician Prince in the Manhattan borough of New York, April 21, 2016.
The Texas Rangers play the Houston Astros as the Rangers broadcast a symbol on the large video screen over the right field roof honoring singer Prince during a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, April 21, 2016.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans is lit up in the color purple to honor pop legend Prince, April 21, 2016.
Director Spike Lee dances at a street party he hosted called "PRINCE We Love You Shockadelica Joint" to celebrate the life and music of deceased musician Prince in the Brooklyn borough of New York, April 21, 2016.
Prince's star adorns the wall at First Avenue as a memorial grew on April 21, 2016, in Minneapolis, where the pop super star Prince often performed.
The Victoria Arts Centre is flooded with purple light in tribute to late U.S. music icon Prince in Melbourne, Australia, April 22, 2016.
Yet, the performer also fought with his record company, Warner Bros., over control of his music. He even temporarily changed his name to a symbol after a contract dispute. For a time, reporters called him “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” He left the record company, but returned several years ago.
Prince sold more than 100 million albums around the world with hit songs such as “Little Red Corvette,” “1999,” and “When Doves Cry.”
He also wrote hit music for other performers including Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and The Bangles’ “Manic Monday."
Many celebrities have been remembering Prince on social media sites. Stevie Wonder praised him for bringing different cultures together in music. Katy Perry tweeted “the world lost a lot of magic.” Madonna called him “a true visionary.”
President Barack Obama also honored the musician. He called the artist “a creative icon.” He said, “As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all.”
"Today, the world lost a creative icon." —@POTUS on the passing of @Prince: https://t.co/MTb3nKxruR pic.twitter.com/gowq1MExM3
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) April 21, 2016
Doctors will examine Prince’s body to try to learn the cause of death.
Official say police found the musician in his home after they received an emergency call. They tried to rescue him but he died.
Prince was hospitalized last week. His private airplane made an emergency landing in Illinois after concerts in Georgia. Some reports said he was suffering from the flu.
I’m Caty Weaver.
Materials from VOA News, AP and the New York Times were used in this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise and Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
Words in This Story
range – n. from highest to lowest, including all parts of a set
in his blood – idiom. meaning a person was born with an ability
forge – v. to create with great effort
synthesis – n. bringing two or more things, often ideas, together to create something new
blueprint – n. the plans for building something
cutting edge – n. the newest, most modern part of some activity or movement
symbol – n. an object that represents an idea, movement or group
icon – n. someone who is the object of devoted attention
prolific – adj. producing a large amount of something
