Breaking News - Musical Icon Prince Is Dead

[uncageg]

Wow. The news says he was found unresponsive on, of all things, an elevator in the Paisley Park studios.

[Icehouse Life]

Dearly beloved, we are now gathered here today to get through this thing called Prince's death. I'm here to tell he was something else. We're here to celebrate his talent.

 

Stunning and in a state of shock over Prince's passing. This year has been a ridiculously bad one so far starting with David Bowie--and I'm still sad over his like many of us here. This is a bad sign, I tell you. I relate to both in different ways. Pop culture is far less interesting without someone of Prince's calibre and genius. He was so incredible and talented..and he was funky. Minneapolis had a bonafide music gamechanger in him. Love his music. Never went to his concerts but I know some friends who have and are bigger fans than me. He took music from several genres, playing numerous instruments, and made it all his own with aplomb--and later influencing many other artists regardless of genre since. The fact lots of celebs are sad over his passing and even the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Twins are paying tribute to him says something and of the mutual respect he's earned.

 

Worth noting here that one of Prince's proteges Denise "Vanity" Matthews died weeks ago. She oozed sexy. So hoping (faintly) for a Prince and The Revolution reunion.

One final trademark "Owwaa!!" in tribute

 

[CarlosAlberto]

I can't listen to any of his music right now. I will break down - - - he was one of my personal heroes. Just like Patty Duke's untimely passing this makes my heart hurt. 

Like uncageg noted he was found unresponsive in an elevator at 9:43 this morning. The paramedics performed CPR, but those efforts were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m.

It's eerie that he passed away a little over 3 months after his protege Vanity passed away, and they were both the same age, 57.

I hope they find themselves in that great big concert hall in the sky.

[NYadgal]

If you believe in forever
Then life is just a one-night stand
If there's a rock n' roll heaven
Well you know they've got a hell of a band. . . 

 

This news hits hard.  RIP Prince.   Who we all loved, just like Vivian did.

[Icehouse Life]

How his hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, is covering his death and remembering him:

http://www.startribune.com/authorities-investigating-death-at-prince-s-paisley-park/376578441/#1

 

Prince was working on an "unconventional" memoir slated for a fall 2017 release called The Beautiful Ones:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-was-writing-a-memoir-before-his-death-w203680

 

[Icehouse Life]

In the interest of fairness to both Twin Cities, here's how the St. Paul Pioneer Press is covering Prince's death:

http://www.twincities.com/

 

The sports world is mourning for Prince too. He played basketball in his junior high school days and remained a big basketball fan. Even penned the Minnesota Vikings' fight song "Purple and Gold"

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/15289962/prince-mourned-sports-world

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/15289186/a-big-sports-fan-prince-lauded-top-super-bowl-performance

http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/18649/prince-penned-purple-and-gold-fight-song-for-vikings-in-2010

 

Google is paying tribute to His Royal Badness today by going purple with its logo and having the rain, appropriately, purple too.

 

Never will be someone like him in our lifetime. One of a kind and original.

[JM226]

there is now some reporting that it could have been a drug overdose. Prince reportedly suffered an opiate OD just six days ago. very sad, if true. 

[sabrelady]

I met Mike Fink at a mutual friends wedding years ago (Dr. Fink of the Revolution). If he is to believed, the drugs part of sex drugs & rock n' roll was not part of |Princes regime. ( at least then)

[JM226]

i thought so too, until I read this Variety report: variety.com/2016/music/news/prince-drug-overdose-911-call-dead-1201758740/

 

also what's the deal with that 911 call? So weird. 

[sabrelady]

Very odd. U don't know where you are? Even just saying Paisley Park?

. Also the"safe" shot? Huh? The only drug that counteracts narcotics is a drug called Narcon. It's effects are almost immediate but don't necessarily  last.  Still, 3 hrs would have been more than enough to see if the opiates were affecting his system. 

Have to wait til the coroner's report.

( does he have a next of kin?)l< His sister Tyka right now ( depending on if he had a proper will is NOK and will inherit the bulk of his estate)

[NYadgal]

I wore a purple dress today.   I never wear purple.    I was drawn to it this morning. 

Just sharing.   

Prince vibe.  

[PalJoey]

The cast of The Color Purple, tonight after the show.

 

 

[Jane2]

Being a Jehovah's Witness and not believing in medication - does that include narcotics, I wonder.

[sabrelady]

Jane, I have looked after Patients who were JW. The only treatment they refused was blood transfusions. I believe its Christian Scientists who refuse meds under the impression sickness is an illusion that can be prayed away.

[Jane2]

Oh, ok. Thanks Sabrelady. I ws wondering about that because one of the reports on TV erroneously said JW refuse medication and doctors.

[bdwaygirl]

I can pretty much guarantee that 3/4 of the folks on my FB feed that have been continuously posting things all day, haven't given a thought to Prince in the last ten years.  If ever.  They're all kinda nauseating right now.

 

Janie, you were the first person I thought of when I heard the news. 

[CarlosAlberto]

You're nauseated because people choose to pay tribute to an artist that meant something to them! Wow it must really suck hard to be you. 

[devonian.t]

I saw that Color Purple video and wept like a child.  I really don't do that very often. (and bdwaygirl, Art Official Age is one of the 6 cd's in my car player and has been since it came out so I hope you're ok with that)

[bdwaygirl]

CarlosAlberto said: "You're nauseated because people choose to pay tribute to an artist that meant something to them! Wow it must really suck hard to be you. 

 

Did you bother to read the beginning of my sentence?  Until yesterday, they couldn't have named a Prince song if you'd had a million dollars to give them.  You forget.  I know them.  You don't.

 

"

 

[Petralicious]

I do not like how people have to be competitive when it comes to mourning.

"I was the biggest fan, not you/you were not a fan enough so stop/you were a fan, but didnt listen to him in 2 1/2 years so you cant/ you can name only 5 songs/you only have 2 albums/ I saw him in concert 5X you only did once....."

Yuck

[Jane2]

You mean me , girlie? Thanks!

[Petralicious]

Jane, I was not referring to you at all. I was referring to people who criticize other people for mourning a Star when they are not a superduperfan. I was mostly referring to this guy who was criticizing others who do not own his music but were mourning his loss. As if they couldnt be sad.  I do not see where you did that at all.  If you did, I didnt see it!

[Jane2]

But I wasn't replying to you at all. It was to broadway girl, who is known as girly !

[Petralicious]

Lol ok jane. Too funny. , I almost just peed myself 

[sabrelady]

updated:

By: Amy Forliti The Associated Press, Jeff Baenen The Associated Press, Published on Fri Apr 22 2016

MINNEAPOLIS—There were no signs of trauma on Prince’s body and police don’t believe that he committed suicide, an autopsy report reveals.

“We have no reason to believe at this point in the investigation that this was a suicide,” said Carver County sheriff Jim Olson, in a press conference.

Olson said the police who first arrived at the scene carried Naloxone, which can prevent opiate overdoses, but did not administer it.

Olson’s office, which is in charge of investigating the late musician’s death, received a call from Prince’s staff Thursday morning that they had found the musician in an elevator on his compound in Minneapolis, Minn., and that he was unresponsive. First responders performed CPR, but declared him dead at 10:07 a.m.

Olson said his team is treating this as a criminal investigation, a standard procedure given that there were no witnesses to his death. The full results of the autopsy, including the toxicology report, are not expected for a few weeks.

“In life, he was a private person. We’re going to continue to respect his privacy and his dignity, and we hope you will do as well,” Olson said.

 

Guests dance to Prince music as a slide show flashes images of the artist above the stage during a memorial dance party at the First Avenue nightclub on April 21.

The autopsy began Friday to determine what caused the death of the iconic musician Prince, although officials said it could take days or even weeks before results are publicly released.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office was handling the autopsy, but the agency doesn’t plan to release any preliminary information, agency spokeswoman Martha Weaver said Friday. She said it could take several days or even weeks for tests to be completed and the office will wait to release findings until all the information is in.

Prince had cancelled concerts in Atlanta because he wasn’t feeling well. He performed a makeup concert Apr. 14 in that city, apologizing to the crowd shortly after coming on stage for the earlier cancellation.

While talking to the crowd between songs, he joked about having been “under the weather,” giving a slight smile. His voice seemed a bit weak at times when he spoke, but he sounded fine when singing during the 80-minute show, which featured “Nothing Compares 2 U” and his finale, “Baby, I’m A Star.”

He sat at his piano for most of the show, but stood up at times to pound the keys and walked around the piano a couple of times, soaking up cheers.

Prince had struggled with hip problems and childhood epilepsy. His former percussionist, Sheila E., told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday that Prince damaged his hips while performing, saying he jumped off risers while wearing high heels during his “Purple Rain” days and that “it damaged parts of his body.” Prince was seen in recent years using a cane.

Prince revealed in a 2009 interview with Tavis Smiley that he was “born epileptic” and had seizures when he was young. It’s unclear if his epilepsy carried into adulthood.

Prince, a Jehovah’s Witness, had a reputation for clean living. In 2009, he told an interviewer with the Los Angeles Times that he didn’t do drugs “or I’d give you a joint” to share while they listened to music.

After the Atlanta performance, Prince hosted a dance party on Apr. 16 at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota.

Jeremiah Freed, who runs the website drfunkenberry.com and who got to know Prince after writing about him over the years, said he last saw Prince at the dance party. Freed said he believed Prince held the party to show everyone he was fine.

Freed said Prince made a brief appearance but that he didn’t have one-on-one time with the musician that night. Freed said the artist showed off a new purple piano he had received as a gift, as well as a purple guitar, but seemed upset about the reports of an illness.

“When he had to talk about the stories going on, he didn’t seem too pleased. It was kind of like, ‘I’m here. I’m good,’” Freed said, adding that Prince told the crowd: “Just wait a few days before saying your prayers.”

Lars Larson, a 37-year-old Minneapolis man who worked security for Prince and at Paisley Park events for about six years, said he attended the same party. Larson said the singer briefly appeared on stage and spoke to the crowd before standing by the sound board for 20 minutes then disappearing for the night.

“He seemed great. He looked like Prince,” he said. “The whole point of the show on Saturday was to show he was doing all right.”

—with files from Robin Levinson King

[madbrian]

Tonight's SNL will be a tribute to Prince.