Singer, Songwriter Musician, Prince Has Died at Age 57

According to TMZ, the artist known as Prince has passed away at age 57. The singer's body was discovered at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota early this morning.

On Friday, April 15th, Prince's private jet was forced to land in Illinois for a medical emergency, however he went on to appear at his concert the following day and assured fans he was doing well. TMZ was told he was battling the flu.

Recently, Prince cancelled two concerts citing health reasons.

The Recording Academy's President/CEO Neil Portnow just released the following statement on his passing: "Our GRAMMY family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of seven-time GRAMMY Award winner Prince. Today, we remember and celebrate him as one of the most uniquely gifted artists of all time. Never one to conform, he redefined and forever changed our musical landscape. Prince was an original who influenced so many, and his legacy will live on forever. We have lost a true innovator and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends, collaborators, and all who have been impacted by his incredible work."

Prince Rogers Nelson, known by his mononym Prince, was renowned as an innovator and was widely known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, and wide vocal range.

He released his debut album For You in 1978. His 1979 album Prince went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover". His next three records-Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982)-continued his success. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as The Revolution and released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name. A prolific songwriter, Prince in the 1980s wrote songs for and produced work by many other acts, often under pseudonyms.

After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), The Revolution disbanded and Prince released the critically acclaimed double album Sign "O" the Times (1987) as a solo artist. He released three more solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. He changed his stage name in 1993 to an unpronounceable symbol also known as the "Love Symbol". He then began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations to Warner Bros.; he released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2000, he began referring to himself as "Prince" again. He has released 15 albums since then, including his latest, HITnRUN Phase One, which was first released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on September 7, 2015 before being released on CD on September 15, 2015 by NPG Records.

Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has won seven Grammy Awards,[8] a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone has ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of THE 100 Greatest Artists of All Time