PRINCE dead at 57!

Music Legend. Icon. The artist known as Prince has died ... The insiders has learned. He was 57. 

Prince, who defined the sound of the '80s with songs such as "Kiss" and "Purple Rain" and defied the music industry in a fight for creative freedom, died Thursday.

 The 57-year-old singer was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said. 

 

"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," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. " 'A strong spirit transcends rules,' Prince once said -- and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative."

Kaleena Zanders cried in the car as she drove to Amoeba Music in Los Angeles on Thursday. She spent $173 on Prince-related items at the store, including a vinyl edition of Prince's iconic album "Purple Rain." 

 

"Prince means the future, because he's changed music, everyone in music, he's influenced every person," she said, "and I believe that he represents our future, and it kind of died with him in a way."

Paramedics tried to perform CPR but were unable to revive him, the sheriff said. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m., less than 30 minutes after sheriff's deputies responded to a medical call at the scene.

 

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, Olson said. An autopsy is scheduled to take place Friday.

Prince's publicist confirmed his death but didn't provide details about the possible cause or who was with the musician.

"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning," publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said.

 

"The person is dead here. ... And the people are just distraught," the man said as he struggled to find an address to give the dispatcher.

The person who died, deputies soon discovered, was Prince. Authorities haven't identified who made the call to 911 or details about the circumstances surrounding the call.

Prince's body was discovered at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota early Thursday morning.
Multiple sources connected to the singer confirmed he had passed. We've obtained the emergency dispatch call for a "male down, not breathing."

The singer -- full name Prince Rogers Nelson -- had a medical emergency on April 15th that forced his private jet to make an emergency landing in Illinois. But he appeared at the concert  the next day to assure his fans he was okay. His people told TMZ he was battling the flu.
Prior to his most recent appearance however, Prince had cancelled two shows due to health concerns. 
Prince became an international superstar in 1982 after his breakthrough album "1999." 

He went on to churn out a ton of hits -- and racking up 7 Grammys in the process. He also performed at the Super Bowl in 2007 ... in one of the greatest live performances of all time. 
He also sold more than 100 million records during his career ... and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain in 1985. 

Prince was married two times -- the first time to his backup dancer Mayte Garcia. They split in 2000. He then married Manuela Testolini ... but they split in 2006.  
He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and performed a legendary version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to close the ceremony.

Prince hit up a local pharmacy hours before he died -- the 4th time he visited this week -- indicating his health was far worse than the simple flu.  
TMZ obtained this photo of Prince leaving a Walgreens near his home in Minnesota Wednesday night at around 7 PM.
Our sources tell us Prince had frequented the Walgreens for years -- but last night, people at the store were concerned because he looked much more frail and nervous than usual.  
As we previously reported, Prince's team told the media he was suffering from the flu. It seemed odd, because his private jet had to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois last Friday, just 48 minutes from his home. 

 

Prince was hospitalized. but was discharged after only a few hours. Our sources in Moline told us at the time they felt Prince left the hospital way too soon because he was "not doing well" and needed further medical care.
On Saturday, the day after he was released from the hospital, Prince took the stage at a dance party near his home and curiously said, "Wait a few days before you waste any prayers."  
 Prince died Thursday morning. Officials are investigating the cause of death.