Fans Gather at Prince’s Home One Year After His Death

Fans are marking the anniversary of U.S. musician Prince’s sudden death from an accidental drug overdose with visits to his Paisley Park home, which has been turned into a museum.

The museum is hosting a four-day event that includes concert performances by Prince’s former band-mates and panel discussions.

It was a year ago Friday that the pop legend was found dead at Paisley Park, a recording complex outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Prince lived and created his music.

Fans come to grieve

Fans who came to the complex Friday included Mary Adams, who drove six hours from Kansas City, Missouri, with her 10-year-old daughter.

“I needed to come here. This is where it began. I needed to pay homage to the star,” she said.

Adams said Prince had a profound impact on her life.

“Prince is the person that helped me decide that is was OK to be me, because that’s who he was. And he did it his way, his music, his style,” she added.

Minneapolis landmarks in purple

Fans are also holding a street party Saturday outside First Avenue, the club Prince made famous in Purple Rain, the title track of his breakthrough 1984 album and movie.

Landmarks around Minneapolis are being lighted in purple for two nights in tribute to Prince, while the Minnesota History Center is holding a special exhibit of Prince memorabilia.

The anniversary was supposed to be celebrated by the release of new Prince music. However, a Minnesota district court this week issued a temporary injunction barring the release of the six-song EP Deliverance after Prince’s estate filed a lawsuit claiming the works were stolen by his former sound engineer.

Prince’s commercial legacy continues to be surrounded in controversy. The pop star died without a will or children, and dozens of people came forward after his death, claiming they were heirs.

Musical legacy

Prince died at 57 from an accidental overdose of powerful painkillers he was secretly using to ease the pain of hip surgery.

Prince was 19 when he released his first album, For You, in 1978. In the decades that followed, the multi-talented musician released 1999, Little Red Corvette and Purple Rain.

He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammys and picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song score for Purple Rain. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Rhonda Soso said Friday that she came from California to Paisley Park “just to be a part of the purple family, the purple army, just be a part of just his spirit, just his energy.”

“It’s just still so difficult accepting that he’s no longer here,” she added.

(Photo courtesy of Bobak Ha'Eri.)

Music Fans Around the World Mourn Prince

Fans Around the World Mourn Music Icon Prince

As fans worldwide lamented the loss of “a creative icon,” as U.S. President Barack Obama called Prince in a statement about the legendary musician's death, medical examiners warned that results of Friday’s autopsy might not be made public for weeks.

Obama said he listened to Prince's songs “Purple Rain” and “Delirious” on Friday morning at the U.S. ambassador's residence in London, where he is staying. He called Prince's death "a remarkable loss" during a news conference in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"The doves are really crying now," American media mogul Oprah Winfrey said about the death of Prince, referencing his song “When Doves Cry.”

The 57-year-old artist died Thursday morning at his home outside the northern U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson told reporters during a news conference Friday that there were no obvious signs of trauma on Prince's body and there was no reason to suspect suicide in the musician's death.

Olson said that following the death, police issued a search warrant for Prince's home and canvassed the scene, which he said was normal procedure. Olson said he could not comment on whether police took any items out of Prince's home.

Sheriff's officials say deputies found music superstar Prince unresponsive in an elevator after they were summoned to the Paisley Park Studios complex where he lived. He was pronounced dead after their attempts to revive him failed.

The local medical examiner's office said Friday that preliminary results of the autopsy will take days and the results of a full toxicology scan could be weeks.

A spokeswoman at the medical examiner's office told reporters Friday that the chief medical officer was at the scene of Prince's death for several hours. She said the officer performed a full autopsy Friday, then released Prince's body to his family.

911 call

Prince was hospitalized last week. His private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois following concerts in Georgia. No details were released at the time regarding his health.

An unidentified male who called the 911 operator to get emergency help for Prince did not know the address of the musician's home, according to a transcript of the conversation. He said "We're at Prince's house. ... And the people are just distraught."

A day after Prince's death, a steady stream of people filed past his home, leaving flowers and cards.

Huge loss

Prince was not a stage name. He was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis.

"For the residents of Minneapolis, the loss of Prince is too large to describe," Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges said in a statement. "He was one of us. He gave us more opportunities to hear his music than anyone else. What a blessing. Only now may we realize how lucky we were."

‘Peerless’ talent

Prince was just 19 when he released his first album, For You, in 1978. In the decades that followed, the multi-talented musician released “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Purple Rain,” the title track of his breakthrough 1984 album and movie.

He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammys and picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song score for “Purple Rain.”

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

"He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting edge music in the '80s," said a posting on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website. "Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone."

Clive Davis, chief creative officer at Sony Music said, "Prince was peerless as a musician, performer and songwriter. ... To know Prince personally was to know someone kind and gentle, phenomenally brilliant and intellectually curious, with every bone in his body loving music."

New York tribute

About a thousand people sang and danced to Prince's music Thursday night outside filmmaker Spike Lee's headquarters in Brooklyn at an impromptu street party to honor Prince. Lee said simply, "I miss my brother. Prince was a funny cat."

"And just like that ... the world lost a lot of magic. Rest in peace, Prince! Thanks for giving us so much," said pop singer Katy Perry.

Rapper MC Hammer wrote, "I loved this man. Too soon. Can't comprehend it but it's unfortunately true. Heaven is yours. RIP #Prince #RIPPrince."

"Today is the worst day ever. Prince, R.I.P., I am crying!" said British singer Boy George.

Sales of Prince's music have soared since news broke of the pop star's death.

(Photo by Yves Lorson: Prince in Belgium, 1986.)

American Music Legend Prince Dead at 57

American pop icon Prince has died at the age of 57.

Media reports said he was found dead early Thursday at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Details have not been released.

​​Born Prince Rogers Nelson, the multi-talented and influential musician is known for such songs as "1999," "Little Red Corvette," and "Purple Rain," the title track of his breakthrough 1984 album and movie.

He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammys and picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song score for "Purple Rain."

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. 

"He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties," said a posting on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website. "Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone."

Musicians, artists and fans took to Twitter express their shock and sadness at the news of Prince's death. "Numb. Stunned. This can't be real," Pop star Justin Timberlake wrote. 

Televison footage has been showing a small group of fans gathering outside his Paisley Park studio.

Who was Prince?

Born: Prince Rogers Nelson, named after Prince Roger Trio, a jazz band his father performed with

When: June 7, 1958

Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Died: April 21, at his home in Paisley Park, a Minneapolis suburb

Aliases: Briefly used others names, including an unpronounceable symbol O(+>, which led to him often being referred to as "the artist formerly known as Prince"

Debut album: For You, 1978

Several hit albums and songs, including: albums 1999 and Purple Rain, which was later made into a movie, Sign O' the Times, The Black Album; songs Little Red Corvette, Kiss, Raspberry Beret, Emancipation and When Doves Cry

Career: Sold more than 100 million records, won seven Grammy awards, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, performed during 2007 Super Bowl XLI halftime show

Known for: His songs and albums often created controversy for their sexually charged lyrics

Photo by Penner: Prince at Coachella 2008