The music world has lost an icon.
Prince was found dead Thursday morning in his suburban Minneapolis home according to his publicist. He was 57.
The singer, songwriter and instrumentalist transcended music genres and brought a fresh take on funk, rock and R&B with hits such as “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry.”
Prince broke into the music world in the1970s with hits like “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and soared to iconic status.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, the musician stood just 5 feet, 2 inches tall, but loomed large with fans. His guitar playing, falsetto singing, dancing and flamboyant style made him an original.
In addition to being an extraordinary artist, Prince was also a social trailblazer including holding a peace benefit concert last year to “help heal” the City of Baltimore.
Prince performed a protest song, titled “Baltimore,” which is critical of police brutality.
The song was inspired by the tragic death of an unarmed African-American man, Freddie Gray, who sustained fatal injuries while in the custody of Baltimore police officers. Gray’s death led to protests and riots in Baltimore and the eventual arrests of six city police officers.
At the concert, Prince made brief remarks from the stage, telling the crowd: “The system is broken. It’s going to take the young people to fix it this time. We need new ideas, new life … The next time I come to Baltimore I want to stay in a hotel by you.”
Prince showed he was not afraid to speak out when he challenged Warner Bros. record company over control of his material and even his name. Prince once wrote “slave” on his face in protest of not owning his work during a legal battle. He departed the label, changed his name to a symbol before he returned to Warnes Bros. a few years ago.
In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“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,” reads the Hall’s dedication.
Whether through his music or his outspokenness on creative control or social issues, Prince made an extraordinary contribution to society.
Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune
Guest Editorial…Doves certainly crying with Prince's passing
In this Feb. 4, 2007 file photo, Prince performs during the halftime show at the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Prince, widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era with hits including "Little Red Corvette," ''Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry," was found dead at his home on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)