Pop star Prince has died aged 57 from unknown causes at his Paisley Park studio home in Minnesota, USA.
Prince was in hospital in Moline, Illinois, at the weekend, after his private jet made a surprise landing.
He was suffering from a severe bout of flu, according to a statement.
Prince – born Prince Rogers Nelson – was one of the world’s leading pop stars, emerging in the late 1970s.
Not only did he write and perform a string of flamboyant hits for himself, but he also handed legendary songs to other performs, such as Nothing Compares 2U to Sinead O’Connor, U Got The Look with Sheena Easton and Magic Monday for The Bangles.
Giant on stage
With his band The Revolution, Prince was a production line for classic hits that fused funk, R&B, jazz and pop, including Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, 1999, Raspberry Beret and When Doves Cry.
Diminutive in stature at just 5 feet 2 inches tall, Prince was a giant on stage where he was a mesmerising performer.
Always enigmatic and reclusive, in 1993 Prince changed his name to a symbol after a row over the terms of his recording contract with record company Warner Brothers.
He was known as ‘the symbol’ or ‘the artist formerly known as Prince’ for seven years, until his warner contract ended.
Prince returned as himself working as hard as ever, releasing new material and collaborating with Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Erykah Badu.
Best guitarist in the world
After the confirmation of his death, tributes poured in from the world of music.
Eric Clapton commented: “I was asked what it was like to be the world’s greatest guitarist. I said I don’t know. Ask Prince.”
For someone living such a public life as a pop star selling more than 100 million albums, Prince was coy about his private life, but unsurprisingly he was romantically linked to a host of stars.
He married his backing singer Mayte Garcia in 1996. They had a soon who tragically died from illness within a week of his birth later in the year. The couple divorced in 1999.
In 2001, Prince married Manuela Testolini. She filed for divorce in 2006.
His last performance was at a concert in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 16, 2016, a day after he was treated at the hospital in Moline.
He died on April 21, 2016.