Music Icon Prince Dead at 57

A reported by E! News                                                                                                                              

 "The music world has lost another legend.

World renowned pop artist Prince has died at age 57. The singer was found dead at his estate in Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota Thursday,

The Carver County Sheriffs Office told NBC police responded to a report of a fatality at the property.

Last weekend, Prince appeared at a Paisley Park dance party. Days earlier, he was hospitalized with the flu following an emergency plane landing in Moline, Illinois,TMZ and other outlets had reported. TMZ had also said the singer canceled two shows last week in Atlanta due to his illness. His reps have not commented. At the party, he reassured fans about his health status, saying, "Wait a few days before you waste any prayers," according to The New York Daily News.

REWIND: Prince's son dies of natural causes

Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson, the son of a pianist in a Minnesota jazz band, in 1958.

He rose to fame in the late '70s and was most popular in the '80s and early '90s, with hits such as "Little Red Corvette," "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," "Cream," "Diamonds and Pearls" and "Purple Rain." A 1984 album with the latter name remains one of the singer's most successful and inspired a rock musical film with the same title, in which Prince made his film debut.

The singer, who many saw as a rival to Michael Jackson during his prime years, last released new music in 2015—the album Hit n Run Phase Two. A year earlier, he dropped Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum, marking his first records released by Warner Bros. Records since he famously parted ways with the record company in the 1990s amid disagreements over his contract, namely with regard to ownership rights.

Before he left the label, Prince identified himself by a "love symbol" and was known as The Artist Formally Known as Prince. He also sported the word "Slave" on his face during concerts to signal his protest. He changed his name back to Prince in 2000."