Music Icon and Animal Rights Activist Prince Dies at Age 57

Legendary musician Prince Rogers Nelson died Thursday, April 21.

According to The Independent, Entertainment website TMZ was the first to report his death. The news was confirmed by the artist's publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure.

"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 at the age of 57," she said in a statement. In an interview with CNN, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said the 57-year-old ‘80s pop icon was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

"Paramedics tried to perform CPR but were unable to revive him," the sheriff told CNN. "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."

While the cause of death has not been announced, Forbes suspects that Prince may have died of flu.

"...The artist had been battling the flu since at least April 7, his representatives confirmed to several media outlets, when he canceled two shows in Atlanta on his A Piano and A Microphone tour," the article published Thursday notes.

In another article, Associated Press also mention that his death comes days after his flight had to make an emergency landing at Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois where he was treated at a medical center, suffering from "bad dehydration."

A transcript bearing a 911 call by an unidentified person was released. The call informed 911 about finding Prince unconscious at around 9:43 a.m.

Joe Coscarelli of The New York Times shared a photo bearing an official statement released by the Carver County Sheriff's Office saying Prince was pronounced dead following CPR attempts on the scene at 10:07 a.m.

An autopsy is scheduled to take place Friday.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has released an official statement about the icon's death.

Born in June 1958, Prince became one of pop music's leading stars in the 1980s. His 1984 semi-autobiographical rock musical drama film "Purple Rain" catapulted him into the pop stratosphere. The film won the now-defunct Best Original Song Score award at the Oscars and the album was his best-selling one, amassing sales of over 25 million copies, AP notes.

Aside from being a profound songwriter and great singer, he is also a multi-instrumentalist who started playing the piano by age seven, guitar and drums at 14, without ever receiving proper lessons.

Bringing R&B and rock together, Prince released his debut studio LP titled For You in 1978,followed by his 1979 namesake album. In 1986, his song "Kiss" from Parade album became the anthem of the people. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

CNBC reports that just last month, Prince announced on stage in New York City that he was writing his memoir. Titled "The Beautiful Ones," it was supposed to be out in the fall of 2017.