Legendary musician and megawatt star Prince dies (again) at 57

Last edited Tue Apr 21, 2026, 07:53 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/April-21/music-legend-prince-dies?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2026-0421-04212026&om_rid=

On the morning of April 21, 2016, Prince, the virtuosic musician who created more than 30 albums and won seven Grammy Awards over a 40-year career, is found dead in Paisley Park, his Minnesota home and recording studio. The cause of death was an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl. He was 57 years old.

In the hours and days after the news broke, fans around the world mourned his death with massive memorials. In a statement, President Obama said, “Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent.”

Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, to musicians Mattie Shaw and John Nelson. As a teenager, Prince played in bands with his friends. In 1978, when he was 20, he signed his first record contract with Warner Bros., and that same year released his debut album, For You. Nearly every year after that he released a new album.

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