Prince (musician)

Prince
Prince performing during the Nude Tour in Tokyo, Japan, in 1990
Born	Prince Rogers Nelson (1958-06-07)June 7, 1958 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	April 21, 2016(2016-04-21) (aged 57) Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S
Cause of death	Accidental fentanyl and opioid intoxication
Resting place	Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.
Other names	The Artist (Formerly Known as Prince) (TAFKAP) Camille The Kid Joey Coco Jamie Starr Christopher Tracy Prince Rogers
Occupations	Singer songwriter dancer musician
Years active	1975–2016
Spouse(s)	Mayte Garcia (m. 1996–1999, divorced) Manuela Testolini (m. 2001–2006, divorced)
Children	1 (deceased)
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop funk classical jazz rock soul new wave new jack swing
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, tambourine, sitar, synthesizers, drums, oud, finger cymbals, timpani, violin, viola, tenor violin, cello, cellone, double bass, concert harp, vibraphone, marimba, B-flat trumpet, accordion, koto, concert flute, B-flat soprano clarinet, E-flat alto saxophone, B-flat tenor saxophone, E-flat alto sarrusophone, B-flat tenor sarrusophone, harmonica, drum machines
Labels	Warner Bros., Paisley Park, NPG, EMI, Columbia, Arista
Website	artofficialage.com

Prince Rogers Nelson (better known as Prince) (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He was known for blending erotic lyrics with R&B, funk rock and technology. He had ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career.^[1] His releases have sold over 350 million copies worldwide.^[2] From 1993 to 2000, Prince changed his name to a glyph. Since this symbol was impossible to pronounce, people began calling them "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince."

In addition to his own musical career, he was a "talent promoter" for the careers of Sheila E., Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6.^[1]

Prince has sold over 400 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.^[3] He won seven Grammy Awards,^[4] a Golden Globe Award,^[5] and an Academy Award.^[6][7] Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[8] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. This was the first year he was eligible.^[9]

On April 21, 2016, Prince died of a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota at the age of 57.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Larson, Tom (2004). History of Rock and Roll, Thomas Larsen, page 243. Kendall Hunt. ISBN 978-0-7872-9969-9. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
2. ↑ "Newspaper gives away Prince CDs". BBC news. 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
3. ↑ Misani (April 12, 2011). "Prince brings early Valentine's Day gift to NYC". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
4. ↑ "Grammy search database". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
5. ↑ "Golden Globe Awards". goldenglobes.org. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
6. ↑ "Nominees & Winners for the 57th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
7. ↑ "Tavis Smiley". pbs.org. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
8. ↑ Thompson, Ahmir (March 24, 2004). "100 Greatest Artists". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
9. ↑ "Tavis Smiley". pbs.org. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2017.