Pop icon Prince dead at 57

Pop icon Prince — one of the most influential but elusive figures in music — died suddenly at his Minnesota compound Thursday. He was 57.

“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,” said his spokeswoman, Yvette Noel-Schure.

Noel-Schure did not offer further details. Local authorities outside Minneapolis said earlier in the day that they were investigating a death at Paisley Park, with local media showing images of emergency vehicles.

Last week, the pop legend was taken to a hospital after his private jet made an unscheduled landing.

But Prince was said to be suffering the flu and made light of the situation, later posting on Twitter about a local shop in Minneapolis for Record Store Day.

PLEASE SUPPORT UR LOCAL RECORD STORE 2DAY: (THROAT CLEARS 2 ATTRACT ATTENTION): ELECTRIC FETUS

— Prince (@prnlegacy) April 16, 2016

The singer became an international sensation in the 1980s, when he popularized the so-called “Minneapolis sound” of danceable funk. His 1984 album “Purple Rain” is often described as one of the greatest of all time.

He won seven Grammy Awards, and earned 30 nominations. He also won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film “Purple Rain.”

Prince changed his name in the 1990s to an unpronounceable “love symbol” and wrote “slave” on his cheek to protest contractual conditions by his label Warner.

Among his best-known songs are “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” “Cream” and “Kiss.”

There was a massive outpouring of grief on social media, with some saying that the icon’s death is what it sounds like when doves cry, referring to his massive hit of the same name.

https://twitter.com/WhoopiGoldberg/status/723202001589276672

Prince was recently prolific in his output, releasing albums through streaming site Tidal. He had taken to scheduling shows at the last minute to avoid scalpers.