Good night, sweet Prince

World renowned musician, Prince Rogers Nelson, commonly known as Prince passed away on April 21, 2016 at 57 years old. Prince was found dead in his Paisley Park Records studio around 9:30 a.m., less than a week after his most recent show.

“Personally, I wasn’t a super-fan of Prince,” junior Brooke Sterling said. “But when someone that made a huge impact on music passes, it’s always upsetting.”

Known for his flamboyant personality and unique sound, Prince established and developed Minneapolis sound– a synthesis of many genres of music including funk, rock, pop, synthpop and New Wave. His musical genius gave birth to an entire genre of music and significantly established Minnesota’s reputation as a home to original music.

“I saw him perform in the 2006 Super Bowl,” senior Nathan Wasserman said. “He was a really good performer. Some people consider him to be the best Super Bowl halftime show of all time.”

Throughout his career, Prince earned 32 Grammy nominations, winning seven over his 41-year music career. Topping the charts with iconic songs such as “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” alongside albums including “Purple Rain,” “Signs o’ the Times” and “Diamonds and Pearls,” Prince was often regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 1980s.

Prince advocated for her artists’ rights by legally changing his name to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince in 1993, as a way to reestablish his identity and to spite his record company for restricting his rights as an artist.