Found slumped in a lift, not moving, not breathing, it was a tragic end to a vibrant life. But as doctors await Prince‘s autopsy results, his family, friends and fans are left asking what killed the pop superstar.
The 57-year-old music icon’s final weeks were plagued by sickness severe enough that he was forced to cancel concerts and appearances. A bad case of the flu, his management said.
Flu apparently bad enough to force an emergency landing of his plane.
The musician was on his way home to Minnesota on Friday 15 April, when with just 48 minutes of the journey remaining, his private jet was forced to land in Moline, Illinois, so that he could be rushed to hospital. Contradicting the “bad dehydration” line delivered by his staff, TMZ reported that he had been given a “save shot… typically administered to counteract the effects of an opiate”.
Their sources claimed that he had been told to stay in hospital for 24 hours, but checked out after just three as they couldn’t provide him with a private room.
“We’re told when Prince left he ‘was not doing well'”, wrote the site.
Yet that weekend, he was well enough to appear at a dance party at his Paisley Park estate. Hundreds of fans turned up, including one who told the New York Times that the star was in good spirits but appeared “a little more weak, a little more pale than when I had seen him before.”
Prince did not sing, but told the crowd he was fine. “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,” he said.
While famously private, Prince was a common sight on streets around his Minnesota home, apparently even so in the days prior to his death. “Prince was seen riding his bike, hosting a party and visiting a local record store and jazz club,” reported The New York Times.
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Their baby's name was Boy Gregory.