Final Years
In 2016, Prince had to cancel a few shows due to illness, in particular influenza. It was during this same time that Prince began to experience dizziness and, at one point, passed out while aboard his private airplane. The airplane had to make an emergency landing and he was hospitalized treated with Narcan. Narcan is a medication that is use to block the effects of opioids, and is given to patients that have abused prescription medicine, which Prince was involved with in 2016. Even with influenza and addiction to medicine, Prince reassured everyone that he was feeling fine. However, on April 20th, Prince was asked to seek medical help for his addiction in prescription medicine and Dr. Howard Kornfield, a specialist in this field, was called to intervene. On April 21st, Dr. Kornfield's son had flown in to meet with Prince early and begin to develop a treatment plan for him. However, at the time of his arrival, Prince had already overdosed and was unconscious. Dr. Kornfield's son called 911 but by the time emergency responders showed up, Prince had passed away. It was diagnosed as an accidental overdose. Prince was 57 years old.
There is currently an investigation looking into how Prince acquired these medications, whether they were prescribed for him or purchased illegally. Prince was cremated and his remains are located at his Paisley Park estate that has become a museum celebrating the life and music of Prince.
Many mourned Prince's premature death. Cities across the globe held vigils and lighted bridges and building purple in response to Prince's death. MTV played a marathon of Prince videos, cinemas across the US showed Purple Rain, and the Billboards had five Prince albums in the top ten, the first time in Billboard history to have five albums in the top ten by one artist. Prince's influence can be seen in so many artists ranging in many different styles. For example, Portland's own Esperanza Spalding, a jazz bassist and vocalist that grew up in Portland, cites Prince as one of her main inspirations. Prince's tireless approach to composing, recording, producing, and touring has enlightened the world with an enormous catalog of great music and a work ethic that makes even the hardest working people seem lazy. Our worlds today have been greatly enriched with Prince and his contributions to music and entertainment.
