A post-mortem examination has taken place on the body of pop superstar Prince, who died after being found collapsed in a lift at his home in Minnesota. However, the results may not be released for several weeks.
The autopsy on Prince Rogers Nelson completed at 1:00 pm CDT. Results are pending. Body will be released to family. pic.twitter.com/mr5dzHO3WX
— Midwest Medical Exam (@MidwestMedExam) April 22, 2016
The 57-year-old singer, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, died at his Paisley Park home and studio complex on Thursday.
Paisley Park staff had been unable to contact Prince and went to the complex. When they found him unresponsive in the elevator they contacted emergency services.
Medical staff tried to revive the singer but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement on Thursday, the Carver County Sheriff's Office said it had responded to "a medical call at Paisley Park Studios".
"When deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male in the elevator," the statement continued. "First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR, but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced deceased at 10:07am."
The statement concluded that the circumstances surrounding Prince's death were being investigated.
BREAKING: Publicist: Pop music superstar Prince has died at his home in suburban Minneapolis.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 21, 2016
Celebrity gossip website TMZ, which first reported the news of Prince's death, said he was briefly hospitalised in Illinois last week for a flu emergency and was forced to cancel two shows as a result of the illness. At the time a representative for Prince assured fans he was feeling much better and was resting at home.
TEN looks back at Prince's career
Television pictures showed tearful fans gathering outside the singer's estate as news broke of his death.
Tributes pour in for 'greatest of all time'
A musical prodigy, Prince is said to have written his first song at the age of seven and famously wrote, arranged, produced and played almost all of his hit records. He became an international sensation in the 1980s, when he popularised the Minneapolis sound of danceable funk.
Tributes to the late singer Princehttps://t.co/tzlbMAlTO9
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 21, 2016
His 1984 album Purple Rain is often described as one of the greatest of all time, while hits such as When Doves Cry, Kiss, Little Red Corvette and 1999 are also considered modern classics.
His music career spanned more than three decades and he won seven Grammy Awards, sold more than 100 million records and won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain.
He also wrote a string of hits for other artists including Sinéad O'Connor's worldwide hit, Nothing Compares 2 U and Manic Monday for The Bangles. He also had a number of notable collaborations with singers such as Sheena Easton on U Got the Look.
He was famed for his onstage performances, in particular his virtuoso guitar playing and overtly sexual moves which mirrored the suggestive lyrics of his songs.
How Prince brought his Purple Reign to Ireland
The singer was also seen as an eccentric with a tendency towards bizarre career moves, such as changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the 1990s and was frequently referred to as 'The Artist Formerly Known As Prince'.
In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which hailed him as a musical and social trailblazer, saying he "rewrote the rulebook".
Last month it was announced that Prince was writing his memoir, which had the working title of The Beautiful Ones and was due to be published in autumn 2017.
For a look back at a gallery of Prince's career click here.
