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Prince's body to be released to family after post-mortem

A post-mortem examination will take place to determine what caused the death of po...
Newstalk
Newstalk

06.42 22 Apr 2016


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Prince's body to be re...

Prince's body to be released to family after post-mortem

Newstalk
Newstalk

06.42 22 Apr 2016


Share this article


A post-mortem examination will take place to determine what caused the death of pop superstar Prince.

It follows reports on US celebrity website TMZ that the 57-year-old underwent treatment for a drug overdose just days before his passing.

Quoting multiple sources, the website says Prince left hospital against the advice of doctors.

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The musician's body will be released to his family later today - following a post mortem examination.

It's thought the results will take several days, and it could be weeks before we hear about the toxicology scan.

The singer was pronounced dead in his Minnesota home yesterday, after being found unresponsive and alone in an elevator at his complex in Paisley Park, Minnesota, on Thursday.

The emergency services attempted CPR on arrival but could not revive the singer-songwriter.

As tributes flooded in from the likes of Madonna and Barack Obama, shocked fans have laid bouquets and purple balloons outside his home.

Prince's passing has stunned the music industry - dominating the world's newspapers and prompting other artists to pay tribute.

Jennifer Hudson and stars of Broadway's 'The Color Purple' performed a rendition of Purple Rain on Thursday night and posted a video online.

Hundreds of people braved the rain to mourn and celebrate the life and work of the music icon - and his sister, Tyka Nelson, came outside to tell the crowd: "He loved all of you. Thank you for loving him back".

An all-night dance party was held in Prince's honour at the Minneapolis nightclub where he filmed Purple Rain.

In New York, roughly 1,000 people attended an impromptu street party organised by Spike Lee - wearing purple and dancing along as Prince's music played from loudspeakers.

NASA also paid this tribute to the singer:

A transcript has emerged of the frantic 911 call made by someone inside the superstar's compound, in which they said: "The person is dead here - and the people are distraught".

When asked by an operator for the address, the caller appeared confused and said: "Um, we're at Prince's house".

Barely a week before his unexpected death, Prince had become unwell during a flight and his private jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois.

He is understood to have spent a few hours in a hospital in Moline before leaving and returning to his home.

Footage has emerged from what is believed to be the singer-songwriter's final show in Atlanta, Georgia, where he performed Purple Rain as the finale.

He had cancelled two shows in the city because of ill health in the run up to his death.

No foul play suspected

Medical examiners have received Prince's body and plan to perform a post-mortem examination later.

It could take days before medical examiners have preliminary findings, and weeks for toxicology results.

Officials at the Carver County Sheriff's Office are investigating the circumstances of his death, and say foul play "is neither suspected nor not suspected".

His first wife, Mayte Garcia, told People magazine Prince was her "everything".

They were married in 1996, and in that year, they lost their son a week after he was born with a rare genetic disorder.

"I loved him then, I love him now and will love him eternally. He's with our son now," she added.

Those gathered outside his home in Minnesota are not just celebrating a global pop icon, but remembering a neighbour.

Chris Spiegel, who attended one of the intimate performances Prince regularly performed at Paisley Park, said: "We were in there and he performed until 3am, it was so special. He shook my hand".

"It's just very sad that he's gone. We were very proud of him".


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