http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/prince-dead-dies_us_57190013e4b0c9244a7b2a5b
Some sites reporting it may not be him.
Some sites reporting it may not be him.
Actually, it was well publicized on the Steve Hoffman music forums, and it seemed from what was posted and linked to that it was an initial scare but then nothing more than the flu. It's hard to say that his passing was related to this, but given the timing, it's hard to wonder how it could not be. Perhaps the flu morphed into pneumonia, but the timing seems too quick. Whenever a star musician dies, there's apt to be speculation regarding substance abuse, etc., but Prince always struck me as someone who really had his act together. He strikes me as someone who was extremely focused on his craft and not really the archetypal rock star type (from a partying perspective). I'm not a fan and many of you know that, but to lose such a big star and consummate musician at 57 is a tough pill to swallow. Then again, we've lost many in their 20s and 30s - sometimes because of lifestyle choices and sometimes because of air disasters. In any case, a big RIP is in order, and I don't usually pop in just to post RIP on these sorts of threads.Not completely shocking to me if only because he was in the news last week because of his health. His plane was forced to land in the Quad Cities area (a delightful cultural oasis on the border of Illinois/Iowa). He was treated for the flu and then was released shortly afterward. That story probably didn't get much coverage outside the Midwest.