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A 'Once In Forever Artist': Celebrities Pay Tribute To Prince

Filmmaker Spike Lee (right) talks with Prince during the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in 1998.
Tim Clary
/
AFP/Getty Images
Filmmaker Spike Lee (right) talks with Prince during the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in 1998.

Musician and performer Prince, whose work awed and inspired many other artists, has died at the age of 57.

Our story about his death is here.

The news has drawn shocked, sad reaction from the music industry and beyond, as celebrities express heartbreak and love for the singer on social media.

Here's a roundup of industry tributes, with musicians across genres saying that Prince was a powerful influence.

MTV and VH1, which both got their starts shortly after Prince rose to stardom, paid tribute to the artist.

Prince hailed from Minnesota, and baseball's Twins are honoring the "Purple Rain" singer by lighting up parts of the stadium in purple.

And Lupe Fiasco has asked fans to wear purple to his concert tonight in Minnesota.

Here is more acclaim from an array of figures, including President Obama.

Los Angeles based DJ and producer Anthony Valadez, who also hosts a weekly radio show on NPR member station KCRW, spoke to NPR and WBUR's Here & Now about what Prince meant to him.

"I couldn't wait to have my heart broken so that I could play 'Purple Rain,' " he said, citing one of the singer's most famous songs. "That's the kind of impact that he had."

Want to pay tribute to the Purple One yourself? Share your memories of Prince with All Songs Considered, right this way.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Merrit Kennedy is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She covers a broad range of issues, from the latest developments out of the Middle East to science research news.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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