Music & Culture

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

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.

I Miss My Brother. Prince Was A Funny Cat. Great Sense Of Humor.

A photo posted by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on

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 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.

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