Though Prince had performed regularly the past few years, he had reportedly canceled a few recent shows due to illness. His representatives told press at the time that the singer was battling the flu.
Prince, full name Prince Rogers Nelson, leaves behind a vast musical legacy. His albums in the '80s frequently went platinum, and the 1984 landmark soundtrack record Purple Rain sold more than 22 million copies.
Prince last played Phoenix in 2013. Though capable of selling out stadiums and headlining festivals, he instead played at the relatively small Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Tickets might have been almost $300, but the show remains permanently etched in the minds of those in attendance. New Times sent Melissa Fossum to document the event. Though he was in his 50s, the singer hadn't lost his ability to work a crowd:
Ladies screamed as Prince sang about girls getting tangled up in his curly hair during a guitar-driven, "She's Always in my Hair." Prince's sex appeal was a little too much for some folks to handle; at this point an older couple began grinding and grabbing each other's asses.
There is no word yet as to the cause of death.
