Healthy in his habits, tireless at work and an energetic creator who friends said avoided alcohol and drugs. Prince’s death has left investigators piecing together his final hours and mourners grappling with how the musician’s life could have come to such a sudden end.
On Saturday Prince was cremated and a group of his “most beloved” family, friends and musicians celebrated him afterwards in a small, private service, his publicist said on Saturday.
Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement that the 57-year-old music superstar’s family and friends gathered “in a private, beautiful ceremony” to say a loving goodbye.
The statement did not say where the service was held, but friends such as percussionist Sheila E and bassist Larry Graham were both seen on Saturday entering Prince’s suburban Minneapolis estate, Paisley Park.
Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson and brother-in-law Maurice Phillips also were seen on the grounds, as were catering trucks.
Hundreds of fans were gathered outside the estate, where a security fence was covered with purple balloons, flowers, signs and more honouring Prince. The musician lived and recorded at the compound.
The publicist’s brief statement repeated that the cause of Prince’s death was unknown, and said autopsy results wouldn’t be received for at least four weeks.
The statement said the “final storage” of Prince’s remains would be private.
“We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time,” the statement said.
It said a “musical celebration” would be held at a future date.
An autopsy was conducted on Friday before the body of the musical legend was released to his family. Authorities said results including toxicology analysis could be weeks away.
Addressing the media following Friday’s postmortem examination, Sheriff Jim Olson of Carver county said investigators found no indication of suicide and there were no immediate signs of trauma. Investigators were reviewing Prince’s medical history, including previous hospitalization and pharmaceutical records, Olson said.
Speculation surrounding Prince’s death has centered on a sudden cancellation of shows and a medical emergency on Prince’s private jet last week, en route to Minneapolis. An unconfirmed report from celebrity news site TMZ said the musician overdosed on a painkiller, prompting the flight’s diversion just an hour outside of his hometown. Olson and a public information officer for the medical examiner declined to comment on the incident.
New details emerged on Friday, however, about the hours leading up to the discovery of Prince’s body in an elevator shaft at Paisley Park, his residential compound located in the city of Chanhassen, about 20 miles from Minneapolis.
The last time Prince was seen alive was around 8pm Wednesday, when he was dropped off at Paisley Park by an acquaintance, Olson said. Prince is believed to have been alone throughout the night, he added. When Paisley Park staffers couldn’t contact him early on Thursday, they went to the compound and found him unresponsive in an elevator on the first floor.
For those who caught a glimpse of Prince in recent days, his unexpected death was made even more jarring. On Tuesday, he attended a show at the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis, a venue he frequented enough to have a private table on the second floor, in a section that would be cordoned off by a curtain – a testament to his assiduous privacy.
Pickett said he recently told Prince how overjoyed he was to discover his poignant cover of a Joni Mitchell song, A Case of You. “I told him … how much we loved finding this song at home this winter and how beautiful important to him to do justice to Joni Mitchell.”
Dakota employees who saw Prince at the show on Tuesday said nothing appeared out of the ordinary with the superstar. He came and went as he always had before: through a side door and up the stairs to his table. On Thursday, a placard that read “Rest In Peace Prince” was placed on that table along with a purple orchid.
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