Fans, celebs, politicians share sentiments and pay tribute to Prince's death
Prince, whose real name is Prince Rogers Nelson, was 57 years old when he was proclaimed dead in the morning of Thursday, April 21. Fans, celebrities, and even politicians have all been shocked by the music icon's sudden death.
On the popular social media site Facebook, there were 25 million people who had 61 million interactions related to Prince's legacy in the first five hours of his death, a report from Reuters cites a Facebook spokesperson. Meanwhile, on another social media site Twitter, more than six million tweets paid tribute to the musician. This led to "Prince" becoming the top-trending term worldwide shortly after news of his death was reported.
Among those who posted their sentiments on social media were celebrities and politicians. All were shocked and saddened by the news of his death and everyone shared how Prince touched their lives.
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The Minnesota Vikings National Football League team, which Prince had recorded a song ("Purple and Gold") about in 2010, said on Twitter, "We've lost a legend way too soon." Minnesota politicians mourned the state's beloved native as well.
But more than the tweets and posts on social media, fans' tribute to Prince in his home state of Minnesota involved dancing, wearing purple, and blasting their speakers with his songs. CNN reports that Minnesotans wore Prince gear and held impromptu dance parties to the tune of such hits as "Nothing Compares 2 u." The streets were reportedly lined with purple flowers, stuffed animals, and people wearing purple.
In Minneapolis, crowds of people from their 20s to their 80s gathered together, embraced, sang, and talked about Prince. First Avenue, a dance club in downtown Minneapolis featured in the film "Purple Rain," became a hotspot for Prince fans. Fans also flocked Paisley Park where his home and recording studio are located. They left Prince flowers and signs, with some even camping out.
Prince became famous in the late 1970s. He is attributed to pioneering "the Minneapolis sound," and the music industry was his battleground for his fight for creative freedom.
