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LOVED ONES CREMATED pop icon Prince yesterday with his final resting place to remain a secret, two days after his sudden death stunned the music world.
The 57-year-old Purple Rain creator, one of the most acclaimed and unique artists of his generation, will eventually be honoured with a concert, his spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman, Anna Meacham, said that Prince was cremated on Saturday and that his ashes’ “final storage will remain private.”
“Prince was celebrated by a small group of his most beloved: family, friends and his musicians, in a private, beautiful ceremony to say a loving goodbye,” she said in a statement, with a faint echo of the opening lines to Let’s Go Crazy.
An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration.
The pop legend, renowned for his stamina and prolific musical output, died suddenly Thursday at his Paisley Park estate near his birthplace of Minneapolis.
While the place of the cremation was unclear, the private service appeared to take place at Paisley Park which was full of commotion yesterday with around a dozen cars parked inside its gates in the suburb of Chanhassen.
Two staff members came out with a large vase of flowers in Prince’s signature purple, some of which they pulled out to give to fans who applauded in gratitude.
Maurice Phillips, Prince’s brother-in-law who is married to his sister Tyka, also took the time to come out to chat and take pictures with the fans.
Cause of death mysterious
The cause of Prince’s death remains a mystery.
The spokeswoman, in line with statements from authorities, said that at least four weeks would be needed for results of the autopsy conducted before the cremation.
Prince had been hospitalised a week earlier complaining of flu-like symptoms after his plane made an emergency landing on his way back from Atlanta where he performed what would be his final full-fledged concerts.
Authorities plan in the coming days to search Paisley Park — Prince’s sprawling headquarters that was home to a state-of-the-art studio and vaults of vast unreleased work.
But Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson told reporters Friday that the move was routine, with no indication of suicide or foul play.
The celebrity news site TMZ has reported that Prince’s earlier hospitalisation may have been triggered by an overdose of an opioid-based painkiller.
Prince was legendary for his marathon performances, which would often last until dawn, but had hip surgery several years ago and suffered epilepsy as a child.
Tributes pour in
Prince, despite his personal eccentricities, was widely hailed as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, creating a unique brand of danceable funk and mastering the guitar so extensively that he could play it behind his back or blindfolded.
Tributes have come from throughout the music world and beyond.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Friday came out to Let’s Go Crazy on a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, calling Prince “extraordinary” and an “American original.”
US President Barack Obama, who invited Prince to play at the White House last year, earlier hailed him as “one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.”
Prince became the sudden star of the second weekend of Coachella, the premier music festival which takes place in the California desert.
LCD Soundsystem, the influential New York electronic band that reunited for Coachella, performed a cover of Prince’s early funk hit Controversy during the group’s headlining set late Friday.
The English pop singer Ellie Goulding sang When Doves Cry at Coachella while Mavis Staples, the 76-year-old R&B great once signed to Prince’s label, broke down with emotion before offering a rendition of Purple Rain.
Saturday Night Live, the weekly comedy show, planned a special “Goodnight Sweet Prince” episode featuring some of its frequent skits about the entertainer as well as his performances.
https://www.facebook.com/snl/videos/10154099864601303/
Prince himself was no stranger to tribute songs. Videos posted by fans revealed that at his final show in Atlanta he performed Heroes by David Bowie, another music legend who died several months earlier.
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Great to see a community pull together so strongly in the face of adversity.
To spend 30 million on this building is a disgusting act and a shameful waste of money. I am sure that 30 mil could have been better spent housing and feeding their unfortunate deluded followers!
Well done to those involved,community spirit at it’s best
It was a beautiful church, I’m sure the ‘new look’ will be just as impressive
The 30 million could have been better spent on the needy. The church is doing a successful job of dumbing down a significant proportion of the Irish populace. That money could save lives if it wasn’t spent on a gawdy overindulgence of brick , mortar and false idols . Do believers honestly believe that their god who suppositvely created the universe would be suitably impressed ? If you think yes then your god can’t be too smart !
A superb testament to the local community and the diocese.
Great to see such master craftsmen working on it. It has turned out amazing
The Irish once had a reputation for being one of the dumbest races in Europe. I’m not entirely convinced that anything has changed . Especially as many seem to still support the Catholic Church . How much child rape torture and enslavement , how much hypocrisy will it take to wake many people up ?
I agree
I’m going to pull you up on that reputation thing there Bishop ….. Penal Laws proved our love and dedication to education – hedge schools ….
Illuminated manuscrripts – Brehon Law – among the oldest and most sensible laws in history ….
Education was for the minority and for those who could afford it . Can you be an academic achiever and dumb ? cognitive dissonance surely proves you can be.
Dermot I’m not saying I agree that we are a stupid race but it was a perception in Europe and in America . It’s not fair to generalise but one has to wonder about some of our fellow citizens and how their actions and beliefs may reflect on the rest of us.
Your a good man Stephen keep it up
No wonder they can’t pay the victims of child abuse …and we the taxpayer allocated through the government monies to the Friends of St. Mels if I remember correctly …
Still having said that it’s great to see the Pope is going to turn the cathedral into a shelter for the homeless – like he did with that place in Germany ….
Why is it no wonder?
Because the church spent buckets on this refurb ……
30 million on a cathedral , 30 million ? Do people see anything wrong with this ? The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church will never cease ! And the gullibility of its supporters will never cease either !
Did Mel Gibson donate any money towards the restoration?
His mother was from around Longford – that’s how he got the name – or so I heard.
Correct!
It’s ‘you’re’ and it’s a cathedral.
Still wanna see it burn. They use to burn people for being catholic and burn people for not being catholic. All because of a myth that you still believe in even in this so called enlightened age
Actually i agree, no building should burn down. I just disagree with the whole religious thing and its about time we threw it out. The buildings could be used to house the homeless instead, far more useful than folk going in there to pray. History has taught us that religion is, as it has been said, the opium of the masses, lets break the habit for once and for all
Communism was responsible for the deaths of over 100 million people. Atheists such as Zedong, Pol Pot and Stalin killed exponentially more than the amount killed by the Spanish Inquisition. The fact that you equate religion with mass murders is totally unfounded. Over 86% of the country consider themselves Christian. If you don’t like that fact maybe find a more suitable place for your bigotry.
Happy Mythmas ! http://www.jesusneverexisted.com
As long as I live I will never understand how we are in such trouble in Europe – with midnight starting at 11 o’clock we’re way ahead of them to begin with !
What trouble? In case you haven’t noticed, the rest of Europe is falling apart, while we are doing ok.
And us too …..
I would list things such as homeless dying on the street etc. but sure we’re all going to heaven through Rome
I’m not religious, but I don’t recall anywhere in the Christian Bible promoting murdering anyone of any faith. Quite the opposite in fact. Those are human decisions based on human failures, mostly greed and jealousy
Well the Jesus character was a Jew not a Christian and he practised the Jewish religion. He didn’t condemn his bible which Christians refer to the Old Testament he believed in it. Now if you read the Old Testament you will find many examples where people were killed under the direction of the abrahamic “god”. The same god the character Jesus worshipped and glorified. If you also read the bible you will not find any evidence where the Jesus character said he loved you ! Not once! You will however find that he tells potential followers to hate their own families if they wish to follow him. They don’t tell you that in church.
Maybe god is a muslim? and burnt the place down?
Congratulations, stupidest comment of 2014
Depends if your an atheist or not. Personally i would have let the church burn to the ground. Ashes to ashes etc
I am an athirst. Your comment is stupid.
I have athirst …. Powerful saying indeed !
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