Prince's Friends and Family Gather at Paisley Park for 'Beautiful' Private Memorial as Singer's Body Is Cremated
Sheila E. at Paisley Park on Saturday. (Photo: Splash News)
Friends and family gathered at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on Saturday in honor of iconic musician Prince.
Sheila E. was spotted arriving at the compound on Saturday, dressed in an all white outfit. Other friends and family members, including Mayte Garcia, were spotted arriving as well, some of whom brought purple floral arrangements. A source confirms to PEOPLE that it was a private memorial for the singer.
On Saturday, Prince’s publicist confirmed that friends and family had held a private memorial and that the late musician’s body had been cremated.
“A few hours ago, 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,” the rep said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Prince’s remains have been cremated and their final storage will remain private. We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time. The cause of death remains unknown and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy. An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration. ”
Gift boxes were handed out to fans who lined the street outside Paisley Park. (Photo: Splash News)
Prince’s publicist confirmed that he had died on Thursday, April 21, at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota. However, no cause of death was released at the time.
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The star had been reportedly battling the flu for several weeks and his private plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday, April 15, when the 57-year-old singer was rushed to a local hospital in Moline, Illinois. (A source also told PEOPLE that the singer had been struggling with a “serious illness” before he died.)
Prince had been traveling back from what would become his final concert in Atlanta, which took place on April 14. The gig took place after he had to cancel a previous concert the week before due to illness. According to one concert-goer, there was no indication that Prince was ill when he performed on April 14.
“There was a tiny bit of gravel in his voice from time to time, but that was the only indication that he’d felt ill the week before,” the concertgoer told PEOPLE. “He left everything on the stage, like he always did.”
The larger-than-life musician – known as much for his over-the-top showmanship as he was for his award-winning music – was born in Minneapolis and developed a love of music from his parents, who were both musicians. His 1984 album, Purple Rain, has long been lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
