Pop superstar Prince dies at 57

"Prince died!"

On Thursday afternoon (local time) in Indio, California, I heard people shouting here and there in audio surround sound. Shocked voices asked questions if it was true, but unfortunately it was.

World renowned popstar Prince was taken to an emergency room with flu symptoms on Thursday in Chanhassen, Minnesota, but he did not make it. He died at the age of 57.

Prince's health condition became an issue when due to his flu, he delayed a concert in Atlanta scheduled on April 7 to April 14. His private plane had to land at Quad City International Airport in Illinois on the way to Minneapolis on April 15, as Prince was showing signs of severe dehydration. After he was moved to a hospital, he seemed to be recovering until he was found dead in an elevator at his accommodation on Thursday morning.

As the news of Prince's death broke out, important figures around the world expressed their condolences. U.S. President Barack Obama conveyed his condolences by noting, "Today, the world lost a creative icon." His fellow popstar Madonna (57) tweeted her condolences, ""He Changed The World! A True Visionary. What a loss. I'm Devastated." Boy George, former leader of Culture Club, also tweeted, "Today is the worst day ever. Prince R.I.P. I am crying!"

Prince was born in 1958 to musician parents in Minneapolis. He showed genius talent from an early age. He wrote his first song with his father's piano when he was 7. As a teenager, he started his musical career as a pianist and guitarist in a local band. In 1978, he released his debut album "For You" and started getting attention from musical industries. His greatest hit is "Purple Rain," the same title as the movie that Prince appeared in as an actor. The song has been considered one of the greatest songs in pop music history, and 100 million copies of the album that featured that song have been sold. The music video of "Little Red Corvette" (1983) in his first successful album "1999" was broadcasted on MTV. Along with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," it was the first song by an African-American musician that was introduced on TV, breaking down the racial barrier that existed at that time in the music industry. Prince's death is shocking as he had been active, releasing his 39th regular album "HITnRUN Phase Two" in January.

The news of his death was announced by journalists from different countries who were reporting on the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the biggest pop music festivals, held in Indio from Friday to Sunday.

Tonight, Indio's sky is colored purple by the sunset. I heard somebody saying, "It looks like we will have purple rain soon." Indio has a desert climate and it rarely rains there.