• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
    • SOKO MRKT
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
    • Essence Holiday Gift Guide 2023
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
    • SOKO MRKT
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
    • Essence Holiday Gift Guide 2023
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home • Entertainment

It's Been One Year, Here's Everything We Know About Prince's Passing

The music iconic passed away at his home in Minneapolis on April 21. 
It’s Been One Year, Here’s Everything We Know About Prince’s Passing
2005 Getty Images
By Sydney Scott · Updated October 26, 2020
4856375515001

It’s been a year since music legend Prince was found unresponsive in his Minneapolis home and many have yet to come to terms with the singer’s passing.

Since his death, an ongoing investigation has revealed details about Prince’s life that the secretive icon kept hidden. Here’s everything we’ve learned since The Purple One’s tragic passing.

The Events Leading Up To His Death

On April 7, Prince postponed two performances, his team released a statement that the singer was suffering from the flu. The performances were rescheduled for April 14. However, while flying back to Minneapolis the next morning, the singer became unresponsive and his jet made an emergency landing in Illinois. He was hospitalized and received Narcan, which is used to block the effects of opioids, usually due to an overdose. He left the hospital shortly after against the doctor’s advice.

Reps called addiction specialist Dr. Howard Kornfeld the day before Prince’s death. Kornfeld was scheduled to meet with the singer April 22 and a physical exam was scheduled for April 21. 

Prince’s Passing

On April 21, police received a call shortly after 9 a.m. requesting an ambulance to Prince’s home. The caller, later identified as Kornfeld’s son, Andrew Kornfeld, initially told dispatchers that an unidentified person had been found unconscious, later confirming that the person was dead, identifying the deceased as Prince. 

Emergency responders found Prince unresponsive in an elevetor at his Paisley Park compound. CPR was administered, but medics were unable to revive the singer. A paramedic later stated that Prince had been dead for about six hours. Prince was announced dead at 10:07 a.m., a press release stated that the singer had died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl.  

Prince’s remains were cremated and placed in a custom 3d printed urn that resembled his Paisley Park estate. The urn is displayed in the atrium of Paisley Park.

Investigation

There is now an ongoing investigation into how Prince obtained the fentanyl. A sealed search warrant was issued for his estate with another unsealed warrant issued for a local Walgreen’s pharmacy. 

According to The New York Times, recently unsealed documents reveal that the singer had a “sizable amount” of narcotic painkillers he did not have a prescription for, many hidden in vitamin and aspirin bottles. Some prescriptions were issued under the name of close friend and employee, Kirk Johnson, who was also the person who found Prince unresponsive. Investigators are trying to figure out to what extant Johnson aided Prince in hiding his addiction.

Dr. Michael T. Schulenberg, the doctor who treated Prince for hip pain, also revealed to investigators that the singer was prescribed oxycodone on April 14, but the prescription was put under Johnson’s name for privacy. Prince’s oxycodone prescription was filled the same day his plane made an emergecny landing in Illinois. At the time, Johnson told doctors that the singer may have been on Percocet. 

Investigators have also interviewed Andrew Kornfeld, Dr. Kornfeld’s son, who called police when Prince was found unresponsive, and singer Judith Hill, who was involved with Prince at the time of his death. She was also on the plane with Prince when it made an emergency landing in Illinois. 

Whatever the investigation uncovers, Prince will be remembered as a boundary-pushing, influential, and enigmatic icon. The one-of-a-kind artist will truly be missed. It’s been a year and for many Prince’s passing is a wound that may never heal.

TOPICS:  Prince
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now