Singer Prince Rogers Nelson, known as “Prince,” was found dead in the elevator of his home at age 57 on April 21st. The cause is not yet known and authorities reported no signs of trauma.

Prince signed with Warner Brothers Records at 18 years old in 1977. Prince first encountered widespread popularity for the song “1999.” In 1984 Prince and his backing band, The Revolution released the album “Purple Rain.” It was the soundtrack for the semi-autobiographical movie of the same name, featuring popular songs such as “Purple rain,” “When doves cry,” and “Let’s go crazy.” He had a long feud with Warner Bros, famously writing “Slave” on his face in protest of his label. When his record label prevented him from using the name Prince for copyright reasons he changed his name to a symbol,  which was usually referred to as “love symbol,” or “The artist formerly known as Prince.” He was known for being very prolific, releasing 39 studio albums throughout his career, sometimes under different names, not counting his vault of unreleased songs.

Shortly after his death various tributes appeared. NASA posted a picture of a purple nebula on twitter in his honor, and various artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin played his songs at their concerts

“Nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative,” President Barack Obama said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band, and all who loved him.”