The Minnesota medical examiner said Thursday that Prince died from an accidental overdose of the prescription drug fentanyl, according to the Associated Press.
The one-page report stated the musician self-administered the powerful opioid painkiller. Fentanyl is a Schedule II drug prescribed for pain after surgeries or other severe pain.
The report was released hours after the Minneapolis Star Tribune and AP reported the musician died of an overdose, based on their anonymous sources close to the investigation.
Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Minnesota home on April 21. Police tried to revive him with CPR but were unsuccessful.
Associates of the artist had reached out to Dr. Howard Kornfeld, an addiction specialist in California, in the days before his death. The doctor had sent his son and colleague, Andrew Kornfeld, to Minnesota ahead of him to assist.
Andrew Kornfeld was among the people to discover Prince dead at his home. Police said they found no obvious signs of trauma and said suicide was unlikely.
Prince died less than a week after his plane made an emergency landing in Illinois after a concert in Atlanta. His representatives said he was hospitalized for a short time and had been battling the flu for several weeks.
However, on April 16, Prince hosted a concert and dance party at Paisley Park. Attendees thought the singer looked fine and said he gave a good concert.
Prince was born in Minneapolis in 1958. The son of a jazz musician and singer, he learned guitar, piano and drums by the age of 14.
He released his first album, For You, in 1978. He went on to win seven Grammys during his prolific career, writing unforgettable hits like Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette and 1999. He won an Oscar for the original score to the film Purple Rain and sold more than 100 million albums, ranking him among the best-selling artists of all time.
He also penned and produced numerous top hits for other notable performers, including Sinead O’Connor, The Bangles, Celine Dion, MC Hammer and others.
– Newschannel 6
