In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince Rogers Nelson died of an ‘accidental fentanyl overdose’ at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
The musical genius was struggling with a painful secret, unbeknownst to his fans and even his closest friends.
Overwhelming evidence indicates that Prince was in the grips of an addiction to painkillers during the last years of his life.
To the rest of the world, the pop sensation appeared to be as vibrant as ever, and in control up until the very end.
But as the Star looks back at the tragic events with the fourth anniversary of his death approaching, in reality it was a completely different story for Prince.
In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince Rogers Nelson died of an ‘accidental fentanyl overdose (Image: Getty Images)
It remains unclear when the singer began taking opioids and if the inner circles of his showbiz family were aware of his growing addiction which is said to have been focused around cocaine and Percocet in the early 2000s.
Close friends and family have previously suggested that his drug use may have been in response to a serious hip problem that he developed later in life.
The initial sign that something was wrong came about when Prince’s private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois on April 15th, on the way home from a concert in Atlanta.
Reports suggest that the star overdosed on Percocet and he was escorted off the plane by a bodyguard before being given a shot of the anti-overdose medication.
Reports suggest that the star overdosed on Percocet (Image: Mirrorpix)
This was the first time the singer accidentally overdosed, but sadly not the last as in April 2016, he was found unresponsive in an elevator in the lavish pad which he called home.
Following his unexpected and untimely death, reports proved that that the died of an overdose of fentanyl; a synthetic opioid which is apparently 50 times more powerful than heroin.
A specific confidential toxicology report indicates just how much fentanyl was in the singers system when he passed away.
The report states that the concentration of fentanyl in Prince’s blood was 67.8 micrograms per litre whereas it’s been documented in people with blood levels ranging from three to 58 micrograms per litre.
The singer hid his secret battle from his closest friends and family (Image: Mirrorpix)
The staggering figures also clarify the sheer levels of the drug which transcended to the ‘Purple Rain’ singer’s liver.
According to the statistics, 450 micrograms per kilogram were discovered in his vital organ, with liver concentrations greater than 69 micrograms per kilogram representing overdose or fatal toxicity cases.
Despite the fact that there is said to be no way certain dose at which fentanyl can kill a person, Prince was said to be necking many other different kinds of pain killers and prescription drugs.
A year after his shocking death, it was revealed that authorities found numerous pills in various containers around the star’s home.
The autopsy was conducted the day after Prince’s body was found, and what was to be discovered left his worldwide fans in horror (Image: Mirrorpix)
The autopsy was conducted the day after Prince’s body was found, and what was to be discovered left his worldwide fans in horror.
When his frail and rather fragile body was examined after death, the star was reported as only 5′ 3 inches tall.
Prince was underweight at just 112 pounds (eight stone), and his remains were found with numerous scars across his skin.
His hips and lower legs were riddled in mystery blemishes, however, this may have been due to the fact the star underwent past surgery for his hip problems.
Post-mortem reports state that there were “no obvious signs of trauma” on Prince’s body and suicide was ruled out from the get go (Image: Mirrorpix)
Post-mortem reports state that there were “no obvious signs of trauma” on Prince’s body and suicide was ruled out from the get go.
Prince had always upheld a healthy lifestyle, which meant some close friends were left stunned by the discovery that he had been secretly harbouring and struggling with this drug addiction for years.
In the days leading up to his death, it was cited that the star was suffering from a bad case of the flu and pneumonia, but ill-health was apparently nothing new to the star.
In 2009 a friend said: “He’s in a lot of pain. He’s popping painkillers and hoping it will all go away.”
Painkillers were to become the very thing that ended his life. (Image: Mirrorpix)
Unfortunately, seven years later, these painkillers were to become the very thing that ended his life.
The pop sensation’s body was released to his family on Friday 22 April, the day after he was discovered, and a private memorial service and cremation was held at Paisley Park on Saturday 23 April.
Only close friends and family attended and a close family friend at the time opened up about the tragedy which shook the world.
“He wanted to simply disappear with no fuss, no drama, no fanfare.”
Fans gathered outside Paisley Park and some were given purple boxes containing tour booklets and t-shirts, among other Prince memorabilia.
Fans gathered outside Paisley Park and some were given purple boxes containing tour booklets and t-shirts, among other Prince memorabilia (Image: Mirrorpix)
There was another memorial held at the Goldwyn Theatre in Los Angeles on May 11 2016 and the event was attended by Prince’s celebrity friends and admirers, including Spike Lee, Nile Rodgers, Janelle Monáe, Gwen Stefani and Dita Von Teese.
A guitar virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist known for his genre-crossing work, wide-ranging singing voice, and flamboyant stage appearances, Prince is still regarded as one of the most influential musicians in the history of music.
His innovative music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, and pop and has influenced some of the greatest artists in the current music industry.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
