Born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the singer, songwriter, multiple instrumentalist, producer and actor was recognized as a musical genius, trend setter and advocate for artists’ rights.</br></br> Prince Rogers Nelson is seen in his freshman year portrait in 1973 from Central High School in Minneapolis, MN.

Named after the Prince Roger Trio, a jazz band his father performed with, Prince was signed to Warner Brother Records as a teenager.</br></br> Prince performs at the Palladium in New York on Dec. 2, 1981.

The 1984 semi-autobiographical rock musical drama film "Purple Rain" and its best-selling soundtrack vaulted him into the pop stratosphere. Music from the film won an Oscar and the album was his best-selling one, amassing sales of over 25 million copies.</br></br> Prince performs a concert to celebrate his birthday and the release of "Purple Rain" on June 7, 1984, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

During the 1980s, at the height of his popularity, Prince was most frequently compared to Michael Jackson, who was considered his fiercest music rival.</br></br> Prince performs on stage, circa 1986.

His early albums -- 1979’s "Prince," 1980’s "Dirty Mind" and 1981’s "Controversy" -- built his core fan base while also creating controversial buzz due to their fusion of religious and sexual themes.</br></br> Prince performs during his Parade Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York, August, 1986.

He collaborated with a wide array of music acts including Sheena Easton, Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Madonna, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper and his former lover Sheila E.</br></br> Prince steps out to a waiting car in the U.K. on April 30, 1994.

In 1993, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. and Prince over the artistic and financial control of his musical output. During the intense lawsuit, he appeared in public with the word "slave" written on his cheek and asked to be called, "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince."</br></br> Prince performs on stage with the word "Slave" written on his face during his "Ultimate Live Experience" tour show at Wembley Arena on March 4th, 1995 in London.

Filmmaker Spike Lee talks with Prince during the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Feb. 8, 1998.

Prince and his wife Mayte Garcia at Syon House in London with Prince Charles, Donatella Versace and Lenny Kravitz, Sept. 6, 1999.

Combining rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop, Prince was regarded as the pioneer of the Minneapolis sound. He also gained a reputation for being a staunch perfectionist.</br></br> Prince performs onstage at the 36th Annual NAACP Image Awards on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles.

Prince performs during the "Pepsi Halftime Show" at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on Feb. 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Prince and actress Eva Longoria watch the 2007 NBA All Star Game on Feb. 18, 2007, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Prince leaves the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 25, 2007, in West Hollywood, California.

Ludacris, Prince and Dave Chappelle watch the 2007 NBA All Star Game, Feb. 18, 2007, in Las Vegas.

Sheila E and Prince perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 26, 2008, in Indio, California.

Prince headlines the main stage on the last day of Hop Farm Festival on July 3, 2011 in Paddock Wood, United Kingdom.

Prince and Mary J. Blige perform during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 22, 2012 in Las Vegas.

Prince attends the French Open match between Spain's Rafael Nadal and Serbia's Dusan Lajovic at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris on June 2, 2014. Danish bass player Ida Nielsen is seen at right.

News emerged in April 2017 that a flight that the singer was on had to make an emergency landing at an airport in Moline, Ill. where he was rushed to a local hospital to be treated for the flu and released three hours later, according to his rep.</br></br> Prince presents an award at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Nov. 22, 2015.

With a singing style renowned for its versatility of reaching from the highest falsetto to the deepest baritone, Prince influenced an entire generation of artists. He died in his home on April 21, 2016.</br></br> Prince performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Feb. 4, 2007.