Story highlights
An autopsy is scheduled for Friday
Fans host dance parties, singalongs to mourn Prince
The singer's death spurs a massive outpouring of grief on social media
(CNN) —
As stunned fans mourned legendary singer Prince, questions remained on what killed him days after he performed in Atlanta to rave reviews.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. An autopsy will be conducted Friday, starting at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET).
Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, died Thursday after he was found unresponsive in an elevator at his studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Paramedics tried to perform CPR but were unable to revive him, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m., less than 30 minutes after sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical call at the scene.
An outpouring of grief followed as fans paid tribute to the singer who masterfully blended rock, R&B, jazz, funk and pop.
’Finality of a giant chapter’
In his home state of Minnesota, where he was a favorite native son, they wanted to remember Prince. And they did it in a way he probably would have approved of: They danced.
Tears fell freely as they blasted hits such as “Nothing Compares 2 u” and held impromptu dance parties decked out in Prince gear.
Fans celebrate Prince at First Avenue nightclub
A sea of people in purple outfits lined the streets with purple flowers and stuffed animals.
“When I heard [the news of his death], it was like the finality of a giant chapter of my life knowing that there would be no more music,” said Allison Werthmann-Radnich, who choked up on the streets of Minneapolis.
“Memories of Prince and his music are the background and cornerstone of pretty much every important event in my life. Prom, weddings, New Year’s Eve celebrations, concerts at First Avenue and 7th Street Avenue.”
She said she looked up to him for not compromising his artistic integrity.
” And he had success because of it,” she said.
In Minneapolis, crowds ranged in age from their 20s to their 80s. They sang, embraced and talked about how Prince showed the music industry you don’t need to be from the East or West Coast to make it big.
Tributes pour in
Fans camped out by Paisley Park, the artist’s home and recording studio, leaving bouquets of flowers and signs.
They also flocked to First Avenue, the downtown Minneapolis dance club that became a landmark after Prince used it in the movie “Purple Rain.”
Asher Wade, 27, spent the day listening to Prince music with friends and came to First Avenue with a purple teardrop painted on his face.
“I grew up listening to his music,” he said. “My parents loved him. I grew to love him. … (it’s) heartbreaking.”
Beyond genres, generations
Prince’s music transcended genres and generations. He defined the sound of the ‘80s with songs such as “Kiss” and “Purple Rain,” and defied the music industry in a fight for creative freedom.
Photos: Prince: The artist
Singer and songwriter Prince performs onstage during his Purple Rain Tour in 1984. The artist, who pioneered "the Minneapolis sound" and took on the music industry in his fight for creative freedom, died in April 2016 at age 57.
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Prince performs in New York in 1980. Prince won seven Grammy Awards, and earned 30 nominations. Five of his singles topped the charts and 14 other songs hit the Top 10.
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Waring Abbott/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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He performs at the Palladium in New York in 1981.
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Prince at the Lyceum in London in 1981.
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Prince and Apollonia Kotero in a scene from the movie "Purple Rain," which was released in 1984.
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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Prince, seen here on set, won an Oscar for the original song score for the classic film.
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Warner Bros/Everett Collection
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Prince performs in New York in 1984. Controversy followed the singer and that, in part, made his fans adore him more. His 1984 song, "Darling Nikki," details a one-night stand and prompted the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center. Led by Al Gore's then-wife, Tipper Gore, the group encouraged record companies to place advisory labels on albums with explicit lyrics.
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Prince performs at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in 1984.
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Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum in 1985, in Inglewood, California.
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Prince in 1985.
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The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
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Prince, circa 1985.
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The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
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Prince performs live at the 1985 Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California. He created what became known as the Minneapolis sound, which was a funky blend of pop, synth and new wave.
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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Prince in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.
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Prince, circa 1985.
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The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
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Prince in a scene from the 1986 film "Under the Cherry Moon."
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Prince performs in London in 1986.
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Michael Putland/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Prince performs in London in 1986.
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Prince performs at London's Wembley Arena in 1986.
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Prince in 1987.
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Prince performs at Wembley Arena in London in 1988.
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The singer's predilection for lavishly kinky story-songs earned him the nickname "His Royal Badness." He is also known as the "Purple One" because of his colorful fashions. He is seen here in 1990.
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Prince performs in 1990.
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picture-alliance/Newscom
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Prince, 1990.
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Prince performs during "The Nude Tour" in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1990.
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Mirrorpix/Everett Collection
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Prince listens to the crowd during a 1991 concert.
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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
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Prince performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles in 1991.
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Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
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Prince performs at the Globe Arena in Stockholm in 1993.
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Prince arrives at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1994.
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Jacques Brinon/AP
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A disguised Prince appears at a Virgin Records in London in 1995.
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As dozens of singers perform "We Are The World" on the 10th anniversary of the African famine relief anthem, the artist formerly known as Prince stands sucking on a lollipop next to Quincy Jones at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 1995.
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Reed Saxon/AP
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Prince poses for a photo in Toronto in 1996.
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Muhammad Ali pats Prince's head prior to a news conference where they were to announce plans for a benefit concert in 1997.
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KARIN COOPER/ROGERS & COWAN/AP
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Prince performs in 1998.
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A disguised Prince speaks at GQ magazine's third annual Men of the Year Awards in 1998.
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Prince, circa 1999.
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Prince performs in Hong Kong on October 17, 2003. Prince's concert was the the opening act in a four-week government-sponsored music festival titled "Hong Kong Harbor Fest," aimed at boosting the image of SARS-battered Hong Kong.
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ANAT GIVON/AP
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Prince arrives with his then-wife, Manuela Testolini, for the 77th Academy Awards on February 27, 2005, in Los Angeles.
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KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/AP
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Prince at the 2005 NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles.
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Prince performs during a news conference for Super Bowl XLI in 2007.
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He left his imprint on many aspects of popular culture, from film to movies to sports to politics. As the Minnesota Vikings prepped to take on the New Orleans Saints in the 2010 NFC championship game, Prince wrote a fight song entitled "Purple and Gold" to inspire his home team. The Vikings lost. He was the half-time performer at the Super Bowl in 2007 in Miami Gardens, Florida, seen here.
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Prince performs onstage during the 2007 NCLR ALMA Awards.
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Prince performs on the runway at the spring/summer 2008 collection fashion show by Matthew Williamson during London Fashion Week in September 2007.
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Prince performs during his Welcome 2 America tour at Madison Square Garden in 2011 in New York.
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American pop legend Prince is pictured performing on the final night of the Hop Farm Music Festival in Kent, United Kingdom, in 2011.
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Simon Earl/Splash News/newscom
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Prince performing at the Femoren on August 6, 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Prince on stage with singer Mary J. Blige during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.
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Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel
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Prince presents the winner for Record of the Year to Gotye and Kimbra during the 55th Grammy Awards in 2013.
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JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images
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A year later, Prince performs during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Prince performs at the 2013 Skanderborg Festival in Denmark.
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Prince is seen in the stands during the 2014 French Open in Paris.
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Photo via Newscom
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Left to right: Zooey Deschanel, Prince, and Jake Johnson in a scene from the TV show "New Girl" which aired in 2014.
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Fox/courtesy Everett Collection
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Prince speaks at the 2015 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Additionally, last year, Prince released the song "Baltimore," addressing the unrest after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. He performed at a benefit concert in the city and gave a portion of the proceeds to youth groups in Baltimore.
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Prince tweeted his passport photo on February 11. The photo quickly took the Internet by storm.
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Fans rushed to record stores to pick up albums and other Prince memorabilia. Some said the icon’s death “is what it sounds like when doves cry,” a reference to his monster hit from 1984.
Word of his death sparked a response from the White House.
“As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader and an electrifying performer,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. ” ‘A strong spirit transcends rules,’ Prince once said – and nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.”
Prince Rogers Nelson: ‘Every song was either a prayer or foreplay’
Postponed concerts, emergency landing
Everything about Prince
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- Timeline of his life
- Prince's most iconic moments
- Celebrities pay tribute
- 'Purple Rain' and Prince gems
- Fans react to Prince's death
- 1999: Explaining his name change
- Prince's legendary style
- His inspiration was...
- Prince's memoir "The Beautiful Ones"
- 1999: How he described his music
- Prince protege Vanity dies at 57
- Songs you didn't know Prince wrote
- Opinion: A Prince we followed anywhere
- Stevie Wonder devastated by his death
Just this month, Prince made news after he postponed two shows he’d been scheduled to perform at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
“The entertainer is battling the flu,” the Fox said in a statement that day.
A week later, he took the stage in Atlanta to perform two concerts with 80-minute sets, unusually short for him. The stage was engulfed in lavender smoke. It was just Prince at his piano. He played his classic songs but kept the mood light and fun – at one point showing off his skills with a version of the Peanuts theme song.
But as Prince headed back home to Minnesota, he made an emergency landing April 15 and was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Moline, Illinois.
His publicist later said he was fine.
On Saturday, he appeared before a small gathering of fans at a Paisley Park dance party, proudly showing them a new purple Yamaha piano and a guitar that was made for him in Europe. The appearance, Minneapolis Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream wrote the next day, seemed aimed at proving he was alive and well.
“He never intended to perform on Saturday. There was no microphone stand next to his piano,” Bream wrote. “He just wanted to demonstrate that reports of his dire health were greatly exaggerated.”
The music critic noted that Prince showed off his new guitar, but didn’t perform with it.
“I have to leave it in the case, or I’ll be tempted to play it,” Prince told the crowd, according to Bream. “I can’t play the guitar at all these days, so I can keep my mind on this (the solo piano) and get better.”
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Photos: People we lost in 2016
Debbie Reynolds, one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1950s and 1960s, died December 28, one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, passed away. She was 84.
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Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
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Actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchises, died December 27, according to her daughter's publicist. Fisher had suffered a cardiac event on December 23. She was 60 years old.
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Actor and comedian Ricky Harris, who was a regular on the TV sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris" and first gained attention on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," died December 26, according to his publicist. He was 54.
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Jerod Harris/Getty Images
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Singer George Michael, who shot to fame with the '80s band Wham!, died on Christmas Day, according to Britain's Press Association. He was 53 years old.
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English novelist Richard Adams, author of the famous children's book "Watership Down," died at the age of 96 on December 24.
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Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Hungarian beauty whose many marriages, gossipy adventures and occasional legal scuffles kept her in tabloid headlines for decades, died December 18, said her former longtime publicist Ed Lozzi. She was 99.
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Craig Sager, the longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter best known for his colorful -- and at times fluorescent -- wardrobe, died December 15 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, the network said. He was 65.
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Noah Graham/NBAE/NBAE/Getty Images
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Actor Alan Thicke, known for his role as the father in the sitcom "Growing Pains," died on December 13, according to his agent, Tracy Mapes. He was 69. Thicke's career spanned five decades -- one in which he played various roles on and off screen, from actor to writer to composer to author.
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John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, died December 8, according to the Ohio State University. He was 95.
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Joseph Mascolo, the actor who portrayed archvillain Stefano DiMera in the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," died December 7 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, the network said. He was 87.
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Greg Lake, a founding member of influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died December 7 after a bout with cancer, his manager said. He's seen here at left with bandmates Keith Emerson, center, and Carl Palmer in 1972.
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Actor Ron Glass, known for his role on the police sitcom "Barney Miller," died November 25, his agent said. Glass also starred in "Firefly" and its film sequel "Serenity."
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Florence Henderson, whose "Brady Bunch" character Carol Brady was one of television's most famous mothers, died November 24 at the age of 82, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said.
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ANGELA WEISS/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
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Sharon Jones, the powerful lead singer of the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, manager Alex Kadvan told CNN. She was 60.
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Theo Wargo/Getty Images
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Gwen Ifill, the veteran journalist and newscaster who co-anchored "PBS NewsHour," died after a battle with endometrial cancer, according to PBS on November 14. She was 61.
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Leon Russell, who emerged as a rock 'n' roll star in the 1970s after working behind the scenes as a session pianist for other musicians, died November 13, his wife told CNN. He was 74.
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Robert Vaughn, who played a slick spy on TV's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", died November 11, his manager, Matthew Sullivan, told CNN. Vaughn was 83.
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NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
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Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page on November 10. A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs, including the often-covered "Hallelujah."
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Jemal Countess/Getty Images North
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Janet Reno, the first female US attorney general, died November 7 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease, her sister Maggy Hurchalla said. Reno, 78, served in the Clinton White House from 1993 to 2001.
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Barry Thumma/AP
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Tom Hayden, a peace activist whose radical views helped spur the anti-Vietnam War movement, died October 23. He was 76.
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George Rose/Getty Images
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Actor and comedian Kevin Meaney, who had been a regular on late-night TV and was famous for delivering the line, "That's not right," died, his agent said October 21. Meaney's age and the cause of death weren't immediately known.
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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
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Phil Chess, the co-founder of the iconic rock-and-roll and blues label Chess Records, died October 18, according to his son. He was 95. Phil and his brother Leonard founded Chess Records in the late 1940s and helped spawn the careers of many popular musicians in the 1950s.
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Dylan Rieder, a professional skateboarder and model, died on October 12 due to complications from leukemia, according to his father. He was 28.
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Actor Tommy Ford, best known for his role as Tommy in the 1990s hit sitcom "Martin," died in Atlanta, a spokeswoman for his family announced on October 12. Ford was 52.
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Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images
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Award-winning author Gloria Naylor, whose explorations of the lives of black women in the 1980s and 1990s earned her wide acclaim, died on September 28. She was 66.
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Tom Keller/AP
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Golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who helped turn the sport from a country club pursuit to one that became accessible to the masses, died September 25 at the age of 87, according to the U.S. Golf Association.
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Transcendental Graphics/Archive Photos/Getty Images
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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, one of baseball's brightest stars, was killed in a boating accident September 25, Florida authorities said. He was 24.
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Marc Serota/Getty Images
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Veteran actor Bill Nunn, best known for playing Radio Raheem in "Do the Right Thing" and Robbie Robertson in the "Spider-Man" trilogy, died September 24 at age 63.
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Everett Collection
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Grammy and Emmy Award winner Stanley Dural Jr., also known as Buckwheat Zydeco, died September 24 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was 68.
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Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America
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"L.A. Confidential" director and writer Curtis Hanson, 71, died of natural causes on September 20, Los Angeles police said. He won an Oscar with Brian Helgeland for the screenplay on "L.A. Confidential," and he also directed "8 Mile" and "Wonder Boys."
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Charmian Carr, best known for her role as Liesl in "The Sound of Music," died September 17 at the age of 73, according to her family. Carr died of complications from a rare form of dementia.
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Valerie Macon/Getty Images
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W.P. Kinsella, the author of "Shoeless Joe," the award-winning novel that became the film "Field of Dreams," died at 81 on September 16.
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RUSTY KENNEDY/AP
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Legendary playwright Edward Albee -- whose works included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" -- died at the age of 88 after a short illness, according to his personal assistant Jakob Holder. Albee died September 16 at his home in Montauk, New York.
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Actress and transgender rights activist Alexis Arquette died September 11. She was 47.
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John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images
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The Lady Chablis, the unabashed Savannah, Georgia, transgender queen who became a gay icon after finding fame in the 1990s through the "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" book and movie, died September 8. She was 59.
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Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage/Getty Images
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Actor Hugh O'Brian, best known for his portrayal of the title role in the 1950's TV Western "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," died on September 5. He was 91.
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Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Character actor Jon Polito, who appeared in films such as "American Gangster" and "The Big Lebowski," died September 2, his manager confirmed. He was 65.
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Universal/Everett Collection
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Fred Hellerman, a singer and composer who was the last surviving member of the iconic and influential folk music quartet the Weavers, died September 1 at the age of 89. He is on the right along with the other members of his quartet.
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Richard Drew/AP
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Actor Gene Wilder, who brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s, died August 29 at the age of 83. Some of his most famous films include "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."
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Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel, who wooed audiences with soulful pop ballads that made him a Latin American music legend, died August 28 at the age of 66.
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Actor Steven Hill, best known for playing District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's "Law & Order," died August 23, his son confirmed to CNN. He was 94.
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Matt Roberts, former guitarist of the band 3 Doors Down, died August 21, his father said. Roberts, seen here at center, was 38. A cause of death was not immediately known.
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Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
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British actor Kenny Baker, best known for playing R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, died on August 13, Baker's niece, Abigail Shield, told CNN. He was 81.
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Alamy Stock Photo
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Famous New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain died August 6 of heart failure. He was 86.
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Michael Ochs Archives/GETTY IMAGES
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Actor David Huddleston, perhaps best known for his role in the 1998 film "The Big Lebowski," died August 2 at the age of 85.
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Youree Dell Harris, better known as "Miss Cleo," the pitchwoman for the Psychic Readers Network, died July 26 of cancer, according to an attorney for her family. She was 53.
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Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/MCT/Getty Images
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Timothy LaHaye, the evangelical minister and co-author of the "Left Behind" book series, died July 26 following a massive stroke. He was 90 years old. Here, he is seen at left with co-author Jerry B. Jenkins in 2004.
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Mario Villafuerte/Getty Images
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Garry Marshall, who created popular TV shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and "Happy Days" and directed hit films such as "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries," died July 19 at the age of 81, his publicist said.
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Actress Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV version of "Superman," died July 3 at the age of 95.
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Director Michael Cimino, whose searing 1978 Vietnam War drama "The Deer Hunter" won five Oscars, including best picture, died July 2. He was 77.
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Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
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Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel died at the age of 87 on July 2. Wiesel's book "La Nuit" is the story of the Wiesel family being sent to Nazi concentration camps.
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Bill Clark/AP
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Scotty Moore, a legendary guitarist credited with helping to launch Elvis Presley's career, died at the age of 84 on June 28. Moore is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he was ranked No. 29 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
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Mike Brown/Getty Images
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Pat Summitt, who built the University of Tennessee's Lady Volunteers into a perennial power on the way to becoming the winningest coach in the history of major college basketball, died June 28 at the age of 64. Her death came five years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
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PAT SULLIVAN/AP
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Bill Cunningham, one of the most recognizable figures at The New York Times and in all of New York, died June 25 at the age of 87. Cunningham was a street-life photographer; a cultural anthropologist; a fixture at fashion events; and a celebrity in spite of his desire to keep the camera focused on others, not himself.
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Donald Traill/AP
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Bluegrass music pioneer Ralph Stanley died June 23 at the age of 89, publicist Kirt Webster announced on Stanley's official website. Stanley was already famous in bluegrass and roots music circles when the 2000 hit movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" thrust him into the mainstream. He provided a haunting a cappella version of the dirge "O Death" and ended up winning a Grammy.
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Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov in the most recent "Star Trek" movies, died June 19 after a freak car accident outside his home, police said. He was 27.
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Paramount PIctures
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Actor Ron Lester, who portrayed Billy Bob in the 1999 football movie "Varsity Blues," died June 17 at the age of 45, according to his representative Dave Bradley. Bradley said Lester died of organ failure -- specifically his liver and his kidneys. Lester had openly talked about his struggle with his illness on Twitter.
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Lee Celano/WireImage/Getty Images
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Singer Attrell Cordes, known as Prince Be of the music duo P.M. Dawn, died June 17 after suffering from diabetes and renal kidney disease, according to a statement from the group. He was 46.
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NBC/Getty Images
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Michu Meszaros, the actor who played "Alf" in the popular '80s sitcom, died June 12, according to his longtime friend and manager Dennis Varga. Meszaros was 77.
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Singer Christina Grimmie died June 11 from gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old singer, who finished third on season 6 of "The Voice" on NBC, was shot while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando.
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Vivien Killilea/Getty Images North America/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
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Hockey legend Gordie Howe, left, scored 801 goals in his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," died June 10 at the age of 88, his son Marty said.
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Photos: People we lost in 2016
Mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice died June 6 at the age of 42. Slice, whose real name was Kevin Ferguson, initially gained fame from online videos that showed him engaging in backyard bare-knuckle fights. He then became a professional fighter with a natural charisma that endeared him to fans.
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Photos: People we lost in 2016
Muhammad Ali, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion who called himself "The Greatest," died June 3 at the age of 74. Fans on every continent adored him, and at one point he was the probably the most recognizable man on the planet.
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Drummer Nick Menza, who played on many of Megadeth's most successful albums, died after collapsing on stage during a show with his current band, Ohm, on May 21. He was 51.
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Actor Alan Young, known for his role as Wilbur Post in the television show "Mr. Ed," died on May 19. He was 96.
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CBS News legend Morley Safer, whose work on "60 Minutes" embodied the show's 50 years on air, died at the age of 84, according to CBS on May 19.
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Grammy-winning songwriter Guy Clark died May 17 at the age of 74. The Texas native died after a long illness, according to a statement from his publicist.
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Frans Schellekens/Redferns/Getty Images
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William Schallert, a familiar face in television and film thanks to roles on "The Patty Duke Show," "Star Trek" and many more, died May 8 at age 93, his son said.
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Madeleine LeBeau, known for her role in "Casablanca," died May 1 after breaking her thigh bone, her stepson Carlo Alberto Pinelli told CNN. The actress, who played the jilted girlfriend of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in the movie, was 92.
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Everett Collection
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Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, died after collapsing on stage at a music festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on April 23, according to a statement from the Urban Music Festival. He was 66.
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The musician Prince died at his home in Minnesota on April 21 at age 57. The medical examiner later determined he died of an accidental overdose of the opioid fentanyl.
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Michelle McNamara, the crime writer who founded the website TrueCrimeStory.com and the wife of popular comedian Patton Oswalt, died April 21, her husband's publicist confirmed. She was 46. No cause of death was provided.
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Joan Laurer, the former pro wrestler better known as Chyna, was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California, apartment on April 20. The cause of death is under investigation, but police said there were no signs of foul play. Laurer was 45.
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Courtesy Everett Collection
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Actress Doris Roberts, best known for her role as Marie Barone on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," died April 17. She was 90.
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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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Will Smith, a former first-round pick in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl-winning team, was shot to death after a traffic incident on April 9. He was 34.
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Country music legend Merle Haggard died on April 6 -- his 79th birthday -- of complications from pneumonia, his agent Lance Roberts told CNN.
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Architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, died March 31, a spokesperson from Zaha Hadid Design told CNN. She was 65. Hadid died of a heart attack in a Miami hospital where she was being treated for bronchitis, according to her firm's press office.
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Actress Patty Duke, star of "The Patty Duke Show," died March 29, at the age of 69. Duke won an Academy Award at age 16 for playing Helen Keller in 1962's "The Miracle Worker."
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Actor James Noble, who played Gov. Eugene X. Gatling in the television series "Benson," died from a stroke on March 28. He was 94.
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Author and poet Jim Harrison died March 26 at his winter home in Arizona. He was 78. His many books include "Legends of the Fall," which was made into a 1994 movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
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Garry Shandling, the inventive comedian and star of "The Larry Sanders Show," died March 24. He was 66. Shandling's comedy and mentorship influenced a generation of comedians.
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Charles Sykes/AP
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Ken Howard, seen here as Hank Hooper on "30 Rock," died March 23. He was 71. Howard also starred in "The White Shadow" and appeared in many other TV series.
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Ali Goldstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Malik Taylor, better known to fans as Phife Dawg of the rap group A Tribe Called Quest, died March 23 at the age of 45. He's seen here at center during a performance in 1996. Taylor had long suffered from health issues associated with having Type 1 diabetes. In 2008, he underwent a kidney transplant.
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Actor Larry Drake, best known for his role as Benny on "L.A. Law," died at his home in Los Angeles on March 17, according to his manager Steven Siebert. Drake was 66.
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Frank Sinatra Jr., the son of the legendary entertainer who had a long musical career of his own, died March 16, said manager Andrea Kauffman. He was 72.
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Keith Emerson, keyboardist for the influential progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died March 10, according to the band's official Facebook page. He was 71.
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Sir George Martin, the music producer whose collaboration with the Beatles helped redraw the boundaries of popular music, died March 8, according to his management company. He was 90. Above, Martin poses with the Beatles after the album "Please Please Me" went silver in 1963.
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