One of the most inventive musicians of his era, Prince, has been found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis.

No official word on how 57-year-old Prince Rogers Nelson died.

He broke through in the late 1970s with ”Wanna Be Your Lover” followed by ”Purple Rain,” ”When doves Cry,” ”Let’s Go Crazy,” ”Little Red Corvette,” and ”1999,” with one of the most widely quoted lines of pop culture, ”Tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999.”

Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

The dedication reads ”He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties.”

The reclusive rock icon married 24-year-old Manuela Testolini of Toronto in 2001 and lived in the Bridle Path neighbourhood.

They divorced in July 2006 but he never lost his affection for the city, occasionally spotted at local clubs and a Raptors game.

One of his guitarists was also from Toronto.

A decade ago he said, ”I love Toronto.  It’s a real melting pot in every sense of the word.”

Tonight on Zoomer Radio, Robbie Lane will have a special tribute to Prince on The Eighties at Eight.

And Canadian musicologist Eric Alper will join the Happy Gang after 7:45am Friday to discuss Prince’s legacy.