Prince, the music icon who defined pop for decades and dazzled a generation of fans, died Thursday at his estate in Minnesota — just days after being treated for a drug overdose and given a “save shot” at a hospital in Illinois, a report said.
Authorities found the 57-year-old legend — whose string of seminal albums included “Purple Rain” and “1999” — in an elevator at his Paisley Park recording studio at 9:43 a.m. and pronounced him dead at 10:07 a.m., officials said.
“When deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male in the elevator,” Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said in a statement.
“First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR but were unable to revive the victim.”
In a 911 call, a dispatcher can be heard saying, “Male down, not breathing.”
Later, the caller says, “Yes, it’s Prince.”
The musician’s health troubles became the subject of speculation beginning last Friday, when his private jet made an emergency landing in Illinois and he was rushed to a hospital.
His rep told reporters the music star was merely suffering from flu-like symptoms. But on Thursday, TMZ reported that Prince was actually treated for a drug overdose, which was so serious that doctors had to administer a “save shot.”
The doctors wanted Prince to stay in the hospital for 24 hours. But when his reps learned that a private room was not available, they decided to leave, the TMZ Web site said.
His Royal Badness was back on his feet by Saturday, assuaging fans’ fears for his health by making an appearance at a dance party he hosted at his Paisley Park compound.
“Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,” Prince told revelers.
The seven-time Grammy winner, however, was spotted at his local Walgreens just hours before he died, his fourth visit to the store this week, TMZ reported.
Drugstore employees were concerned as he appeared more frail than usual, TMZ said.
As news of the prolific pop star’s death spread Thursday, a chorus of celebrities and doting fans offered Twitter tributes to The Purple One.
Even President Obama offered a eulogy, lamenting the loss of a “creative icon.”
“Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince,” he said. “Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent.”
Reached moments after the sad news broke, Roots bandleader Questlove told The Post: “I’m too distraught [to talk].”
The “Tonight Show” musician later went on a Twitter tear, expressing his profound grief over Prince’s passing.
“Long Live The King,” he wrote. “I can’t f–king breathe right now.”
Late Thursday, thousands gathered in the street outside Spike Lee’s film studio in Fort Greene, Brooklyn , to dance to hits such as “Purple Rain” and “Raspberry Beret.”
“This is a great party,” said fan Miles Ouster. “Brooklyn turns out to remember Prince.”
Several thousand people gathered in the streets in his hometown of Minneapolis to honor him.
On Broadway, the cast of “Hamilton” ended Thursday night’s performance with an impromptu performance of the Prince classic “Let’s Go Crazy.”
The diminutive megastar — he stood just 5-foot-2 ″— was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis.
The son of a half-black, half-Italian jazz-band leader and a black female vocalist, music was in his blood and his talents were obvious at an early age. He taught himself to play the piano at 7, guitar at 13 and drums at 14.
Over the decades, he became known as one of the most wildly creative artists of all time, infusing his original funk-rock sound with a wide range of influences, from Jimi Hendrix and James Brown to The Beatles.
His assent to stardom kicked off in the late 1970s with the hits “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover.”
At 24, he gained international recognition with his double album “1999,” which went platinum and featured six hit singles.
One of the most defining moment of his career came in 1984 with the release of his film and album “Purple Rain,” which netted him an Academy Award. The album sold more than 13 million copies in the United States.
Prince was no stranger to controversy, and one erotically tinged tune from the album, “Darling Nikki” — which vividly describes a one-night stand — prompted the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that pushed for advisory labels on albums with explicit lyrics.
His fiery performances in colorful costumes and string of genre-defying, often sexually charged hits — including “When Doves Cry,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Let’s Go Crazy” — earned him “pop legend” status. By the time of his death, he had sold more than 100 million records.
While Prince had a splashy pop persona, he gained a reputation for being reclusive over the years.
He married and divorced twice — and was romantically linked to several famous women, including Carmen Electra, Kim Basinger and Misty Copeland.
“I’m in shock,” Electra told E! News on Thursday. “This is so sad. He always talked about life, not death. He was excited about music.”
Former fiancée Sheila E. was so crushed by Prince’s sudden passing she jumped on a plane from LA to Minnesota — with plans to go directly to his Paisley Park pad. “She’s just devastated,” a source close to Sheila E. said. “She wants to go there to see what happened and to try to understand it.”
Prince kept creating right up until his death, turning out four albums in the last 18 months. Last month, he announced he was writing his memoir, “The Beautiful Ones,” which was expected to be released in the fall of 2017.
“He rewrote the rule book, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties,” reads a dedication to him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone. From the beginning, Prince and his music were androgynous, sly, sexy and provocative.”
With Post Wires