TMZ & CNN reporting death at Prince's Home.

[Juliajms]

^ Does someone really need to defend themselves for being an addict? It sounds like Prince was a great performer, but that it took it's toll on him. That's happened to countless stars, I don't see any of them as "destroyed" in terms of reputation.  Seems to me addiction could happen to just about anyone. Celebrities have the disadvantage of having the upper hand on their doctors, so they can keep taking pills, which probably doesn't seem all that harmful until they're in pretty deep.

[marceline]

I just hate the thought that he was in that much pain. I also hate that - if that story is true - he sought help but died before he could get it. That breaks my heart.

[Mr. Vixen]

Same, Miss M. Same.

[Juliajms]

Yes. It's tragic and unfair. Not too be too dramatic, but it's the kind of think that makes me want to just say eff this world.

[marceline]

What gets me is that it didn't seem to occur to him to stop performing. Or at the very least, perform in a way that didn't increase his pain. He could've taken a year or two off from touring and tried to find therapies to help him. He was contracted to write a memoir. That would've been a perfect time for him to say that he was going to step away and concentrate on that. No one would've been any wiser. It's astounding to me that he seemed so driven to keep doing this. It says a lot about about his work ethic. Unfortunately his work ethic killed him.

[DramatistDreamer]

It really made me sad too, to read that he sought help and it didn't arrive in time.  I don't really like reading many articles because most inevitably veer into thinkpieces that speculate- for e.g. one speculated that in his Jehovah's Witness faith, he may have felt shame at his addiction and was reluctant to reach out for help.  The same article proposed that his deep sense of privacy and the fact that he didn't have a large entourage, he usually scheduled his own appointments and this may have delayed his seeking treatment.  Some cited Vanity's death earlier this year as also having an effect on him.  Others said he hit a period where he felt he was stagnating creatively, adding to a sense of melancholy.  Without the man himself, it's really speculation, isn't it.

 

His memoir might have shed light on his thoughts and feelings but I don't know whether there was enough time for that.

 

For whatever reason with the number of people that he's helped get into treatment and recovery (including his sister), it makes it doubly sad that when his time of need came, help was too little, too late.

 

@marceline, You're right, in a way Prince's relentless work ethic did kill him.  Paradoxically, if you took that away from him, Prince may not have lasted all of the 57 years on year that we had of him.  He was bursting with ideas and like most artists, felt miserable if he didn't get it out in some form.  I know when I have a story fulminating in my brain, I'm miserable until I can at least get it on paper.  When I get a table read, I feel satiated (for awhile and then I want to bring it to the next-ultimate experience, which is sharing with the public in some venue).  Prince knew the ephemeral nature of art and beauty, he was okay with it (when you read his song lyrics) but while he was here on the planet, he wanted to get as much of it out there in the universe as time would permit.  To have all of these songs inside of him and not let them out, or even wait and get then out in a timely fashion probably felt akin to holding a beautifully, intricately carved piece of ice in a hot hand-- you want people to see and enjoy that which you find beautiful too before it all goes away.  Things change, circumstances change, who knows if you won't doubt yourself so much tomorrow that you decide not to release that song or change something about it that complete changes its impact?  You want to get it out and move on to the next idea brimming inside of you or before you lose momentum to self doubt.  Timing is everything, I think Prince knew that and wanted to leave as little of his musical output to chance.

[Vee]

The fact that treatment was so available makes this that much more of a tragedy. He was so closed off in his own world.

[marceline]

 

What an amazing description of the creative life. Thank you for this.

[DramatistDreamer]

Haha, it just flowed out of me @marceline.  I'm just glad what I wrote was coherent.  Thank you for reading all of it!

[dragonflies]

Official cause of death is Opioid overdose

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/02/prince-died-opioid-overdose?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter