Pop icon Prince — one of the most influential but eccentric and elusive figures in music — has died at his home in Minnesota aged 57, his publicist has confirmed.

Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park Studios compound, which included his home, in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, according to a Carver County Sheriff's Office statement. Emergency workers tried to revive him and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson has died," his publicist Anna Meacham said.

His 1984 album Purple Rain is often described as one of the greatest of all time, while his hit songs included Purple Rain, Kiss and Little Red Corvette.

Prince won an Oscar for best original song score for Purple Rain, the 1984 movie whose music was based on his album of the same name. He also starred in the movie.

During his career Prince recorded 47 songs that reached the Billboard top 100 in the US, including 19 top 10s and five that reached number one: When Doves Cry, Kiss, Let's go Crazy, Cream and Batdance).

When Doves Cry, which featured on Purple Rain, remained number one on the Billboard charts in the US for five weeks and was ranked by Billboard as the number one single in the US for 1984.

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