It was on this date 10 years ago that the iconic pop star Prince died from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Fans gather to remember him at his Paisley Park Studios.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KISS”)
PRINCE: (Singing) Uh.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
It’s been 10 years since Prince, the musical icon from Minneapolis, died of an accidental overdose. His Paisley Park studio is now a museum and concert hall, where fans and tourists from around the world have come to remember Prince and pay tribute to him today. Minnesota Public Radio’s Regina Medina traveled there and has this report.
REGINA MEDINA, BYLINE: It’s an all-day affair at Paisley Park, where a Prince-loving community has gathered. Sixty-one-year-old Annette Roberson says she’s a superfan who was in seventh grade when she started listening to Prince.
ANNETTE ROBERSON: I used to babysit, take my babysitting money, and buy his records when he came out. I did – actually was able to see him in concert, the Lovesexy concert.
MEDINA: Roberson says she loved his dancing, his wardrobe and especially his hair.
ROBERSON: I used to wear my hair like him back in the ’80s, or he wore it like me, one or the other (laughter).
MEDINA: Roberson flew in from a Chicago suburb to spend 24 hours at Paisley Park. She’s not the only one who traveled a distance. Julian Grossi and five friends traveled from Marseilles, France, to attend the 10-year commemoration. Grossi says they just had to be in Minnesota because Prince’s music was such a part of their lives.
JULIAN GROSSI: I started with Prince with “Purple Rain,” and I always listened to Prince. I listened to some other artists, of course, but Prince was always here in my life, always.
MEDINA: Prince’s “Purple Rain” propelled him to global stardom, and the Minneapolis St. Paul area, too. Julie Flannery from St. Paul says, although Prince is recognized for his music, there was so much more about him that was special.
JULIE FLANNERY: He was so himself and so ahead of his time, just felt like a deeply spiritual person, but then someone who was like – went hard for Minnesota and Minneapolis and supported local artists.
MEDINA: Makayla Elder, a manager at the Paisley Park museum, says that Prince did pave the way for many of the musicians who are popular today.
MAKAYLA ELDER: And it’s also great that he created Paisley Park as his creative sanctuary so that, you know, we can all come here and remember and learn and also just be together on days like today.
MEDINA: She calls it a full-circle moment of sharing information about Prince’s life and his legacy so future generations can enjoy his music and appreciate it. Although his fans have come to Minnesota to honor him on the day he died, there will be an even bigger celebration in June, an annual event held near his birthday. For NPR News, I’m Regina Medina at Paisley Park.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PURPLE RAIN”)
PRINCE: (Singing) I never meant to cause you any sorrow. I never meant to cause you any pain. I only wanted, one time, to see you laughing.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
