The death was unexpected, even though Prince had not been feeling well in the past month, going so far as to cancel two concerts. He was hospitalised last week, though his publicist had said then that it was the flu.
"It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57," publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement.
Police were summoned to the home to investigate the death, but they have not revealed any details so far.
Beginning in 1978, the singer has won seven Grammy Awards from 30 nominations. He also won an Oscar Award for his score for the film 'Purple Rain'. One of the best-selling pop stars of all time, he has released 39 solo studio albums and sold over a 100 million copies of his work.
His hits include songs like 'When Doves Cry', 'Little Red Corvette' and 'Raspberry Beret'.