# Prince Dead at 57 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [April 21, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828 "2016-04-21T16:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/221 "2016-06-03T11:38:14Z")
Just to be clear, he already had one surgery in 2010. It’s very possible he thought a second one would fail as well. The pain was the reason for his “Prince and a Piano” tour which didn’t involve any theatrics. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/222 "2016-06-03T11:45:45Z")
It just breaks my heart. He had mastered and established Prince-mastery over so much - one could argue it was his defining characteristic, and was the added spice that made people especially admire him, or offer a silly hook for people who wanted to say “Strip away the persona, and the music isn’t there.” Unfortunately easy to see how he would believe he could master his pain, too. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/223 "2016-06-03T13:24:24Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Not so much multiple patches at once but rather one patch followed too closely by another. In other words, it’s easier to accidentally overdose on it than a lot of other stuff. But there’s more to this than just some over-medication for pain. From this [CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/health/prince-death-opioid-overdose/index.html) > [@](#): > > The day before Prince died, his team called an eminent opioid addiction specialist in California seeking urgent help for the singer, an attorney working for the specialist and his son said. The specialist, Dr. Howard Kornfeld, couldn’t get there immediately so he sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, on an overnight flight to Minnesota. The goal was for the younger Kornfeld to help evaluate Prince’s health and encourage him to enter treatment for pain management and potential addiction issues, attorney William Mauzy told reporters. > > But by the time Andrew Kornfeld arrived at the singer’s Paisley Park complex on the morning of April 21, it was too late. He and two Prince representatives found the 57-year-old entertainer unresponsive in an elevator. Andrew Kornfeld was the person who called 911 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/224 "2016-06-03T13:39:32Z")
I am not sure what we are saying differently: he thought he could master his use of pain meds and apparently did for even decades. But he couldn’t really, and got addicted. This feels different than the romantic portrait of herion-addict musicians who chase the dragon to be in that perfect _Kind of Blue_ headspace. I bet he had a freakin’ laid-out, detailed calendar for his “pain management” or other such delusion of control. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/225 "2016-06-03T14:04:47Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > But there’s more to this than just some over-medication for pain. From this [CNN article](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/health/prince-death-opioid-overdose/index.html) Yes. That’s exactly what (some) addiction looks like. Addiction isn’t always a junkie under the bridge panhandling for his next fix. Addiction is also the legitimate pain patient whose body becomes tolerant and habituated to opiates, and who may even develop additional pain as a side effect of opiate pain medication. There’s little to no moral culpability to that sort of addiction, any more than we judge people who get a cough as a side effect from their lisinopril. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/226 "2016-06-03T15:24:39Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Just to be clear, he already had one surgery in 2010. It’s very possible he thought a second one would fail as well. > > The pain was the reason for his “Prince and a Piano” tour which didn’t involve any theatrics. Prince was a Christian Scientist; his surgical options for pain relief were probably quite limited. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/227 "2016-06-03T16:17:39Z")
No, Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/228 "2016-06-03T18:01:19Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I am not sure what we are saying differently: he thought he could master his use of pain meds and apparently did for even decades. But he couldn’t really, and got addicted. Bro, I think you’re missing the bigger picture here: It’s an established fact that Prince had a Percocet addiction for years. Consider: Percocet (which is a form of oxycodone mixed with acetaminophen) is actually a very weak narcotic. It’s maximum dosage is 10 mg per pill. Initially, he would have felt the effect of the narcotic, but it wouldn’t have taken long to need more and more of the drug. I’d wager he was taking handfuls… probably 12 or more at a time, and probable taking this dosage several times a day. He found with opioids without a prescription… and they could not have been Fentanyl; they must have been either hydrocodone or Percocet. I also read that Prince had just been dropped off at his home by a friend, after visiting a pharmacy sometime near the time he died. A combination of Percocet and Fentanyl, and having Percocet without a prescription, is indeed evidence of narcotic abuse. He was playing with dynamite. There’s simply no excusing this! ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/229 "2016-06-03T18:10:02Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Prince was a Christian Scientist; his surgical options for pain relief were probably quite limited. As a Christian Scientist myself, I can tell you: we believe in doctors for those who need them… even for ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/230 "2016-06-03T18:10:03Z")
We have had a lot of ODs and deaths in Northern Cal from counterfeit Norco pills that are actually Fentanyl. > **[6th person dies in Sac County from fake Norco pills](https://www.kcra.com/article/6th-person-dies-in-sacramento-county-from-counterfeit-norco-pills/6427876)** > > A sixth person has died in Sacramento County as a result of ingesting pills made to look like a prescription painkiller, health officials confirmed Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/231 "2016-06-03T18:17:57Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Bro, > > I think you’re missing the bigger picture here: It’s an established fact that Prince had a Percocet addiction for years. > > Consider: Percocet (which is a form of oxycodone mixed with acetaminophen) is actually a very weak narcotic. It’s maximum dosage is 10 mg per pill. > > Initially, he would have felt the effect of the narcotic, but it wouldn’t have taken long to need more and more of the drug. > > I’d wager he was taking handfuls… probably 12 or more at a time, and probable taking this dosage several times a day. > > He found with opioids without a prescription… and they could not have been Fentanyl; they must have been either hydrocodone or Percocet. > > I also read that Prince had just been dropped off at his home by a friend, after visiting a pharmacy sometime near the time he died. > > A combination of Percocet and Fentanyl, and having Percocet without a prescription, is indeed evidence of narcotic abuse. > > He was playing with dynamite. > > There’s simply no excusing this! No, I think you’re missing the point. Prince played with dynamite of various types throughout his career and came out ahead. In his mind (all wild-ass guessing on my part), pain meds were like an empty studio on Day 1 of a song, a crowded Super Bowl stadium, standing up to his record label, etc. What is there to excuse? It’s more like Icarus than criminal. It just stinks, most of all. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/232 "2016-06-03T18:25:40Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Yes. That’s exactly what (some) addiction looks like. Addiction isn’t always a junkie under the bridge panhandling for his next fix. Addiction is also the legitimate pain patient whose body becomes tolerant and habituated to opiates, and who may even develop additional pain as a side effect of opiate pain medication. > > There’s little to no moral culpability to that sort of addiction, any more than we judge people who get a cough as a side effect from their lisinopril. Actually, If Prince is being prescribed Percocet: his pain isn’t as great as you’re claiming. Sounds like he found a quack that gave him Fentanyl… and little or no supervision of its use. He was found with opioid’s with no prescription. This mixture would kill anyone, and although it’s tempting to hang it all on the quack: do you really believe that Prince disclosed to the quack that he had a stash of Percocet? **Here’s the real issue; Prince’s behavior makes it more difficult for others who need their medication to get it!** And… that 's exactly you’re 100% wrong! ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/233 "2016-06-03T18:31:00Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > We have had a lot of ODs and deaths in Northern Cal from counterfeit Norco pills that are actually Fentanyl. > > [http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/6th-person-dies-in-sacramento-county-from-laced-norco-pills/38751232](http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/6th-person-dies-in-sacramento-county-from-laced-norco-pills/38751232) WOW! A good reason to never buy drugs on the street! ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/234 "2016-06-03T18:34:44Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > No, I think you’re missing the point. Prince played with dynamite of various types throughout his career and came out ahead. In his mind (all wild-ass guessing on my part), pain meds were like an empty studio on Day 1 of a song, a crowded Super Bowl stadium, standing up to his record label, etc. > > What is there to excuse? It’s more like Icarus than criminal. It just stinks, most of all. NOPE! It bear’s repeating: If Prince is being prescribed Percocet: his pain isn’t as great as you’re claiming. Sounds like he found a quack that gave him Fentanyl… and little or no supervision of its use. He was found with opioid’s with no prescription. This mixture would kill anyone, and although it’s tempting to hang it all on the quack: do you really believe that Prince disclosed to the quack that he had a stash of Percocet? Prince’s behavior makes it harder on the rest of us who also need our meds, as the feds will now use this to crack down. Why should _we_ have to pay for Prince’s behavior? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/235 "2016-06-03T18:48:54Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > As a Christian Scientist myself, I can tell you: we believe in doctors for those who need them… even for ourselves. Sorry; **JRDelerious** corrected my brain-fart: Jehovah’s Witness, not Chistian Scientist. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/236 "2016-06-03T18:51:03Z")
Wordman, I’m waiting: Just answer the last line of my previous post. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/237 "2016-06-03T18:52:04Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Sorry; **JRDelerious** corrected my brain-fart: Jehovah’s Witness, not Chistian Scientist. NP. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/238 "2016-06-03T18:57:51Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > There’s simply no excusing this! How is the concept of “excuse” or “no excuse” applicable to this situation? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/239 "2016-06-03T19:02:10Z")
> [@btcg](#): > > Wordman, > > I’m waiting: > > Just answer the last line of my previous post. Dude, I have a job. I’ll post when I can. Why should we pay for Prince’s behavior?! What has that got to do with anything? I am not going to be drawn into some weird debate about addiction. He was addicted - yes. So? His path to addiction matters, in its way, and as part of who he was. I have a framing of that; you have yours. Cool. See ya. ---
**Author:** ![btcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@btcg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/btcg)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/240 "2016-06-03T19:03:03Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > How is the concept of “excuse” or “no excuse” applicable to this situation? I won’t run from your question. Freedom is an absolute in our society… but when one’s behavior affects another citizen, it _stops_ at that door. It’s really pretty simple. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=13)