# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/141 "2016-04-28T12:53:52Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > To be specific, I originally suspected he was doing it to somehow affect the resonance. Nah. I suppose it looks a bit like that move you see some acoustic players use - where they hit a note they want to sustain and then pull the guitar forward from their body to waggle it a bit. It adds a bit of warble/vibrato to the tone, but can really look precious if overused šŸ˜‰ Thatā€™s not what heā€™s doing here. Heā€™s a Santana guy - Prince can play superfast, but is going for a less is more feel. By taking his right hand out of commission, he is letting the note sustain, and relying on his fretting hand to give it a bit more vibrato rather than overpicking to fill space. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/142 "2016-04-28T15:34:23Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Nah. I suppose it looks a bit like that move you see some acoustic players use - where they hit a note they want to sustain and then pull the guitar forward from their body to waggle it a bit. It adds a bit of warble/vibrato to the tone, but can really look precious if overused šŸ˜‰ > > Thatā€™s not what heā€™s doing here. Heā€™s a Santana guy - Prince can play superfast, but is going for a less is more feel. By taking his right hand out of commission, he is letting the note sustain, and relying on his fretting hand to give it a bit more vibrato rather than overpicking to fill space. Well Iā€™ll accept that as being close enough to what I was thinking! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/143 "2016-04-28T15:59:36Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Just hearing about the presence of Percocet on the scene. Yes, itā€™s no secret (especially now!) he had received pain medication in the past. Heck, my household still has several vicodin from a couple years ago (hmmā€¦ might be time to toss it, I think itā€™s expired) and some codeine leftover from my from my dental work last year. If my spouse or I drop dead tomorrow there will be ā€œopiates found in the householdā€. Iā€™m sure someone would be along shortly thereafter to portray us as drug fiends or something. :rolleyes: There are a few alternatives here: 1. Prince died with no painkillers in his system, regardless of what may or may not have been present in the house at the time. 2. Prince died with painkillers in his system, but they did not cause his death. 3. Prince died with painkillers in his system and they contributed to his death but were not the entirety of the cause. 4. Prince died with painkillers in his system and they caused his death. Possible option #5, suicide, was already largely ruled out by the coroner. Iā€™m _guessing_ that means there wasnā€™t anything like a large number of undigested pills in his stomach or something else equally obvious. Now, even if #3 or #4 are the cause of death, that could mean a bad reaction to the medication, interaction between two (or more) different pharmaceuticals, or an overdose. An overdose which could be accidental and not a symptom of abuse. If it DOES turn out to be an overdose Iā€™m going to assume it was accidental until proven otherwise, and that his family uses it to highlight the dangers of legal, prescription medications used carelessly, to excess, or whatever. Or a discussion of better ways to manage chronic pain, if thatā€™s what he was using it for. While it is looking more likely he did have pharmaceuticals in his system at the time of his death Iā€™m still waiting for the official coronerā€™s report. If he had a legitimate reason for painkillers he could have a therapeutic amount in his system and still have died of something else. There will still be people who claim he was a drug abuser (contrary to, apparently, everything and everyone else in his life) or thereā€™s a government cover-up or some such. Heck, there will probably be someone claiming he is now rooming with Elvis Presley. Or, yes, there is a possibility he had started abusing painkillers and managed to keep it hidden from family and friends, but I would prefer it if people didnā€™t make that the _first_ assumption. Iā€™d like to see some proof beyond ā€œprescription for Xā€. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/144 "2016-04-28T18:18:19Z")
BeyoncĆ© tribute ā€” [- YouTube](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGJ5woxCMo) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/145 "2016-04-28T19:08:46Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The Daily Mail is toilet paper. It has zero credibility. [_"The Daily Mail_ is read by the wives of the people who run the country."](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751828/quotes) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/146 "2016-04-28T19:59:59Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > BeyoncĆ© tribute ā€” [http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGJ5woxCMo](http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ihGJ5woxCMo) Heh, I like that as a tribute. Just play probably the most iconic Prince track through the rig in the middle of a gig, bit of purple lighting, audience sings along, job done. Better than a well-meant but not that good cover version, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/147 "2016-04-28T23:28:43Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > By the way, I can answer the question about Princeā€™s habit of reaching down and lifting his guitar a bit. Thatā€™s a groove-related nervous tic - thatā€™s the technical term ;). When you play a groove you have to work hard on NOT playing on the correct beats, too. When you are working out a groove, your hands develop the equivalent of ā€œumā€™sā€ and ā€œahā€™sā€ - non-moves that keep your hands busy so you are not playing on that beat. > > I have an upstroke pause that looks like an idiotic flourish because it was the only way I could keep my damn hand from doing the next downstroke. > > When you have your own tic vocabulary, you can pick it out in others. On the same topic, Prince has the most intuitive connection to his guitar - especially his favorite Hohner Tele-knock-off. Itā€™s a part of his body. This is why I like to read your input in music threads. I would never have imagined such things come into play while playing a guitar. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/148 "2016-04-29T00:12:46Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > This is why I like to read your input in music threads. I would never have imagined such things come into play while playing a guitar. Oh yeah - when you see some players looking like their tweaking their Volume and Tone controls, they may be adjusting them to meet a perceived need, or it may just be a groove tic to keep their hands busy and away from the strings. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/149 "2016-04-29T02:21:39Z")
Great, now Iā€™ll know even less about what a guitar player is doing while heā€™s playing than I thought I did before. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**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:** [May 1, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/150 "2016-05-01T23:22:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Took some googling, but it appears to be [Marc Mann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Mann), Iā€™m not familiar with him. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > The drummer is Steve Ferrone from The Heartbreakers. Organ/pianos are Billy Preston and Stevie Winwood. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > Sorry, just noticed this. Scott Thurston, bassist for The Heartbreakers. So, Iā€™m watching this _again_, and I realize the excellent Joey P has identified all the personnel except the bongo player. Any chance ā€¦? ---
**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:** [May 2, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/151 "2016-05-02T00:32:52Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So, Iā€™m watching this _again_, and I realize the excellent Joey P has identified all the personnel except the bongo player. Any chance ā€¦? Jim Capaldi, plays percussion/tambourines and part of the Traffic lineup at one point or another (so a Stevie Winwood connection). ETA, so what weā€™ve got here is some sort of bizarre Traveling Wilburyā€™s slash Heartbreakers slash Traffic groupā€¦with Prince on lead Guitar. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2016, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/152 "2016-05-02T00:39:25Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Jim Capaldi, plays percussion/tambourines and part of the Traffic lineup at one point or another (so a Stevie Winwood connection). > > ETA, so what weā€™ve got here is some sort of bizarre Traveling Wilburyā€™s slash Heartbreakers slash Traffic groupā€¦with Prince on lead Guitar. Itā€™s our fortune that it was recorded. A truly amazing set of circumstances coming together. (If only James Capaldi had been related to Peter Capaldi, that would have been another all-star coincidence.) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/153 "2016-05-04T13:13:42Z")
So, now Sinead Oā€™Connor is claiming that Arsenio Hall was the neā€™er do well that was supplying Prince with drugs. [Story here](http://jam.canoe.com/Music/2016/05/03/22629410-wenn-story.html). ---
**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:** [May 4, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/154 "2016-05-04T13:42:19Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > So, now Sinead Oā€™Connor is claiming that Arsenio Hall was the neā€™er do well that was supplying Prince with drugs. > > [Story here](http://jam.canoe.com/Music/2016/05/03/22629410-wenn-story.html). I saw that a few days ago. Iā€™m curious to know who owns the rights to Nothing Compares 2 U. If Prince does, it wouldnā€™t surprise me if someone from his camp did what they could to make sure she couldnā€™t use/sing/play/receive royalties from it anymore. OTOH, this isnā€™t the first time the two of them have bad mouthed each other (or at least that sheā€™s said something like this about him). Also, come to think of it, I havenā€™t hear Sineadā€™s version of Nothing Compares 2 U on XM50 yet, but I have heard Princeā€™s once or twice. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/155 "2016-05-04T14:36:18Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also, come to think of it, I havenā€™t hear Sineadā€™s version of Nothing Compares 2 U on XM50 yet, but I have heard Princeā€™s once or twice. Her version was on yesterday morning, but it was the first time I heard it. Itā€™s a side issue, but I do wonder who is control of his music rights now. Given that he had no will, are they all in probate limbo? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/156 "2016-05-04T14:57:56Z")
Prince died amid frantic plans for drug addiction treatment California doctor specializing in opioid addiction had been called to help with a ā€˜grave medical emergency.ā€™ > [@](#): > > Andrew Kornfeld was expected to meet with Prince early Thursday after taking a red-eye flight from San Francisco the night Princeā€™s representatives called, Mauzy said. > > When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Princeā€™s representatives could not find him, Mauzy said. Andrew Kornfeld was one of three people at Paisley Park when the musicianā€™s body was found in an elevator a few minutes later ā€” and it was Andrew Kornfeld who called 911. > > Mauzy said that Andrew Kornfeld told him that the others ā€œscreamedā€ when they found Prince and ā€œwere in too much shockā€ to call 911. [http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/](http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/) ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/157 "2016-05-04T15:48:59Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I saw that a few days ago. Iā€™m curious to know who owns the rights to Nothing Compares 2 U. If Prince does, it wouldnā€™t surprise me if someone from his camp did what they could to make sure she couldnā€™t use/sing/play/receive royalties from it anymore. You canā€™t stop someone from performing a song which you have written and of which a recorded performance has been released. Oā€™Connor didnā€™t get Princeā€™s permission to record Nothing Compares 2 U in the first place - she didnā€™t need to and still doesnā€™t need to. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/158 "2016-05-04T16:07:14Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Prince died amid frantic plans for drug addiction treatment > California doctor specializing in opioid addiction had been called to help with a ā€˜grave medical emergency.ā€™ > > [http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/](http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/) If he had ODā€™d just a few days prior, was generally unwell, and his staff had just called an addiction doctor in a panic, then why the hell was he left all alone in that huge studio complex? A staff member should have been around to keep an eye on him. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/159 "2016-05-04T16:16:18Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Prince died amid frantic plans for drug addiction treatment > California doctor specializing in opioid addiction had been called to help with a ā€˜grave medical emergency.ā€™ > > [http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/](http://www.startribune.com/addiction-doctor-was-to-have-seen-prince-just-before-his-death/378051471/) More anonymous sources? Some people sure are making a fine living out of appeasing the folks who are just so damn eager to hear this guy died a junkie, arenā€™t they? And _of course_ ā€œcalls and e-mailsā€ to the doctor(s) in question werenā€™t answered, because the doc(s) in question apparently have ethics. Yeah, I could see someone with a chronic pain problem winding up with a physical dependence on opiates. If thatā€™s the case here itā€™s sad, but Iā€™m getting heartily sick of all the salivating over the manā€™s health problems. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828/160 "2016-05-04T16:17:22Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > If he had ODā€™d just a few days prior, was generally unwell, and his staff had just called an addiction doctor in a panic, then why the hell was he left all alone in that huge studio complex? A staff member should have been around to keep an eye on him. Umā€¦ he was a presumably competent adult who could tell his employees to leave him alone if he wanted? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prince-dead-at-57/752828.md?page=9)