Obama Released a Statement on Prince's Death

President Barack Obama released a statement Thursday in the wake of Prince's death. The pop legend died at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota, earlier in the day.

The statement was issued from POTUS' official Facebook account:

Today, the world lost a creative icon. Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader and an electrifying performer.

Obama's Twitter echoed the end of his Facebook statement: "'A strong spirit transcends rules,' Prince once said — and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder or more creative."

Prince's death at the age of 57 sent shock waves around the world. A cause of death has not yet been made public, but the singer was hospitalized due to a severe case of the flu late last week.

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