I was in the kitchen getting ready for the preschool's kids to wake up from nap and my wife was starting to work on the school's Facebook page. I heard her say, in a sort of panicked gasp, "What?"

I came in, honestly assuming she'd run across some stupid comment from somebody running for president (that's what mostly is causing her to just say "What?" these days). She was opening our Yahoo feed to see, but she just said "I don't know" (because she didn't want to say anything until she knew for sure) until it came up on the screen as the first 4 or 5 stories, and she looked at me and said "I'm so sorry." And then I stared out the window for several minutes, sat down for a few more, trying to find anything that made sense, tried to come on here (and of course that wasn't happening successfully until the next day), and then, after about 10 minutes, kids starting waking up and I had to get back to work.

I was doing one last facebbok check before going back into work at 1245. i saw the TMZ post but didnt believe it at first. Called my youngest and she heard but wasnt able to get another source. I texted a friend whose brother is a reporter in PA, and he began to try and vailidate but by then, within mere minutes, Huffington had it up. Then I burst into hysterical tears...actually overcome by grief. Anyways I had to go home. Texted to boss I had a personal emergency. Been crying on and off....yesterday morning as soon as I woke up I cried. I did go to work, but was very distracted and weepy....looked for plane tickets...too much $$ on short notice....still so surreal. My daughters have called and my mom and sister....at least there are some people in my life that understand. I feel better just lurking here with you all. Last time I saw him was Dec 2013. The thought that there wont be another concert is awful. i am going to try like hell to get to the memorial or service or whatever there will be for us, hoping we find out soon so I can plan. Im a little angry, Im sad, Im kinda still like in a fog that this could have happened, I did imagine I would die before him for some reason. I dont know, to me its like a personal tradgedy, and is to so many of us, and only we get it. Anyways, the music has always been there for inspiration in any situation. So it will come....

CHIC0 said:

I've no words.... Where were you when the news broke about his passing? Who told you or how did you find out?

I was at a clinton rally.And former president clinton just finished his speech and was walking the line and my baby was given to him to hold.It was a beautiful speech that uplifts you.Back in early 2000's i missed the chance to see him and mj and baby blanket at the apollo.So because he came to my area i wanted to hear him speak.So outside we send my daughter the picture and she says 'beautiful' but,mom something happened to prince.I said WHAT?!!! I went thru the usual maybe its a lie a hoax.I always listen to his music.And i've been a fan from the start.I can prob quote his movie word 4 word.As a scout,and cd i always waited 4 the day they said hey there is a prince breakdown which means a casting call.My one daughter likes to dress up singers she did mj,and slash.next up was prince.We were on ebay looking 4 a purple coat.I saw all the video's of him that was on youtube awhile ago.Yahoo is late to the game on the one with whitney and bobbi kris.Sad how all three are gone now.So i went from 100 to 0 hearing about prince.Lisa

I was at home doing some online banking. I live in the UK and I have a ROKU streaming stick and I have the Livestream streaming app installed on it and it carries the local Minneapolis KMSP Fox 9 channel on it and it broke to a commercial break and then suddenly it broke to a silent live footage of police and other emergency services outside Paisley Park(I recognized the parking lot and the white building as I used to live near there for 15 years). I sat totally transfixxed to the TV wondering WTF was going on there. I first thought there was a fire or something as the fire marshall was there. Then I went onto Facebook and I read that there had been a fatality there and I literally yelled out PLEASE DONT LET IT BE PRINCE particularly after hearing of the recent events of his hospitalization and everything, and then upon hearing that Prince had died I just broke out into virtual convulsions and screaming and crying, then my mum called and asked me if I had heard the news and I said yes and even SHE said its like losing a member of the family!!

I am still gutted and numb and cant beleive that Prince is no longer with us!! I still hope it is just a bad dream and I am going to wake up from it!! But, ALAS, NO!!!

I was at home, put on BBC text service and looked on entertainment section. My heart dropped came here and could not get on , knew it was probably true hoping it was not. Then my sister phoned me and said look at the news on TV. I knew then the worst before i looked at the news.

I was at my boyfriend's house and I left my phone on his table as soon as I entered. We were cooking some food and as soon as we sat at the table in order to eat I realized my phone wouldn't stop ringing. I had several text messages from different people, but the one I read first was from my mom. The message said "Our Prince is gone". Prince was something mom and I have always had in common and got us really close. We would spend hours listening to his music together while cooking or cleaning or whatever and she would always call him Our Prince. I was in utter disbelief and completely heartbroken with it but it was surreal

I came to the realization that he was gone the next day and I cried my eyes out, and I know mom did too.

[Edited 4/24/16 10:30am]

I have not posted here in ages. I was at work when I found out, had just left a meeting, sat down on my desk when a friend texted me the news. I couldn't work for the rest of the day, didn't break down until I left.

Still cannot believe he's gone, but I really feel "It is well".

I had just got out of the barbers where me and the hairdresser had been discussing Prince. Literally took my phone from by bag, stopped and just went NUMB!!!

I was on my lunch break, checking facebook on my phone when the Paisley Park Death Investigation posts started to appear on my news feed. Soon after, I started receiving text messages from family and from a friend who attended a Paisley Party dance party with me last summer (the one and only time I ever visited the place or Minnesota for that matter). Needless to say, I was shellshocked.

[Edited 4/24/16 19:55pm]

I had just arrived home, after my final day at work. I was already emotional and in tears from saying farewell to my former collegues, and I went to bed (I work the night shift). I usually put on CNN, to lull me to sleep after work. I fell asleep for about an hour and a half, then woke up, to see the headline on CNN, about Prince's death. All I could do was just cry out, "Noooo!" I think I cried, off and on, all day that day.

My daughter came home from the gym, where she heard the news. She was afraid to wake me to tell me, as she knew I had a tough night at work the night prior. But when she saw me, she knew that I already knew.

[Edited 4/24/16 20:21pm]

I was at work and I hadn't been on my computer for hours. People kept asking me was if I was ok. I thought it odd but went on. Finally I went to check my email and I saw the news. Can't type but I went to every news site and hoped. I went to the bathroom and just cried. Spent the rest of the day looking for some site to say that this was a joke, but its Monday, the private service was Tuesday and peole are talking about a museum.

Sitting in school. Got up to go to lunch, people sending me text messages like "Sorry for your loss" and I was like ?? who did I lose??

Then I saw my dad text me "Prince died???" I felt numb. I quickly googled prince and at first I thought internet hoax but I saw all the news sites saying it. I felt sick. didnt eat anything at lunch. Began crying.

They started to play Purple Rain on the speaker system, I began to cry harder. I called my mom in the middle of school and we just cried on the phone together for a good 3-4 minutes.

Rest in paradise, Prince. We wll never forget u! God bless u!

I ONLY WANT 2 SEE U LAUGHING IN THE PURPLE RAIN
PURPLE RAIN
PURPLE RAIN

i was on a conference call at work. My cell was blowing up with texts from friends. I snuck a peek at Facebook and pretty much froze in mid sentence while talking to clients.

Made up some excuse but was pretty shaken up.

Sitting right here at my desk at home, working on the same project I'm working on right now. Saw the stories about an emergency at the park. Went numb. Girfriend came home an hour later, I told her, and broke down. So many texts, tweets, emails, phone calls and Facebook messages from friends who knew what his music meant to me, asking if I was OK. I'm still not OK.

DaveT said:

Was out for a run after work...got back at 7pm. My wife opened the door and said "Have you spoken to anyone?", I said "No, left my phone here". Knew from the moment she spoke something was wrong. She said "Prince has died".

Thought I'd misheard her at first, but I could hear the news on in the background. Went and sat on the sofa. Was in actual shock for about five minutes. Then they played Purple Rain on the news and I lost it

Reading this totally made me cry

I was at work, walking into the restroom to see a man about a wallaby. Pulled out my phone to see a text from my sister: "I just read that Prince died. I'm sorry". First reaction was rolling my eyes, thinking about the plane landing in Moline. Jumped into twitter and there was already confirmation. Sat there stunned and growing quickly numb. Didn't shit that day. Only felt like shit instead.

Reading all these stories... damn it's nice to have a "family" who understands. We all need to get together for a huge group hug.

Surfing the internet.

In my skin.

I'm 15 years younger than Prince, and at no point since I've become a super-fan 30+ years ago did I ever think I would outlive him. It feels so irrational to think that now that we are hearing some of the stories of painkillers etc, but it's how I've always felt. I'm not going to insult any people who've lost children, because I'm certain that pain is incomparable, but I will say that (ONLY) in the terms of "I wasn't supposed to outlive him." ... it feels like that a little bit. I never thought I'd see this day as long as I lived. Damn I was doing really well until this thread.

At home and woke up from a nap. Went downstairs and turned on MSNBC. My stomach was in knots. Totally gutted.

I was at work. I got a text message from a friend who said "Please tell me that these rumors about Prince aren't true".

I kind of ignored it, and then I got an e-mail from a colleague. They said that there's a report that Prince has died. Then she e-mailed me back and said "No. It's someone else."

Then I got another message saying that there's been a death at Paisley Park.

I got nervous and called my girlfriend. I was a bit nervous and in some tears. I wanted to know... but I didn't want to know.

I asked her to look the story up and to get back to me, and she found a story that said it was a hoax and texted that story to me. I sighed in relief.

Then more messages came, and I logged onto Yahoo, who said that there was a death reported at Paisley Park. Then I refreshed my screen, and it said Prince Dead at 57.

I called my girlfriend back and asked her to check again, and she said it was on the TV and CNN. And then she said "I"m so sorry, baby".

I'm still in disbelief. Whenever I see the tag "Prince died" or Prince 1958-2016, I can't belief it. Still.

I had just got to work. I was talking to a coworker when my phone starts blowing up. I had a lot of emails to sort through so I didn't pay attention and thought "eh i'll check my texts later". Until my phone literally did not stop. Then the Facebook notifications started coming through so out of annoyance (and now curiousity) I checked and there it was. I was in denial for a good 60 seconds, telling myself it was a hoax. Until I realized it was true. I did not want to break down in the office so I just remember going numb. I finally had to run to the bathroom and completely broke down. The hardest part about that day was trying to keep my composure as best as I could until I got home. I had to excuse myself at least 3-4 times that day. I can't believe it's already been a week. It still doesn't feel real.

I was watching news on TV. They said- Prince died. I couldn't believe that. I tried to confirm on the Internet. And still couldn't believe.

Next day I was at work. I am a teacher. My students went to console me, all worn in black. I couldn't hold back tears.

I was on the bus, back from work, in Versailles.

I was disturbing everyone, as usual, with my headphones at full volume, wired to my laptop.
"Controversy / Mutiny" from the Miami soundcheck was blasting.

I had to remove the headphones, the phone was ringing. Didn't cut the music.
Dad asked me if my important meeting went OK.
And before he hanged up : '"Oh, I know you were a big fan, I don't know if you heard but...".

I'm paralyzed. Soon after my best friend calls.

I need a drink. Luckily, my usual café crew is there. I bring them the sad news.
We spent the afternoon and all evening blasting my playlist on the café speakers.

Small Club's "Just My Imagination" follows "All My Dreams".

I make a point of making people present hear rare and precious stuff,
even though people keep on asking for "Kiss" or "1999".

I spend my week-end alone in my room. No phone.
I finally cry, reading an Org post from terrig.
And I cry and I cry. Finally.

databank said:

All your stories make me wanna cry every time I read one

And at the same time it helps coping with the loss.

Strange but true.

For some reason that day I had the urge to listen to Prince, all of my fave songs by him were on an old laptop of mine that crashed (so I wasn't lisening to him that often) and I only had Darling Nikki & She's Always In My Hair on this one. But I was at college...studying for a final I had at 7pm that night. Was taking a break and logged onto twitter and a few of my friends had messaged me saying that they thought about me when they heard it. Then my family messaaged me as well. Was honestly in denial but I couldnt even afford to dwell on it because that final was really important. It became really hard to focus though, I regretted going on the internet that day.

[Edited 4/28/16 10:18am]