[pensive orchestral music] he was per koeshs from the start. provocative until the end. >> you help but be sexy. >> heels with, the lace. he was dangerous. >> he was about ten people in one. >> already breaking down all the boundaries. >> magical. >> matherful. mysterious. >> you never knew what you was going to get yet. >> his last days were filled with mystery too. >> having talk to someone one

>> what was behind his sudden icdeath? >> there are some things regarding this investigation that i will not be able to talk about. >> emotional tributes pour in. and now revealing stories pour out. >> we were family. >> would you say he's one of your greatest loves? >> absolutely. >> i said prince, are you okay? then we talked. for nearly three hours. >> one of so many greats, gone so soon. >> these guys sound track every important moment in a generation's life. >> tonight, we remember. >> prince was very quiet, but his music spoke volumes. >> you felt you were on the journey with him. >> you hear that song, boom. you're just right back to being 18. that's magical. >> prince, the life and death of

good evening and welcome to "dateline," i'm lester holt in los angeles. as fans celebrate the life of prince, there are a growing number of questions tonight about how the singer died. an autopsy was performed today, the results may not be known for weeks. but we are learning more about how prince met his last few days alive. here's cynthia mcfadden. >> reporter: prince is gone, but the vision of prince remains as it mourns the intensely private superstar, the first official explanation of his death from the carver county minnesota sheriff, prolonged the mystery. >> there are some things regarding this investigation that i will not be able to talk about. >> reporter: sheriff jim olson did confirm he was found dead in an elevator at his estate thursday morning. >> this was an unwitnessed death. of a middle aged adult, the digs was made to process the scene. >> reporter: an investigation

two things were ruled out today. >> there were no obvious signs of trauma on the body at all. we have no reason to believe at this point that this was a suicide. >> reporter: so what did happen in the 30d some hours since the rock stars death, the world has been trying to piece together the last days of his life. the first clue that something might have been wrong april 7th, more than two weeks ago when postponed a concert in atlanta. did you make note of that? did that seem odd to you that he cancel cancelled? >> no, sometimes shows get cancelled for a number of reasons. >> reporter: there was a book entitled, i would die for you. why prince became an artist. >> especially a little bit older, tired, sick, you know, i mean that's sort of thing happens. >> reporter: last week, prince made good on the postponed concert in atlanta.

of purple. he played two sets. his video shows his greeting fans, apparently healthy. but hours later, as he was flying home to minnesota, something seemed to be wrong. at 1:01 a.m., according to flight records obtained by nbc news, prince's deassault made a sudden unscheduled diversion, diving 45,000 people to the airport in illinois in just 17 minutes. a source with direct knowledge of the events says prince became unresponsive on the flight. and just three minutes before landing, the fire department received a call for emergency help. prince was reportedly taken to a local hospital. nbc news medical contributor and dr. natalie azar. what would the doctors have looked for first? >> they have to trii can't imagine the patient quickly. that he can breathe, make sure the airway is secure.

pulse and a blood pressure. >> reporter: in 12 hours, he went back home. in fact, prince's protege, was text messaging light hearted banter to the star after reports that he'd been hospitalized. >> you need to tell many you're okay before i bite all my nails off. i bite my nails when i get real nervous. and he said, he responded, almost like, you know, really quickly, and he said, don't eat your nails, eat food instead. everything is wonderful. and he spelled wonderful like one-derful. >> tamron hal was a close friend. she told nbc earlier today that she recently touched base with him. >> i e-mailed him on saturday and i said, prince, are you okay? he immediately wrote back, are you okay? >> reporter: she said they

didn't hear any sign of illness in his voice. no traces of the flu. >> i didn't press him on what happened. it was clear that he did not want to elaborate on it. and he wanted me to come to paisley that night for his fan appreciation concert. and i took the fact that he was hosting something and wanted me to be there there as a sign that he was okay. >> reporter: tamron didn't end up going, but about 200 people did. this man was among them. >> he posted on his twitter account, saying dance party with a dj on saturday night, $10 entrance, and it's a celebrate the good weather we're having and the thank fans for all their love and support. >> reporter: he told us the crowd was packed with locals and teenagers back offing in the sultry music and weather. prince appeared at midnight. >> the first thing he's like don't believe the media, wait two days, i don't want you to

to say prayers because of what the media's reporting. >> reporter: he showed off a new piano, purple, of course and played cheeky bars. he'd been to bayesly park dance parties before said, something was different about the pmpbler. >> he just looked a little more pale than normal. and weaker. >> reporter: prince replied to a fan o who attended the concert. feel rejooufuated, feeling loved. and then tuesday night, he was well enough to sneak in the side door of the dakota jazz club in downtown minneapolis. the manager said, he'd been doing that for years. he even had his own table. >> normally prince always leaves before a show is over. just to make it easier before the lights come up. and he says through liz's entire show on tuesday night. >> reporter: the owner says he seemed fine.

which was unusual for him. i mean, he did enjoy hearing other, especially young artists. >> yeah, yeah. i mean look, prince was out and about, around minneapolis trying to be aware of who all the players were. >> reporter: the snapshot posted by celebrity entertainment website tmz purportedly shows prince visiting walgreens on wednesday night. we don't know what he bought there and can't confirm it's him. we do know that prince's staff members told police they'd dropped prince off at his home that night. next morning, they went to check on him. that's where they found him. in the elevator. on the first floor. >> we need a paramedic at paisley not breathing. >> reporter: he was pronounced dead at 10:07 a.m. at today's press conference, the sheriff told reporters not to expect autopsy results for a few weeks. >> bear in mind, this incident happened about 29 hours ago.

thank you very much, everybody. >> reporter: veteran forensic pathologist sarah wheck reacted. >> without engage, this has all the earmarks of a drug-related death. it's highly unlikely that he had any kind of an illness which was not diagnosed and treated before. >> reporter: we don't know what happened, but if it turns out that drugs were in some way involved, that would be a break in your experience, from the rest of his life. >> absolutely. he was a super hard worker, he was not about taking drugs. he was not about taking caffeine, so to think that now, that would change, would be sort of strange and heart breaking. >> reporter: this afternoon in this simple gray van, his body was taken to his family. tonight, whatever the cause, there's plenty of heartbreak to go around. coming up -- >> he was the megastar who never

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>> reporter: this is why where they gathered, paisley park, prince's minnesota home and recording studio, decked out in purple. >> paisley park is the monument, it's a place where, you know, so much music was made there. >> reporter: sheila was prince's drummer and the the two were briefly engaged. >> paisley was our life. and very proud of what he built. and it needs to be a museum. >> he talked to you about that? >> yeah, what he was doing was for the fans. every room feels very warm and inviting and it feels like someone's living room, each room, and you just to want sit here and hang out. it feels like home. >> reporter: home, prince rogers nelson was raised in the twin city. his mom was a social worker, his dad, a jazz musician. prince was 13 when he started his first band.

>> reporter: jimmy chan was a childhood friend. >> prince was very quiet, but his music and his musical ability spoke volumes. he had a huge afro, all the girls loved him. he played basketball. right. and he'd come up the court and like literally, he would be bouncing the ball up the court and his fro would be like in tempo -- and the girls would be in the stands screaming, oh, prince. it was crazy. >> reporter: here at the first avenue nightclub, fans listened to a young prince perform, and witnessed the beginnings of his musical genius. >> this was very important to prince, first he felt a real bond with it. >> reporter: byron frank helped run the business at first avenue. just as prince was launching his career. byron's daughter dana now owns the club. >> this was his lab. >> reporter: his lab to test it out? >> uh-huh.

heard purple rain. it was right from that stage. transcending experience. >> reporter: he later used the club as a location for the film of the same name. they call prince the patron saint of first avenue. and fittingly, the memorial for him was a dance party. prince never strayed far from this place or minnesota. >> i don't really consider myself a superstar. i live in a small town and i always will. because i can walk around and be me. >> prince would come out to l.a. and he had a couple of houses at various times out here, but no, minneapolis was always roots and always home. being comfortable is very important.

>> reporter: he could be spotted riding his bicycle or browsing the aisles of a local record store. >> it's his hometown record store. >> reporter: aaron is the owner. he says prince would shop here and was a vocal supporter of not only his store, but the entire art scene. >> to have such an iconic pop icon. would renowned musical legend and go and patronize local stores and keep the local vibe. >> reporter: and at the elementary school where the children and staff adorned themselves in purple, prince will be remembered for donating $30,000 to their music and arts program. >> he really tried to make the world a better place in small, quiet ways. and it's just, it's more than a loss of a famous musician, it's really -- he was really an

>> reporter: kerry lived up the road from paisley park. she feels like so many minnesota yanss that prince was truly one of them. >> we're very proud that he could live in our community and felt safe there. and it's just hard to imagine that that's gone now. >> reporter: and even though prince is very private he welcomed fans into his home for parties. >> i think paisley park, when he opened that up and did things throughout, that was truly a gift he was giving to fans, an an opportunity to be within like five, ten feet of him. and walk around with him. >> reporter: prince was a gracious host, says aaron, as long as you followed the rules. >> everyone in the twin cities knows like the paisley park rules. you know, there's no alcohol served there, no smoking, no cell phones, no pictures, and no swearing either. which, it's straight laced. it's not like you think of, you know, you go there to party,

fan. >> reporter: to the end, prince was quintessential minnesota. martin keller was a local music critic who covered prince for years. >> i think really deep inside, the way he worked, the way he was, the privacy that he seemed to crave, i think he was still that shy, minneapolis kid. >> reporter: this is where he was born, where he created his art, and yesterday, where he died. >> you know, he could have gone anywhere in the world to perform teen live, but yet, he really sort of is that hometown boy who really never could give up minneapolis, right? >> right. i mean, and he has traveled the world. this was home for him. >> reporter: in his blood. >> yeah. >> i said why have you always come back here? why have you stayed here? and he was out really thinking about it, he said i think god puts you in a place where you're supposed to be and that's where

i'm here. coming up, she's our family, and prince was like family to her. >> in my life, the only other person i spoke with more than prince was my mother. >> tamron hall shares intimate story was an icon. get unlimited data and your fourth line free when you have at&t wireless and directv. plus, up to $650 in credits to help you switch. every auto insurance policy has a number. but not every insurance company understands the life behind it. those who have served our nation. have earned the very best

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for someone who lived so much of his life on stage, prince was a famously private person. whatever feelings he shared with us, he did through his music. but there were people with whom he shared much more. and one of them was our colleague from the "today" show and msnbc, tamron hall.

offered us a private peek at a cherished friendship. >> this is the new at news nation theme song composed for my team by none other than that music icon, prince. prince is a news junkie. >> yeah. >> reporter: for tamron hall, it was a gift from one close friend to another. >> prince reached out to me years ago and we just bonded over his interest in news, his interest in family, and it just turned into what was one of the most incredible friendships and relationships of my life. >> reporter: today, she spoke out about her loss and their friendship during a phone call to msnbc. >> in my life, the only other person i spoke with, speak with more than prince is my mother. this is the person i communicated with more than anyone. but i think it's important for

was such a compassionate person. we typically would communicate really late at night. we could talk on the phone on friday night until 3:00 in the morning. we would go to sleep and then resume the conversation in the afternoon. >> reporter: and talked, they did. >> i send pictures of whatever, you know, outfit or even for special occasions, golden globes, red carpet, prince would always love to give his thoughts, both good and bad on some of the choices. and i'd taken a selfie, i had gi sven him that years ago. and he, he sent me a note -- >> reporter: the note was about a single he was planning to release. a moment that means so much to her now. >> and he said, i'm going to put this on the the single. and of course, you know, i'm thinking, how did i go from being a fan of prince on my school bus in middle school, singing, you know, the tracks

>> reporter:amron's selfie became the cover art for prince's song "if i could get your attention." >> those are the things that of course are big headlines, but the things that i have in my intimate mind and in my heart because he was so private about his life. you know, those are the things that will warm my heart. >> reporter: then came last weekend, and news of prince's plane making an emergency landing for medical treatment for him. tamron was worried. >> i called and then we talked for nearly three hours, which was not uncommon for us to do. i did not hear anything that sounded like the flu or the cold, but i didn't press him on what happened. it was clear that he did not want to elaborate on it. i never felt the need to ask again what was wrong.

videotaped the restaurant ambience music which was one of his songs. and e-mailed him and said you're everywhere. then he wrote back, but nowhere at the same time. which is how he kplun dates. you're thinking of me because i'm thinking of you too. and i never imagined again that that would be my last correspondence with pim him. >> reporter: tamron remembers her friend who was busy living life, not worrying about it or how it would end. >> he didn't talk a lot about life and all of these things of death. he didn't look at time and he wasn't conscious of how long he would live and what he had to do next. for him, this was always an ongoing journey. >> some personal reflections from our friend tamron and our thoughts are with her tonight. coming up, diamonds and pearls.

them, how prince played with expectations, provoked conversations, and just plain scared our parents. >> michael jackson was nice, sweet, be like him. prince was dangerous, and edgy and dragging you down the wrong path. why do so many businesses rely on the us postal service? because when they ship with us, their business becomes our business. that's why we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. here, there, everywhere. united states postal service priority: you after 51 days of the pursuit of four bandits who chose a prius as their getaway car, a new development: prius owners from all over america have descended on the chase - hi!

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when it came to sex and gender, few people changed the way we saw ourselves as much as prince. and he did it just by sharing with us how he saw himself. here is harry smith. >> reporter: prince, the master of seduction. a siren luring us to sin. mascara mascara, check, costume, check,

i wear them, he said because women love it. >> you can't help but be sexy. i mean, it is what it is. >> reporter: one of the most sexual artists of all time -- i think he understood that being sexual, playing with gender norms and gender expectations would get him a lot of attention, and it did. the make-up, the heels, the lace, you know, i mean like, men and women were paying attention to him. he was dangerous, he was the one like, don't let your kids listen to prince because who knows what will happen. >> reporter: songs and album like "dirty mind" lyrics that embraced human pleasure, yes, prince was dangerous.

kyrptonite to parents. for many adults, "purple rain" was pure poison, cut off parents. >> i remember parents not letting me see the movie. they let me buy the cassette, but no, you can't go see the movie. and just get how dangerous we thought he was. michael jackson was nice, sweet, you know, loving, be like him. prince was edgy, and sort of, you know, like dragging you down the wrong path. and you wanted to be with him. >> reporter: had his parents listened to that cassette, they might have changed their minds. hear the words of darling nikki, from the movie "purple rain." >> we like sexy music, it comes out that way.

can do about that. >> reporter: it was all too much for tipper gore, who led the movement to warn parents about the dangers inside those album covers. >> we now propose one jer network warning liable to inform consumers in the marketplace about lyric content. >> reporter: among a group that became known as the filthy 15, prince was public enemy number one. the result, parental warnings on album covers, our guess, that which is forbidden is all the more alluring. >> back then, there was an envelope to push. >> did you like pushing it? >> i just said what i felt. a lot of times i didn't know i was pushing it, the envelope, until later. >> reporter: since, music was not so much dangerous as truthful to human nature. lust, carnal, though billy idol says prince paved the way.

we wanted a world where indrojny was fine, where you used all your skills, and where you didn't care what other people thought. and you just went ahead and did what you thought was right. that's the vibe prince gave you. that he was doing what he thought was right. >> reporter: anthony decurtis writes for "rolling stone." >> it's about sex. i like it. i like it a lot of different ways. and that's what i'm going to put out there. and it was exhilarating, people really responded to it. >> it's the way that think, it's the way the instruments play off of one another, a lot of times i tune the instruments myself. and if i'm in a sensual mood, then that's going to be the end product. >> reporter: prince was more prophet than profane. listen to the lyrics of controversy. and why black or white, am i straight or gay?

do i believe in me? taboo, risque, prince went there, lured every line between good and bad, pleasure and pain, male and female. >> he presented himself wearing women's clothes, right? he liked us to think that he was mixed. he liked us to wonder if he was straight or gay. you know, and where he was with the whole cross dressing, sort of thing. >> reporter: prince knew that we knew it was all part of the performance. >> i love your clothes, your wardrobe is different. >> thanks. >> do you own a blazer? >> no. >> do you own a pair of pleated khakis? >> no. >> would you ever wear my shoes? >> hell no. >> for all of the sort of qualities about him. there was a real vulnerability and a simplicity to him. he had like a kids love for it.

about music. >> reporter: what's missing from pop prince once said was danger. maybe danger was just a base. and it was the music that captured it. coming up -- nothing compares to him as a talent or as a trail blazer. >> every artist today that controls their own image, they owe an enormous debt of gratitude to prince. something families should get! like a safety net! even helps pay deductibles, so cover your back, with... a-a-a-a-a-a-a-aflac! learn about one day pay at

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a musician's legacy is usually measured by their music. but prince left the world so much more. they never started pushing himself or us. he knocked down walls, took on the music industry, burst the envelope. who else could do all that wearing purple high heels? here is andrea canning. >> reporter: cities around the world draped themselves in purple. fans gathered to honor the legacy of the man who set a new standard, as a musician, performer, businessman, and

they gathered at paisley park. at first avenue, the club prince made famous, and on social media. from justin timberlake, prince, nothing compares. and madonna, a true visionary, i'm devastated. lionel richie, i'm in total shock. ly miss him. ka it rks y perry tweeted, the world lost a lot of magic. lenny kravitz, my musical brother, the one who showed me the possibilities within myself. and oprah, prince, the dove's really are crying now. stars of the voice, christina aguilera and blake shelton. >> quite a talent. so yeah, he'll always be an inspiration. >> i feel like we lost a superhero today. >> reporter: earth, wind, and fire. >> one word doesn't describe

he was incredible, phenomenal, he was so musical. so talented. all in one. he was about ten people in one. and when he came on the scene, he came, he came like gang busters. >> reporter: what made prince unique? the purple one was a singular artist who sang in many voices. there was the rock of little red corvette. >> reporter: the funk of raspberry beret. the soul of nothing compareses to you. a hit for o'connor, but pure prince who composed it. musicians, he really was not in a box. >> prince, there's no such thing

or this is hip hop. this is soul music. this is reggae. it's just all like music. it's just cool, you know. >> reporter: in an era of short-lived pop stars and divas, prince was enduring. and a performer, a showman, and perhaps the best muse sigs of his time. and since 1985, "purple rain" guitar solo demonstrates. lifelong friend and music producer, jimmy jams. >> prince was very quiet, but his music and his musical ability spoke volumes. said everything he needed to say. >> reporter: but his legacy went far beyond his own art. he was a mentor. >> unfortunately a lot of kids didn't learn thousand play music. one of the reasons we're going out on the road and we're titling this tour music college is because i really feel a need to school a new generation of

>> reporter: he did just that with sheila e, who he encouraged to move to the front of the stage. >> i just didn't like singing without playing. and it just felt weird to me because it was something i wasn't used to. and that was one thing that he encouraged me, he's like you can do it, you do it for everyone else. you do it for yourself. >> reporter: he recently discovered vocalist erin allen king on youtube. >> i sung a song called hollow, and he found it, i guess, on the internet, and then he posted it on his twitter, and i like flipped out. >> reporter: king says prince took her under his wing empowering her as a musician and inspiring her to be a voice for the next generation. >> for him to say that what i'm doing is important, it was everything. and that just kind of solidified all the things that i had

him being a generous, beautiful, artist after i met him, it was just -- yeah, he's like an angel, i guess. >> reporter: prince knew music could help. and heal. for decades, he donated time and money to various causes. and after the riots in baltimore, maryland, he collaborated with king on a song, held a benefit concert there, and donated the proceeds. >> he said, as singers, you know, we have to talk about things. we have to be socially awear and talk about the things that are going on around us in that time. it's like our music needs to be kind of like a time capsule. and so, he felt the need to speak on this injustice that he witnessed. >> reporter: but while prince played the lover in songs like "kiss" -- he was also a fighter. most famously against warner brothers records. former billboard magazine editor bill worthy.

value of his song writing. he understood the value of his own work. the whole fight with warner brothers was about wanting to release more music. >> reporter: part of prince's legacy, inspiring artists to take creative control over their work. >> beyonce has the power. jay-z has the power. every artist today that owns their rights, every artist today that controls their own image, their own catalog, they owe an enormous debt of gratitude to prince. >> reporter: and prince ever generous may still have nor give to his fans. >> for a lot of fans, after recovering from the news, folks minds went towards the vault. right. and the vault, of course, is this basically this bank of thousands and thousands of hours of recording that prince did in pairzly park. and by most accounts, there is an ocean of unreleased prince material.

will continue to shine. coming up, the days the music died. the many icons who've left us lately. what we lose when the great ones go silent. >> you kind of took for granted these people would be there, and you weep a little bit for your own loss, childhood. of the whitening toothpastes that are out there, and especially designed for sensitivity sufferers. it's different, there's nobody else out there that i'm aware of that has developed whitening for people with sensitivity

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we have lost so many musical legends this year. and lost with them and their music, a slice of our own youth. and end to good times and bad, we can visit, but never relive. here's josh mankowitz. >> reporter: he did everything too soon. his exit from life's stage only 50 years later. prince was in so many ways the sinatra of his time. sexy, dangerous, with lyrics you can't forget, and always pushing the limits with a style all his own. but if sinatra was the voice of a generation that came of age after world war ii, prince, david bowie, and glenn fry spoke so clearly for and to another

musician and cultural critic sasha jones says they also correct generations. >> there's a good chance that if people are watching and pulling out their prince albums, maybe it's something their kids know too. >> what's interesting is the artists who do jump the generational fence and prince was one of them. >> reporter: and so when fans mourn, what are they mourning kpn not just the songs we will now never hear from these artists, but maybe even more so the work they've already given us. he was editorial director at billboard. >> you know, i feel music so deeply. and both for me personally, bowie and prince, i mean these are people i wept when i heard this news. you know, i wept for the loss that i know my friends were experiencing, i wept for the loss of more music. you know that i expected to have.

these people would be there and be your beacon, and of course, you know you weep a little bit for your own lost childhood. >> reporter: hit the buttons on your car radio, and simultaneously enter a time machine. >> you know music is everywhere, and it's easy to revisit. music has this way of kind of tapping you on the shoulder when you least expect it and reminding you of who you were at that moment. >> reporter: suddenly you're back in the heat of that unforgettable summer. that first job, that first date, that prom when you weren't thinking the mortgage, the traffic, the promotion. only about how you felt right then, back then. how young you were. >> music has an unparalleled ability to touch people in a way that you know, you hear that song, 20 years later, 30 years later, and boom, you're just right back to being 18.

>> reporter: one thing that's set prince, bowie, and fry apart was the extent to which each spoke with their own voice. writing and singing about the world that they saw. >> i think all three of these acts became so big, right, the eagles became so big, giant stadium tours, prince became so big, bowie as this icon, i think people lose track of how proficient and ran it sen dant all three folks were as song writers. >> reporter: the music wasn't the product of a record company anxious to sell as many units as possible across platforms and nations. especially bowie and prince. according to bill. >> i think one of the other leg sis, particularly for a bowie and prince that you have to think about is what the pop world would look like if artists were encouraged to be as intelligent and creative as they

>> reporter: there are a lot of people on your radio and they sell a lot of records, and the music's sort isn't about anything the ways princes or bowies was. >> very few people can stack up to prince and or bowie and come out ahead. >> reporter: when so many artists this big leave so close to each other, it really kind you have creates, i'm going to call it a disturbance in the force. >> it does make you feel like, why bother? i have to say that there is, having a year like this where just so many different people kind of go all at once gives you, you know, a chilling effect. what a terrible year. damn. >> as we've seen tonight, prince was was mings things, master musician and a trail blazer, but more than anything else, he was, as he reminded us time and again, an artist.

an artist and his art. that day stormy night no love no hope in sight don't cry tears, come here don't die without know ing ing dove crawls >> i'm a musician, i live for that, i live for playing and creating songs.

>> you know, i'm just a little guitar playing man trying to get my thing together. sweet songs of salvation, a pregnant mother sings she lives in starvation her children need all that she can bring >> i just want people to know that i'm very sincere in my beliefs. and i play every night. and i don't ask for much.