Hundreds of Prince fans gathered in Paisley Park to commemorate the fanniversary of his death five ears ago as his former home and studio welcomed 1,400 select fans Thursday to take part in the yearly event.
Fans that were able to make reservations for the free event will be allowed to enter the sprawling studio dedicated to the late American artist, whose real name was Prince Rogers Nelson. Other fans were allowed to leave mementos and flowers outside the studio on a statue in the shape of Prince's famous purple Love Symbol.
Fans will be able to pay their respects to the ashes of the artist widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. This will be the first time his urn will be put on display at the atrium since it was removed from public view at the request of his family.
Prince's custom-made ceramic urn was originally placed in the middle of the atrium of his 65,000-square-foot studio in Minneapolis after he died. His home was transformed into a museum in October 2016. Paisley Park holds paid tours for visiting fans from around the world. It will be shut down for the day to mark his death anniversary.
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"We celebrate his life and legacy every day at Paisley Park, a place that Prince wanted to share with the world. So, on this day especially, we acknowledge the incredible force and inspiration Prince is in people's lives and open up our doors for them to pay their respects," Paisley Park Executive Director Alan Seiffert said.
Seiffert said they will be hosting an online memorial on their website for fans that cannot physically visit the museum. People that want to take part can visit Paisleypark.com, Seiffert said.
Prince died on April 21, 2016 due to an accidental fentanyl overdose. He was only 57-years-old. An investigation into his accidental death found that the fentanyl pills he had ingested were counterfeit and made to look like a generic version of the painkiller Vicodin. The investigation ended with no criminal charges filed.
During his four decades-long career, Prince wrote hundreds of songs and he became a major influence in modern pop culture. He sold more than 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
