Gene Simmons, Katy Perry, Chaka Khan Remember Prince

Katy Perry, Gene Simmons, and Chaka Khan are leading the tributes to superstar Prince following his shock death on Thursday.

Prince passed away at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota at the age of 57, and musicians from all genres have taken to social media to express their sadness at the unexpected loss.

RIP Prince 1958-2016

Perry wrote, “And just like that… the world lost a lot of magic. Rest in peace Prince! Thanks for giving us so much…”, while KISS veteran Simmons posted, “PRINCE, sad to say, has passed on!!! He was a Giant. My deep condolences go out to his family, friends and fans.”

“I LOVED him, the world LOVED him,” mourned Khan, who famously covered his 1979 song I Feel for You and became a collaborator. “Now he’s at peace with his Father. Rest in power, @prince, my brother.”

Justin Timberlake refused to believe the news, tweeting, “Numb. Stunned. This can’t be real”, while Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson, who is currently in the U.K., was equally stunned: “I’m Crushed!! UK news reporting Prince Is Dead?! For Real?! Massive Loss for us all! What a Genius! Speechless.”

Fellow actor Russell Crowe was also blown away by the tragic death, praising Prince as the “greatest live act I ever saw”, adding, “Genius, poet, sexy mother f**ker. RIP Prince.”

Meanwhile, singer/songwriter Linda Perry exclaimed, “Oh man Prince so sad. His music influenced many generations and will continue to”, and Gloria Estefan stated: “I’m so sad we’ve lost @prince the legend,the master,a musical juggernaut that knew no boundaries. He left indelible footprints in music. RIP”.

Rocker Tom Morello wrote, “One of the greatest, most gifted and unique musicians, performers and producers ever”, and former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland posted, “Thank you God for letting us experience the GREATNESS that is Prince! What a blessing! #RipPrince”.

Tributes flow for Prince

Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood tweeted, “I will miss a good friend who was so talented. He was such a great performer/guitar player. Sleep well Prince”, while rapper Missy Elliott shared, “This is so heartbreaking”, and Jennifer Lopez cried, “Shocked and soooo sad!! #RIP PRINCE #music #legend #gonetoosoon”.

Guitar great Slash, who is preparing for Guns N’ Roses’ second headline slot at the Coachella festival in California this weekend (23Apr16), wrote, “So sad to hear of Prince’s passing; one of the greatest musical talents of my lifetime. Maybe of the 20th century. RIP,” and Courtney Love commented, “Numb, full of pain for his royal badness has been snatched from us today.”

Actor Don Cheadle, who portrays the late Miles Davis in new biopic Miles Ahead, added, “R.I.P. Prince… One of Miles Davis’ last collaborators. You will be woefully missed…”, and actress Zooey Deschanel, who duetted with Prince on 2014 track FALLINLOVE2NITE, lamented, “Prince was a true gentleman, a king among men. He was as sharp and as talented as they come. I’m so glad I was lucky enough to work with him”.

Other celebrities to honour Prince online include Demi Lovato, Blake Shelton, Kings of Leon rocker Nathan Followill, Nikki Sixx, Wyclef Jean, Keith Urban, Joan Collins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Nick Jonas, Gabrielle Union, Dwayne Johnson, Kerry Washington, Vanessa Williams, Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Munn, and MC Hammer, who tweeted: “I loved this Man. Too soon. Can’t comprehend it but it’s unfortunately true. Heaven is yours. RIP.”