THE musician Prince has died aged 57.

Prince's publicist confirmed the popstar died at his home in Minneapolis, the Associated Press reported.

His body was discovered at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota, where his recording studio is located early on Thursday.

Prince, whose real name is Prince Rogers Nelson, suffered a medical emergency earlier this month that forced his private jet to make an emergency landing in Illinois.

The Carver County Sheriff's Office tweeted that an investigation was under way on Thursday morning.

They told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the identity of the deceased was being withheld until next of kin had been notified.

They tweeted: "Deputies are on scene of a death investigation at Paisley Park in Chanhassen. More info to follow."

The Purple Rain singer was flying home from a show in Atlanta, Georgia on April 15 when he was taken ill and his private jet made an emergency landing in Molina, Illinois.

He was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance, where he was treated and released hours later.

At the time a representative for Prince assured fans he was feeling much better and was resting at home.

He was widely regarded as one of the most inventive musicians of his era and many of his songs are seen as classics.

He became an international superstar in 1982 after his breakthrough album 1999 and was most famous for hits including Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and Kiss.

His music career spanned more than three decades and he won seven Grammy Awards, sold more than 100 million records and won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain.

The singer was also seen as an eccentric with a tendency towards bizarre career moves, such as changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the 1990s.

He was in the process of writing an untitled autobiography which was due to be published in 2017.

Tributes are flooding in for the star.

Chic frontman Nile Rodgers tweeted: "#RIP our dearly beloved #Prince. Tears and love on our tour bus... I'll never forget my brother. We've had #good times."

Rapper Lupe Fiasco wrote: "In Minneapolis right now...and it's raining... Prince..."

Singer Lily Allen said: "PRINCE . You legend. Rest In Peace."

KISS Singer Gene Simmons wrote: "PRINCE, sad to say, has passed on!!! He was a Giant. My deep condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary, tweeted: "Thank you Prince. All my thoughts & prayers are with all your loved ones."

Singer Katy Perry also paid tribute to the musician, writing: "And just like that...the world lost a lot of magic. Rest in peace Prince! Thanks for giving us so much..."

Actor Samuel L Jackson wrote: "I'm Crushed!! UK news reporting Prince Is Dead?! For Real?! Massive Loss for us all! What a Genius! Speechless."

British pop star Robbie Williams added: "Now Prince? No no no.. RIP You genius x"

Radio DJ Huey Morgan said: "RIP Prince! One of the best of all time! You will be missed my brother."

From the very beginning of his nearly four decades in the music industry, Prince defied convention and courted controversy in equal measure.

The multi-instrumentalist fused traditional rock and roll guitar licks with a vocal range that mixed soul, funk and mainstream pop.

He could sing about sex and spirituality in the same verse, discuss both religion and science, and compose toe-tapping rhythms to accompany the darkest of subjects.

Famously flamboyant, he would stun dedicated audiences the world over with impromptu concerts, unlikely solo cover versions, and extravagant outfits.

It was often said that his incredible vocal range masked the fact that he was one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.

Prolific until his final days - he was working on yet another new album and planned to tour his much truncated Piano and a Microphone tour - the 57-year-old was said to have a cache of unreleased music in his sprawling Paisley Park mansion that would fill 100 records.