Singer Prince has died at the age of 57, his publicist said.

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

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.

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.

Prince (Tim Whitby/PA)
Prince suffered a medical emergency earlier this month (Tim Whitby/PA)

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the identity of the deceased was being withheld until next of kin had been notified.

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.

Prince
Prince died at his Minneapolis home (AP)

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.

A host of stars have paid tribute to him following the sad news: