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Prince's family planning memorial

Prince's family will organise an official memorial service for the singer "in the near future", as thousands of fans attended an unofficial concert in LA.

Prince's family say they are planning an official memorial service to say goodbye to the late music superstar.

Prince's six surviving siblings said in a statement that, contrary to reports, no public memorial, funeral or tribute service has been organised or authorised by his family or Paisley Park representatives.

But the family say they are planning an official memorial service to take place "in the near future". The statement says details are expected soon.

Prince's family say the Purple Rain star and his music "influenced so many people that we feel inspired to celebrate his life and legacy in just the right way".

Prince died on April 21 at his Paisley Park home and recording complex in suburban Minneapolis. The cause of death remains under investigation.

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Meanwhile Stevie Wonder, Faith Evans, Aloe Blacc and Eric Benet paid tribute to Prince with words and music at an unofficial public memorial on Friday in Los Angeles.

Thousands of Prince fans gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall for the celebration, where the entertainers performed songs from Prince's vast catalogue.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused his unexpected death last month at age 57.

Benet, who is married to Prince's ex-wife Manuela Testolini, sang Raspberry Beret, Evans performed I Feel for You and Blacc sang Diamonds and Pearls.

"My wife and I had just dropped off our daughter, little Lucia, at school and we got the news," Benet said.

"It was a difficult time, and it still is and I think for the rest of the world it's one of those things where you can't really wrap your brain around it."

Blacc said he admired Prince's humanitarian work as much as his musical gifts.

"As popular and famous as he was, he was always still doing things unseen to make the world a better place," he said.

Wonder closed the evening with a performance of Purple Rain.

"What an incredible life, music and legacy that he gave us," Wonder told the crowd.

"I think the only thing we can do in the spirit of Prince is to learn to truly love one another and come together. We can't just talk about it, we got to be about it."


3 min read

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Source: AAP



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