Prince, A Gender-Fluid Symbol, Pushed Boundaries Of Sexuality And Funk

Thelonious Monk once said true creativity is making something weird seem simple and self-evident. That is what Prince, the musician, songwriter, producer and pop culture auteur who died Thursday at 57, did for 40 years.

Born June 7, 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson was the son of jazz musicians who played in a group together in and around Minneapolis. He began teaching himself to play the piano at the age of seven, and by the time he was 14 he could also play the guitar and drums and was leading a band called Grand Central.