Prince was one of the most prolific artists of his time, but music wasn't his only passion. Before his death at age 57 on Thursday, April 21, the late icon was working on something else for his fans: a memoir.
As reported by Us Weekly last month, the "Purple Rain" singer was working on writing his life story for the Random House imprint Spiegel & Grau. The book was due to hit shelves in the fall of 2017.
According to a press release, the memoir was imagined as "an unconventional and poetic journey through [Prince's] life and creative work." He planned to call it The Beautiful Ones, after the 1984 song of the same name on his iconic album Purple Rain.
"Prince is a towering figure in global culture and his music has been the soundtrack for untold numbers of people — including me — for more than a generation," Spiegel & Grau Executive Editor Chris Jackson said of the performer. "His creative genius has provided the musical landscape of our lives."
At an event announcing the project in March, the seven-time Grammy winner said that the memoir would cover, among other things, his 2007 Super Bowl XLI halftime show, which is remembered by many as one of the best — if not the best — of all time.
"This is my first [book]," he told the crowd, which included Us Weekly Entertainment Director Ian Drew. "My brother Dan is helping me with it. He's a good critic and that's what I need. He's not a 'yes' man at all, and he's really helping me get through this. We're starting from the beginning, from my first memory, and hopefully we can go all the way up to the Super Bowl."
