Prince Rogers Nelson's untimely death at the age of 57 leaves music a poorer place. A flamboyant performer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso guitarist, he pioneered genre-fusing pop over a career that spanned four decades. He was notoriously strict about allowing his recordings online, but three of his greatest performances are available to watch:
1. Super Bowl XLI half-time show (2002)
Giant silhouettes, an ultra-violet marching band - Prince was never going to do the Super Bowl show by half. But even his plans were topped by a massive rainstorm that only seemed to add to the theatrical splendour of the climactic 'Purple Rain'.
2. Hall Of Fame induction (2004)
It's one thing to play 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' in a supergroup alongside guitar legends Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Steve Winwood (not to mention Dani Harrison, son of the song's writer George Harrison), but only Prince could grandstand so shamelessly while blowing them off the stage in the guitar solo to end all guitar solos.
3. Performing with James Brown and Michael Jackson (1983)
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It's not the greatest-quality recording, but notable for having the three legends together on stage. Even though Prince hadn't reached the level of global fame that he would achieve with the album Purple Rain the following year, it's notable how he was already at ease sharing a spotlight with two of the biggest artists of all time.
4. Covering Radiohead on stage at Coachella (2008)
Only Prince was capable of completely capturing the eeriness of 'Creep', while infusing it with his own flourishes of R&B and funk. Video of this legendary performance was kept off the internet by Prince for years - only to suddenly pop up again late last year. Anchored by one of Prince's most intense solos ever, the clip below proves how easily the genius could turn a recognisable classic from another artist into a work of art so uniquely his own.
Editor, Digital Spy Chris has over 25 years' experience as a writer and editor, having worked as a journalist covering TV and movies since the '90s. Starting out as a TV listings editor at the Press Association, he was quickly hired by the nascent Heat magazine, where he rose to become Senior Editor, interviewing the likes of Simon Cowell, Boris Johnson and Paris Hilton. Over the years he has written about entertainment with clarity and wit for Heat, Elle, Q, The Telegraph and of course Digital Spy, and has served many times as a judge in the Royal Television Society awards. He has written and recorded a novelty single with Lord Lloyd-Webber, written scripts for the National TV Awards, made Noel Edmonds cry, accidentally punched an Inbetweener and stolen a small piece of rubble from the Battle of Hogwarts movie set. (They can't have it back.) LinkedIn
