Prince's Oldest Brother & Heir to His Estate John Nelson Passed Away, Sister Announced in Heartbreaking Post

Late American singer and songwriter Prince's half-sister, Sharon Nelson, announced the death of her older brother and heir to the singer's estate, John Nelson.

On April 21, 2016, the world mourned the death of the celebrated singer and multi-instrumentalist Prince, who was known for his flamboyant lifestyle, androgynous persona, and incredible vocal range.

Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl. He was 57. Two years after the singer's death, police released findings into his passing and gave a glimpse into his final days.

The Police told reporters that Prince thought he was taking Vicodin to manage pain but unknowingly took counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl. However, officers were unable to determine who it was that provided the fake medication that killed him.

Prince died without a will or direct descendant, which led to several legal disputes over his estate. In May 2017, a Minnesota judge ruled that his sister and five half-siblings were the rightful heirs to the estate.

Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and his half-siblings, Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John R. Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson, were listed as the estate's heirs, while Brianna Nelson and Victoria Nelson, who claimed to be his niece and grandniece, were rejected.

Now, half of the estate is owned by a music company named Primary Wave, which bought 100% of Baker and Jackson's inheritance, and 90% of Tyka's inheritance.

Prince was married twice in his lifetime.

After Primary Wave acquired half of the estate, Norrine, Sharon, and John were left as Prince's remaining family heirs. That number has now been reduced to two following John's death on September 4.

Sharon announced her brother's death via a tweet. She shared a picture of him and wrote that he died at 7:47 PM. She also wrote:

"Johnny's loving personality and spirit shined brightly, and he fought hard to help preserve Prince's legacy. We will miss you Johnny. Love Sharon💜💜💜."

Many tweeps reacted to the post and expressed sadness over John's passing. They also expressed their deepest condolences to the family on their loss.

John was born in 1944 to Prince's father, John L. Nelson, and his first wife, Vivian. He joins the iconic singer's late half-sister, Lorna Nelson, and half-brother, Duane Nelson, who died years earlier. Lorna died in 2006, aged 63, while Duane died at 52 in 2011.

Prince released about 40 studio albums, five soundtracks, four live albums, and five compilation albums in his lifetime. He also sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Prince was married twice in his lifetime to Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini and was romantically linked to many actresses.

In 1996, he and Garcia welcomed a son Boy Gregory, who died a week after his birth as he was born of Pfeiffer syndrome. Garcia and Prince also had a child they lost in miscarriage. Such grief ultimately led to their separation and divorce.