LOS ANGELES (AP) – A Minnesota medical examiner said Thursday that Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller. Authorities have not said whether he had a prescription for the drug and, if not, how he obtained it.
Prince joins a list of other stars, including Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe, whose lives ended with an overdose.
– JAY BENNETT: Toxicology tests showed that former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died of an overdose of fentanyl, a painkiller commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain.
Bennett had a patch containing fentanyl on his back when he died in May 2009. He had recently written on his MySpace page that he was getting ready for hip replacement surgery.
He had worked as a sound engineer and played instruments for Wilco from 1994 to 2001. He sued Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy before he died, claiming he was owed royalties for songs during his seven years with the group.