As they mourn the death of superstar singer Prince, his legion of fans hope a huge stash of unreleased work in his vaults will be released.

That may be easier said than done because of the uncertainty about who will be in charge of any future releases – Prince had no children, spouse or living parents.

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In a Rolling Stone interview published after his death, Prince confirmed there were several vaults of music at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota.

Prince became an international sensation in the 1980s. ABC/AFP

“I’ve never said this before, but I didn’t always give the record companies the best song,” Prince said.

“There are songs in the vault that no one’s ever heard.”

Prince said he kept a “ton of stuff” in the vaults, including full unreleased albums, among them two made with The Revolution, his funky and diverse band with which he made the classic Purple Rain.

He suggested he wanted to create a historical record, with future releases bringing together the best tracks — both smash hits and obscurities — from periods of his career.

Brent Fischer, a composer who long worked with Prince, estimated that 70 per cent of the recorded music went unreleased.

Prince stayed true to his roots and lived most of his life in Minnesota, steering clear of the mega cites on the US west and east coasts.

He could have opted for the glamour of either coast but stayed home, where fans occasionally saw him in local nightclubs, a record store, or just bicycling near Paisley Park.

“He was everything here,” said Mark Anderson, 43, a longtime fan who estimated he saw at least 30 Prince shows and would bring his teenage son from nearby Eagan to see Prince’s occasional late-night jams at Paisley Park.

“He was more than a musician. He was family.

“I think a lot of fans feel that way.”

Flowers lay on a T-shirt signed by fans at a makeshift memorial. AP

Crowds continued flocking on Saturday to pay respects at Paisley Park.

An autopsy was conducted on Friday, but officials said it may be weeks before results are known.

A group of Prince’s “most beloved” family, friends and musicians celebrated his life in a small, private service on Saturday after his remains were cremated.

Prince’s fame made Minnesota feel good about itself.

In the wake of his death, fans here have recalled how the Oscar and seven-time Grammy winner put the sleek “Minneapolis Sound” of the 1980s on the national music map.

“When you think of Minneapolis, you automatically think of Prince,” said Jen Boyles, 37, a longtime Twin Cities music journalist.

Even the local sheriff, at a news conference on Prince’s death, reminded reporters that the purple-loving megastar was, at heart, a local guy.

“This is a tragedy for all of us. To you, Prince Rogers Nelson was a celebrity. To us, he’s a community member and a good neighbour,” Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson said on Friday.

Minnesota is a rich musical state that has produced Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, Eddie Cochran and the Andrews Sisters.

But they all moved away.