Prince's Half-Brother, Alfred Jackson, Dies at 66: Report

Alfred Jackson, half-brother of musician Prince, has died, according to his younger sister. He was 66.

Published: 8/31/2019, 11:56:36 AM EDT

Prince's Half-Brother, Alfred Jackson, Dies at 66: Report — Alfred Jackson attends Black-ish 100th Episode Celebration at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2018. (Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

Alfred Jackson, half-brother of musician Prince, has died, according to his younger sister. He was 66.

On Thursday, Aug. 29, Jackson's half-sister, Tyka Nelson, wrote on Facebook: "this morning my older beloved brother Alfred passed on...Thank u for respecting our privacy at this time & 4 being so nice 2 him."

Around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jackson's brother, Bruce Jackson, found him unresponsive in his home in Kansas City, Missouri, according to TMZ, which broke the story.

According to the report, law enforcement found no signs of foul play and believe Jackson died of natural causes.

Meanwhile, Asa Weston, an attorney for Jackson, confirmed that Jackson died in his home in Kansas City, Missouri, adding the cause of death is unknown, according to The Associated Press.

Jackson and Prince shared the same mother, Mattie Baker.

In 2016, following Prince's death, Jackson told Entertainment Tonight that while he hadn't seen his brother in years, he still loved him.

"I miss my brother, because my brother was everything in the world to me," Jackson said at the time. "God bless Prince, God bless the world. He's a legend, he really is."

Prince performs during his headlining set on the second day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 26, 2008. (Chris Pizzello/AP Photo) — Prince performs during his headlining set on the second day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 26, 2008. Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

"He was so busy on the road because he had so many engagements with his music," Jackson added. "So, he had to travel, all around the world. I always saw him on television, read the magazines, and said, 'There's my brother, Prince.' I was so happy he was making it for himself, I really was."

Prince died on April 21, 2016, following an accidental overdose of fentanyl, according to the toxicology report. He was 57.

According to the toxicology report, the level of fentanyl in Prince's liver was 450 micrograms per kilogram and notes that liver concentrations greater than 69 micrograms per kilogram "seem to represent overdose or fatal toxicity cases."

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is "a synthetic (man-made) opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine," according to the CDC.

In 2017, more than 71,500 Americans died of a drug overdose, according to data released the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The majority of those deaths, at least 68 percent, could be attributed to opioids such as fentanyl.

"[Chinese drug makers] have been using the internet to sell fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to drug traffickers and individual customers in the United States," said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a statement on Oct. 17, 2017.

In August, President Donald Trump urged the Senate to pass a measure to stop synthetic opioid drugs such as fentanyl from being transported into the United States via the U.S. Postal Service system.

"It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China," he wrote on Aug. 20.

The shipment of fentanyl from China to the U.S. is "almost a form of warfare," Trump said in August. "In China, you have some pretty big companies sending that garbage and killing our people," Trump added.

If you or someone you know needs help with opioid addiction, call the national helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Or find resources online at SAMHSA.gov