Heartbroken teacher finds out Prince has died - plays Purple Rain and cries in front of class

Matthew Paterson's emotional reaction. Credit: @shvrdae

A heartbroken teacher played Purple Rain and cried in front of his class after learning ofPrince's death.

Matthew Patterson is seen breaking down in tears and putting his head in his hands as the singer's iconic hit plays on a projector scene in the background.

One of his students filmed his moment of grief and her video has since been retweeted more than 54,000 times.

It hit me like a ton of bricks,”Mr Patterson told New York Daily News.

Recalling what he told his class, the teacher said: “I talked about what Prince meant to me as an artist and a brave performer and a person unwilling to take stuff from record companies.

“I’ve been listening to Prince since I was seven. I must’ve spent thousands and thousands of hours listening to Prince. I was just a huge fan.”