Luciano Pavarotti Dies
Pavarotti at his farewell concert in Moscow
Luciano Pavarotti, one of the famous "Three Tenors" passed away this morning at 5 a.m. in his home in Modena, Italy. The opera superstar was struggling with pancreas cancer and the disease eventually took his life. Luciano was 71 years of age.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," Pavarotti's manager Terri Robson stated.
Pavarotti was first diagnosed last year, and has now died in peace with his spouse Nicoletta, his four daughters, Gabriela, his sister and some other close relatives and friends, all by his side. He was a humble man, a humanitarian, shrugging off any spiteful criticism the public threw at him. His recording of Volare went platinum in 1988, and remains a classic to this day. At one of charity events, Pavarotti & Friends, held every year in his hometown of Modena, he performed with the likes of Ricky Martin, the Spice Girls and James Brown, getting that much closer to the audience of all generations. The Italian government honored him with an award for "excellence in Italian culture" just earlier this week. His last performance was of Nessun Dorma which he sang at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in February 2006.
Luciano Pavarotti will be remembered for decades to come, not as much for his trademark pitch black beard, as for his big heart and the enviable collection of beautiful performances.
