Luciano Pavarotti, the great Italian tenor whose remarkable voice and equally remarkably appetite for fame and life, died yesterday, September 6, 2007, at his home in Modena, Italy. He was 71.
Pavarotti, who had surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2006 and was released from the hospital this past August 25 after taking a turn for the worse, brought the art of opera to the masses through numerous projects in all media, particularly specials and tours such as Pavarotti & Friends and The Three Tenors.
Former Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Zubin Mehta, said in a fine and thorough tribute by Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times, that whatever Pavarotti did, he did "always with great joy," adding, "he set a standard that will remain with us for decades to come."
Click here for Pavarotti's performance of "Ave Maria."
