Tenor Jerry Hadley Dies at 55

Apparent Soloist knockoff actually from 1999, where it should stay

(NEWSER) - Harlem Aria hit the festival circuit in 1999, and contemporary critics are baffled by the timing of the release of the uneven story of a developmentally disabled young black man with a heart and voice of gold:

• The performances and William Jennings' direction are "no more than adequate," V.A. Musetto writes in the New York Post , and Jennings' script is "laughably inadequate." Furthermore, "Congress should look into" the fact that the film is being released now.

Brilliant but erratic tenor succumbed to injuries from 2004 attack

(NEWSER) - Giuseppe di Stefano, the tenor whose short but brilliant career made him an operatic legend, died yesterday at his home near Milan. He was 86. His widow told reporters his death resulted from head injuries dating to 2004, when robbers in Kenya left him temporarily comatose. Di Stefano's superb voice earned comparisons to Enrico Caruso, but his temperament and personal conduct cut short his career, the LA Times reports. More»

Bono, Kofi Annan plan to attend tenor's funeral tomorrow

(NEWSER) - Thousands lined up today to pay respects to opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti at the cathedral in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Though the tenor's family wants a private funeral tomorrow, an international array of celebrities and fans–among them Bono, Andrea Bocelli, and Kofi Annan–are planning to attend, Reuters reports. The tenor died of cancer yesterday at age 71. More»

Succumbs to cancer surrounded by family in hometown Italian villa

(NEWSER) - Opera star Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest tenors of the last century, died early this morning of pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his wife, sister and four daughters, in his hometown villa in Modena, Italy. He was 71. "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle," said his manager. "Fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness." More»

Soprano captured America's heart

(NEWSER) - Soprano Beverly Sills, whose ebullient personality and brilliant singing voice not only made her a star but helped demystify opera in America, died Monday night in her Manhattan home from inoperable lung cancer, the New York Times reports. She was 78. Sills spent much of her singing career with the New York City Opera, and later chaired Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera. More»