Late Italian superstar tenor Luciano Pavarotti now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Almost 25 years to the day after his death, the tenor’s achievements are celebrated.
The Modena-born supertenor, who died on September 6, 2007 aged 71, was celebrated at a ceremony on August 25th. His daughter Cristina and Los Angeles Orchestra Director James Conlon were among those paying homage to the legendary Italian opera singer.
Pavarotti’s star, no 2730, is next to those of Sydney Poitier, Stan Lee, Ennio Morricone and Lina Wertmuller.
“If I think of my father, of the paths he opened and the many emotions he gave and received, I feel a sense of vertigo,” said Cristina on behalf of her sisters Lorenza, Giuliana and Alice, Pavarotti’s widow Nicoletta Mantovani and their younger daughter Caterina.
She recalled how her father, after his performances, “happy but tired and hungry, would stay there for hours signing autographs, so as not to leave even one fan unhappy”.
Conlon remembered Pavarotti as an artist prepared to take risks when few others were ready to do so. A prime example is when he sang Nessun Dorma for the 1990 World Cup.
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Pavarotti’s career
Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music. He became one of the most acclaimed and loved tenors of all time.
From the beginning of his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy to his final performance of “Nessun dorma” at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Pavarotti was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles, and Puccini works such as La Bohème, Tosca, Turandot and Madama Butterfly.
He sold over 100 million records, and the first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album of all time.
Pavarotti made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias. He gained worldwide fame for his tone receiving the honorific title “King of the High Cs”.
As one of the Three Tenors, who performed their first concert during the 1990 FIFA World Cup before a global audience, Pavarotti became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances.
Luciano Pavarotti died from pancreatic cancer on 6 September 2007.
Legendary Grammy winner
The operatic tenor will have an area dedicated to him at the Grammy Museum. He won five Grammies plus one ‘legend’ prize during his career.
The new exhibit will include the score for his first performance of Verdi’s Requiem conducted by Herbert von Karajan at La Scala in 1967. Over the years, Pavarotti gathered the signatures of many of the great conductors who performed with him during his 30-year career on that score.
Pavarotti’s Hollywood star provides further backing for Italian opera’s bid to get onto the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list next year.
