Luciano Pavarotti Has Died

Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti has died at the age of 71. Pavarotti had been fighting a long battle with pancreatic cancer. His manager, Terri Robson, sent the AP an e-mail statement confirming that the singer died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time.

"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement read.

Pavarotti was surrounded by family and his closest friends, Italy’s pastry chefs.

That joke was sweet. Enjoy the amazing talent that was Pavarotti alongside James Brown singing It’s a Man’s World.

After the jump enjoy one of Pavarotti’s most memorable performances of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”.