Luciano Pavarotti

Born: 12 October 1935 in Modena, Italy.
Died: 6 September 2007 in Modena, Italy, due to complications with pancreatic cancer. He was aged 71.

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian tenor and one of the most popular contemporary vocal performers in the world of opera and across multiple musical genres. Known for his televised concerts, and as one of the Three Tenors, Pavarotti was also noted for his award-winning charity work for raising money on behalf of refugees, the Red Cross, War Child, and many other charitable organizations.

He is best known worldwide, both amongst opera aficionados and the general public with whom he achieved his international celebrity, when in 1990 his rendition of Giacomo Puccini's aria, "Nessun Dorma" from opera "Turandot", became the theme song of the BBC television coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.
The aria achieved pop status and has, to date, remained his trademark song.

Followed shortly afterwards by the concert held as a member of The Three Tenors, which was hugely successful, held on the eve of the World Cup final at the ancient Baths Of Caracalla in Rome with fellow tenors Placido Domingo and José Carreras and conductor Zubin Mehta, which became the biggest selling classical record of all time, and is believed to be the second biggest selling record of all time after Michael Jackson's "Thriller".