You know, I can't quite believe it. The King of the High C's - gone.
He was the first opera singer I saw (and a concert at the Bowl with him dates the last time I was at the Bowl). Everything about him was bigger than life, the man, the ego and that gift from the heavens which won him fame, that incredible voice.
He was mercurial, kind and generous with his time, his talent and his many charities. He brought music to the far corners of the earth and all was done with such joie de vivre. I feel really blessed to have heard him here in SF, at the Met and in various concert venues, even when he sang dreck (like the 3 tenors thing) he was still magical. RIP Luciano, addio, senza rancor.