My mom loved him. He knew how to play to the public.
The NYT obituary is worth reading, and is probably worth keeping:
By the 1980s he expanded his franchise exponentially with the Three Tenors projects, in which he shared the stage with Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, first in concerts associated with the World Cup and later in world tours. Most critics agreed that it was Mr. Pavarotti’s charisma that made the collaboration such a success. The Three Tenors phenomenon only broadened his already huge audience and sold millions of recordings and videos.
And in the early 1990s he began staging Pavarotti and Friends charity concerts, performing side by side with rock stars like Elton John, Sting and Bono and making recordings from these shows.
Throughout these years, despite his busy and vocally demanding schedule, his voice remained in unusually good condition well into middle age.
Even so, as his stadium concerts and pop collaborations brought him fame well beyond what contemporary opera stars have come to expect, Mr. Pavarotti seemed increasingly willing to accept pedestrian musical standards. By the 1980s he found it difficult to learn new opera roles or even new song repertory for his recitals.
He wasn't going to be any snob and appeal solely to the elite opera fans, a few of whom might actually understand the Italian or German of the classics.
Pavarotti wasn't above the gossip columns. He ditched his wife of three decades to take up and shack up with a 26-year-old assistant. He eventually married her and they had a daughter, his fourth child.
Just a few years ago, he played his one of his final concerts, in Reno of all places. He had played here on at least three occasions. He always looked forward to coming here.
His final Reno appearance drew 11,000 people.
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Supporting actress Oscar winner Miyoshi Umeki, 78, has died from complications of cancer.
She won the Oscar for her role in the 1957 film Sayonara.
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Oh, Jesus Christ. This stuff depresses me.
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