His “trademark” was the harmonious blend of vocal talent and human charm. The forty-year career of this Italian singer was built on a vibrant individuality and a zest for life.
Between Notes and Goals
Luciano Pavarotti performed in the most renowned opera houses around the globe, yet he was born and died in the same city—Modena. Here, in northern Italy, he was born on October 12, 1935, and completed his earthly journey 72 years later.
As a child, the son of a “singing baker” and a factory worker, he moved with his parents to a village for a year due to the war, where he developed a mature interest in farming. Despite participating in the church choir and taking early vocal lessons, Luciano Pavarotti’s professional aspirations were not initially tied to singing.
After school, he aimed to become a soccer goalkeeper, but at his mother’s insistence, he took a job as a teacher. It only took two years of teaching in elementary school for him to return to music. His passion for soccer, however, remained a constant throughout his life, and it was through football that he found his way into pop culture.
The maestro’s academic repertoire gained a wide audience when he performed the aria “Nessun Dorma” at the final of the World Cup in Italy. After his performance in 1990 at the Roman stadium, the recording of Puccini’s piece made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the highest sales in the history of classical music.
A Long Road to Self-Discovery
At 19, Pavarotti received high praise for his abilities from local tenor Arrigo Pola, who spent over two years training the talented student for free, as he couldn’t afford lessons. The unstable income of an insurance agent was not enough to support him. His father was willing to help, but he wasn’t prepared to support him indefinitely. If Luciano hadn’t started earning from performances by the age of 30, he would have to pursue another career that could sustain him.
Luciano Pavarotti in 1972
Six years of classical vocal training seemed to yield no results: his early performances brought in no income. When he lost his voice at one concert, he took it as a sign that singing wasn’t meant for him, and it was time to seek his path elsewhere.
However, fate had other plans for this young man: eventually, the growth on his vocal cords dissolved, and the unexpected lump that had been incompatible with singing vanished without a trace! As the singer recalled, his voice returned to him along with its natural timbre: he suddenly heard the very sound he had been so determined to achieve.
A Second Wind
The singer considered his victory at the international vocal competition in 1961 as the beginning of his artistic career. That same year, Luciano started his own family: his first wife and the mother of his three older daughters was opera singer Adua Veroni.
Luciano Pavarotti with his wife Adua Veroni and their three daughters, early 80s
In 1963, a new name appeared on the posters of the Vienna Opera and London’s Covent Garden, and in 1965, Pavarotti made his U.S. debut, stepping in for an ailing tenor during a tour in Miami.
In 1985, the applause lasted for nearly two minutes after Pavarotti’s performance at Milan’s La Scala, and in 1988, the artist took 165 bows at the Berlin Deutsche Oper (a Guinness World Record).
It seemed that his boundless talent was too big for the sold-out performances in stuffy opera houses, and he increasingly transitioned from theaters to open spaces. Critics hailed him as a pioneer who brought opera to the masses. In 1991, Pavarotti performed for 150,000 spectators in London’s Hyde Park, and in 1993, he gathered over half a million listeners in New York’s Central Park (an all-time record), with an additional million viewers tuning in to the televised broadcast. That same year, the great tenor sang for 300,000 Parisians in a solo concert outdoors at the Champ de Mars.
Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti at the Pavarotti & Friends concert, 1996
Luciano Pavarotti also popularized opera for the general public through a series of stadium performances with José Carreras and Plácido Domingo in the joint project “The Three Tenors.” This collaboration enjoyed 15 years of commercial success.
And That’s All About Him
In addition to his musical achievements, Pavarotti received awards for his charitable work. For example, he donated over one and a half million dollars to refugee needs—the largest amount in the world. The artist helped victims of the earthquake in Armenia, funded the removal of landmines, and more. The International Red Cross even honored the singer with an award for his humanitarian contributions.
However, Pavarotti’s good deeds were marred by certain blemishes on his artistic reputation. Chief among them was his notoriety as the “king of cancellations.” Due to his unfortunate habit of canceling performances, Luciano strained relationships with more than one opera house. He canceled on the Chicago Lyric Opera 26 times out of 41 over eight years, missing nearly every other scheduled performance. Ultimately, they ceased working with him, terminating a 15-year collaboration due to losses.
It’s hard to believe, but critics did not always admire his talent. After his last unsuccessful performance, Pavarotti never sang at La Scala again, and a negative acting experience in the 1982 film “Yes, Giorgio” permanently dampened his interest in acting.
In 2002, the singer parted ways with his manager, who accused him of musical illiteracy. Following the scandalous dismissal, Herbert Breslin published sensational revelations regarding the “king of high C’s” misunderstanding of orchestral scores.