Luciano Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935 and died on September 6, 2007. He was born in Modena in north-central Italy. Pavarotti was an Italian tenor and one of the most popular contemporary vocal performers in the world of opera and across multiple musical genres.

Pavarotti's earliest musical influences were his father's recordings, featuring the popular tenors of the day Gigli, Martinelli, Schipa, and Caruso. At around the age of nine he began singing with his father in a small local church choir.

Pavarotti made his international debut in 1963 when he stepped in for tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano in the role of ‘Rodolfo’ at the Royal Opera House in London.

He appeared in the film Yes, Giorgio in 1982, and published a volume of autobiography the same year.

Pavrotti performed “Nessun Dorma” at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin, Italy. His last full-scale concert was at Taipei in December 2005, and his farewell to opera was in Puccini's "Tosca" at New York's Metropolitan in March 2004.

He wrote an autobiography, "I, Luciano Pavarotti," and made more than 90 recordings.

While preparing to resume his 40-city farewell tour in July 2006, he underwent emergency surgery for pancreatic cancer.

Pavarotti had three daughters with his first wife, Lorenza, Cristina and Giuliana; and one, Alice, with his second wife.