Luciano Pavarotti is still very much alive and kickin'. Although getting a bit long in the tooth compared to most operatic tenors, it doesn't seem to have bothered him in terms of voice—or for that matter, hormone levels.

During the last decade or so, he's been broadening his horizons as far as the music he sings and who he sings with (some really interesting combinations, like the duet with Sting), but he still centers in on the opera and recital stage. He missed a performance at the Metropolitan last spring because of laryngitis (the Met didn't get the message apparently, and a lot of people thought he was just a no-show—not the sort of thing he ever does), and this started all kinds of rumors about his quitting opera. But not quite yet. His voice is still one of the best. Full scoop HERE.

I always liked the story that soprano Beverly Sills tells about when she retired. Her voice was still great, but she felt it wasn't quite as good as it once was. She said, "I would rather have people say 'Why did she retire?' than have them ask, 'Why doesn't she retire?'" Smart lady!

Don Firth