"I've loved his silvery voice for years."

Silvery??? Ebbie, you HAVE to be kidding. ONLY SILVER ???
The man's voice was pure, unadulterated platinum - with gold filigree.

Any human who can hit 9 high c's one after the other flawlessly has transcended humanity.

Heaven finally has a choral leader better than the angels themselves.

You may find these sentiments 'gushy and girly' but considering they're coming from someone who loves classical music, barely tolerates opera and hates ballet with a passion - then you'll see the true awe I am trying to express. Even the great Enrico Caruso was barely a 'chorus leader' compared to Pavarotti. And as George Papavgeris said - totally unschooled: his was a raw talent which makes him so much better.

Giok has the right of it - my eyes 'leaked' a lot when he sang - hell, he could sing the bloody 'Brylcreem' commercial and make it sound like Funicuki Funicula, I think.

Before we went overseas in '05, I wanted to hear bagpipes in the highlands and my wife Trish wanted to hear a Gondolier Tenor in Venice. I got my wish just before our holiday finished on a wind and drizzle swept, heather-crowned hillside above Loch Tulla and Trish got hers as well. As evening descended, we were making our way from our hotel to the Plaze di San Marco across a little bridge just up from the Ponte di Respire. As we crossed over the canal we stopped to watch three or four gondola's moving through the shadows between the buildings when suddenly we saw the outline of a figure stand up and a clear tenor voice suddenly launch into 'Nessun Dorma'. He wasn't Pavarotti, by any stretch of the imagination but he WAS very good. We simply froze listening to the song and the brilliant acoustics created by the walls of the Dogues Palace, the old Prison and the water of the canal. Magical.

Even at 71, he was taken too soon. Another angel has been called home.

God Bless, God Rest.

Muttley