Luciano Pavarotti was born in Modena, Italy October 23, 1935. His father, a baritone singer of limited success, sent Luciano at the age of eight to private singing lessons. On September 7, 1951, Pavarotti performed with a number of other young singers at a concert in Parma. He was signed by the noted impresario Ferdinando Mascagni and became a professional singer in 1954
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That same year he made his debut at La Scala in Milan as the leading tenor in an operatic production of La Bohème. In 1966 he won his first Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for La Traviata and became known around the world as an internationally acclaimed opera singer and recitalist. Pavarotti's career began to take off in 1969 with his role as "Pavarotti" in the Academy Award-winning film "The Message," and in the following year he sang in his first operas at New York's Metropolitan Opera House: Simon Boccanegra and Tosca.
He became internationally famous three years later when he sang the title role in Puccini's "Tosca," which won him his first Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. In 1973 he recorded all but one of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera that sold over one million copies and brought him international acclaim. In 1979 Pavarotti made what would prove to be one of the most defining moments of his career when he sang before Pope John Paul II during a papal audience at the Vatican.
Two years later he captivated audiences all over Europe with his performance of Verdi's Requiem; it sold over five million copies and was awarded a Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Performance(Opera). Throughout his career, Pavarotti has toured widely throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Macau. He has also made numerous appearances on television programs such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Today Show, CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite & NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
He has appeared on television specials including The Great American Songbook(CBS), Six Feet Under(HBO), The Late Show With David Letterman(NBC), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC), The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS), The Merv Griffin Show (CBS)and Saturday Night Live(NBC).
