Born on the outskirts of the tiny Italian town of Modena in 1935, Luciano Pavarotti went on to become arguably the top operatic tenor in modern times. With a full career in opera from his early youth until a bout with pancreatic cancer forced him to retreat to his villa in Modena in 2006, Pavarotti finally succumbed to the disease on Sept. 6.

Not only did Pavarotti rise to the top as an operatic tenor during his amazing career, but teamed with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, he helped bring operatic tour de force singing to pop culture the world over in appearances and recordings as The Three Tenors.

Opera will not be the same without Pavarotti and all lovers of music will miss him, but his legacy of fine recordings will remind us of his incredible accomplishments, indefatigable spirit, and unparalleled generosity for years to come.