Opera Legend, Grammy-winner Jessye Norman passes away at 74

Superstar singer Jessye Norman, an American soprano who showcased her majestic yet intimate voice at opera houses and orchestras around the world, has died, her family said. She was 74 years old.

One of the contemporary era’s most revered opera singers, the Grammy-winner died “surrounded by loved ones” at a New York hospital due to septic shock and multi-organ failure, the result of complications from a spinal cord injury sustained in 2015, according to a statement obtained by AFP via a spokeswoman.

Norman, who was among the small number of black sopranos to reach international fame, was the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a National Medal of Arts and the Legion d’honneur. She also performed at the Queen’s 60th birthday celebrations in 1986, as well as the second presidential inaugurations of both Ronald Reagan (in 1985) and Bill Clinton (in 1997).

Norman also has an orchid named after her. She became the youngest person in a two-decade history to earn a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor at age 52 in 1997, and President Barack Obama bestowed her with a National Medal of Arts.

Born September 15, 1945, in Augusta, Georgia, Norman grew up surrounded by music as one of five children in a family of amateur artists. She began singing as a child in a gospel choir in the state of Georgia. She made her operatic debut in 1969 and went on to achieve renown in the Seventies.

Her family has expressed pride in Norman’s “musical achievements” and “her humanitarian endeavours, addressing matters such as hunger, homelessness, youth development, and arts and culture education”.

May Her Soul Rest In Peace.

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