R.I.P.

Grammy Winning Opera Singer Jessye Norman Dies at 74

The singer's soprano voice launched a years-long international career that wowed audiences and won awards.

Jessye Norman, an opera singer whose voice wowed international crowds and won many accolades, died on Monday at the age of 74. A family spokesperson told the Associated Press that Norman died Monday morning surrounded by family after suffering from septic shock, multiple-organ failure, and complications from a 2015 spinal cord injury. Norman made her operatic debut in 1969 in Berlin, and her soprano voice launched a years-long international career. She won a Kennedy Center Honor in 1997, the youngest person to ever receive the award at the time. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama, and accumulated 15 Grammy nominations throughout her career. She won the best classical vocal soloist performance Grammy in 1985, and earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. “We are so proud of Jessye’s musical achievements and the inspiration that she provided to audiences around the world that will continue to be a source of joy,” a family statement read. “We are equally proud of her humanitarian endeavors addressing matters such as hunger, homelessness, youth development, and arts and culture education.”