Tenor John Vickers, one of the greatest opera singers in the 20th century, died at the age of 88, according to reports.
The Royal House Opera has received a statement from Vicker's family, saying that the Canadian-born singer died on Friday, July 10, in Ontario due to his prolonged suffering of Alzheimer's disease.
For the past decades, John Vicker was seen performing in Opera with the most challenging roles. The families and friends of the deceased legend in the world of opera, have paid tribute to his "singing, laughter, warmth and generous spirit."
Vickers was born in rural Saskatchewan in 1926 and was described by many as a "deeply religious and private man." His childhood was spent in church choirs and he was also in pursuit of taking medicine before he went to music school.
At the age of 24, he was granted a scholarship to study at The Royal Conservatory of Music, situated in Toronto, where he spent 5 years honing his craft.
In 1956, Vickers was invited for an audition to London's Royal Opera House, which led him to obtain his first debut a year after he auditioned.
He performed at the Germany's Bayreuth festival, where he was held as one of the world's leading performers of Richard Wagner, acclaiming the big roles including Siegmund in the "Die Walkuere".
Among other dramatic tenors at that time, Vickers stood out with his 'rich powerful voice'. John Ardoin, a known music critic, described Vicker's voice as "holding a hundred colors and inflections".
For nearly three decades, Vickers had toured around the world performing and was able to gather a huge base of his devoted fans. Not only did he obtain numerous honorary degrees, he also won a companionship from the Order of Canada and was granted two Grammy Awards during his time.
In 1988, Vickers retired from the Opera world. His family described how simple he was despite his life's accomplishments. They said he was "a man of the land who was the most at home on his farm, surrounded by nature and his family.|
Henrietta, his wife, died in 1991. John Vickers is survived by his sister, his five children, eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
