International Operatic Superstar Jessye Norman Dies At 74

Jessye Norman, the renowned international opera star whose passionate soprano voice won her four Grammy Awards and the National Medal of Arts, has died, according to family spokesperson Gwendolyn Quinn. She was 74.

A statement released to The Associated Press on Monday (Sept. 30) said Norman died at 7:54 a.m. EDT from septic shock and multi-organ failure secondary to complications of a spinal cord injury she had sustained in 2015. 

She died at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York, and was surrounded by loved ones.

“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. We are equally proud of her humanitarian endeavors addressing matters such as hunger, homelessness, youth development, and arts and culture education,” the family statement read.

Norman had performed at Chicago’s Lyric Opera in the 1990-91 season, in the title role in “Alceste,” by Gluck. She also performed in recital at Symphony Center on numerous occasions, and at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Ill. 

She performed at jazz festivals including including Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and San Sebastian Heineken Jazzaldia; performing arts centers like Louis M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, Apollo Theater in New York, and the Olympia in Paris. She also performed as a featured guest at special events including Langston Hughes’ Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 2009 and The Dream Concert at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall along with stars like Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Garth Brooks, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Wyclef Jean, Talib Kweli, Usher, Ludacris, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Joss Stone, among others.

Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.