International Opera Star Jessye Norman Has Passed Away

It was announced today that the international opera star Jessye Norman has passed away.

Norman, 74 years old, passed away today, Monday, September 30, 2019, at 7:54 a.m. ET at Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital in New York, NY, where she was surrounded by loved ones. The official cause of death was septic shock and multi-organ failure secondary to complications of a spinal cord injury she had sustained in 2015.

According to People, Norman made her opera debut in 1969 at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

From there, she appeared in a series of performances and concert tours around the world. She made her United States stage debut at the Opera Company of Philadelphia in November 1982 and her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in September 1983.

Norman received 15 Grammy nominations and four wins, including best classical vocal soloist performance and best opera recording. She was also given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

Other accolades included honorary doctorates from Julliard, Harvard, Yale, and others, as well as having an orchid named after her in France in 1984; being named Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations in 1990; and earning a National Medal of Arts in 2009 from former President Barack Obama.

Norman opened an after school program called the Jessye Norman School of the Arts in her hometown of Augusta, and served on the Boards of Directors for the New York Public Library, the New York Botanical Garden, City-Meals-on-Wheels in New York City, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the National Music Foundation, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Read more on People.

Norman was the eldest of two remaining siblings, James Norman and Elaine Sturkey, from a total of five children. "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."

Funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.

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