Luciano Pavarotti, whose grand showmanship made him one of opera's most beloved tenors, has died. He was 71. Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment as recent as two weeks ago. His manager, Terri Robson, said in a statement that Pavarotti died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time, Wednesday. "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said. Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and '70s when he first achieved stardom. Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win millions of fans worldwide.