Would Any Other Artist’s Death Lead The News?

“When Pavarotti died this week something very unusual happened. The death of an artist – no. It was that the death of a classical practitioner of an elite art form led many news bulletins here in Britain, and no doubt around much of the world. All right, Pavarotti was a special case, someone who transcended the rigid categories which divide music. … But the ability to command the news headlines is unusual. When was the last time it happened in this way?”