[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15231-H15233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 708) honoring the life and 
accomplishments of Luciano Pavarotti and recognizing the significant 
and positive impact of his astounding musical talent, his achievement 
in raising the profile of opera with audiences around the world, and 
his commitment to charitable causes.

[[Page H15232]]

  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 708

       Whereas Luciano Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935, in 
     the outskirts of Modena, Italy;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti first began singing in a church choir 
     at the age of 9;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti was trained as a teacher and taught 
     second grade in Italy before deciding to pursue his music 
     full time;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti began serious voice training at the 
     age of 19 under Arrigo Pola, a respected teacher and 
     professional tenor in Modena, Italy;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti made his operatic debut on April 29, 
     1961, as Rodolfo in La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, at the 
     opera house in Reggio Emilia;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti made his American debut with the 
     Greater Miami Opera in February of 1965 as a last minute 
     replacement in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti's February 17, 1972, performance in 
     Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment at New York's Metropolitan 
     Opera, included nine high C's during the signature aria and 
     helped him break through to American audiences;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti made frequent television performances 
     which attracted some of the largest audiences ever recorded 
     for televised opera events;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti, with Placido Domingo and Jose 
     Carreras, made their debut as ``The Three Tenors'' in Rome 
     during the 1990 World Cup;
       Whereas ``The Three Tenors'' recording from their debut 
     concert became the biggest selling classical record of all 
     time;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti earned five Grammy awards and a 
     Grammy Legend Award;
       Whereas on December 12, 1998, Mr. Pavarotti became the 
     first and, so far, only opera singer to perform on ``Saturday 
     Night Live'';
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti organized and hosted annual 
     ``Pavarotti and Friends'' charity concerts in his home town 
     of Modena in Italy, to raise money for worthy United Nations' 
     causes;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti sang at numerous benefit concerts to 
     help victims of natural and manmade tragedies;
       Whereas in 1998 Mr. Pavarotti was named the United Nations 
     Messenger of Peace;
       Whereas in 2001 Mr. Pavarotti received the Nansen Medal 
     from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for his 
     efforts raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti received the Kennedy Center Honors in 
     2001;
       Whereas on February 10, 2006, Mr. Pavarotti sang ``Nessun 
     Dorma'' as the final act of the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening 
     Ceremony in Turin, Italy;
       Whereas Mr. Pavarotti's immense talent, and passion for his 
     art encouraged people around the world to embrace opera; and
       Whereas Luciano Pavarotti died on September 6, 2007 in a 
     hospital in Modena, Italy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life 
     and accomplishments of Luciano Pavarotti and recognizes the 
     significant and positive impact of his astounding musical 
     talent, his achievement in raising the profile of opera with 
     audiences around the world, and his commitment to charitable 
     causes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me first thank my good friend and colleague from 
California, Representative Loretta Sanchez, for introducing this timely 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, there is literally no one who has done more to expand 
world audiences for opera than the late Luciano Pavarotti. He achieved 
this with a combination of inimitable talent, determination, and an 
untiring and affable manner. Just as important, he parlayed this fame 
into an international presence, which he used to push for a host of 
important causes. This resolution honors his life, his talent, his 
commitment to those causes.
  Like many an Italian boy, Pavarotti dreamed of becoming a soccer star 
and was better at it than most of his later fans would ever know. But 
his father, himself an amateur singer, and his recording of the great 
Italian tenors soon put young Luciano on a path which would catapult 
him to fame.
  From his operatic debut in 1961 to his U.S. debut a few years later 
opposite Joan Sutherland in Lucia di Lammermoor, Pavarotti soon became 
known for the sheer beauty of his voice. But the world was wowed in 
1972 when Pavarotti struck nine unwavering high C's at New York's 
Metropolitan Opera House, earning him a title the ``King of High C's.''
  Roughly 20 years later, he recorded the biggest selling classical 
music album of all time, when he teamed up with Placido Domingo and 
Jose Carreras as the Three Tenors. It must have caused the man who once 
dreamed of soccer stardom great joy to have debuted this project for 
the 1990 Soccer World Cup in Italy.
  He shared the stage with rock stars, including U2's lead singer, 
Bono, Eric Clapton, and even pop stars like Celine Dion and the Spice 
Girls. Pavarotti also won humanitarian awards during the Bosnia war, as 
well worked alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, to raise money to ban 
land mines, was named a U.N. Messenger of Peace in 1998, and received 
the Nansen Medal from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001. 
He never tired of bringing his voice to rally around causes that make 
us all proud. When he died this year, his wife, sister, four daughters, 
nephews, and close relatives and friends were all at his side.
  Mr. Speaker, Luciano Pavarotti was a man blessed with an unusual 
talent, a talent he used to promote not only opera, but a myriad of 
other causes that helped men and women all throughout the world. This 
resolution seeks to cast a small light on a soaring life, and I urge 
its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to rise in support of H. Res. 708, which honors the life 
and accomplishments of Luciano Pavarotti and recognizes the significant 
and positive impact of his amazing and astounding musical talent, his 
achievement in raising the profile of opera with audiences around the 
world and his commitment to charitable causes.
  On September 6th of this year, a legend of the opera would take his 
final curtain call. When the great Luciano Pavarotti passed away in 
September, the world lost one of its most beautiful voices. Those with 
a love of all kinds of music, everyone from opera singers to 
instrumentalists and pop singers, grieved at the loss of such a great 
talent. One of those musicians, the rock singer Bono of the group U2, 
described Pavarotti as, and I quote, ``a great volcano of a man who 
sang fire but spilled over with a love of life in all its complexity.''
  From the time that he made his first debut in 1961, Luciano Pavarotti 
was an inspiration, not just for the unmatched quality of God-given 
voice and talent, but for his generosity. Indeed, he used immense 
talent to raise funds for many worthy causes, including his concerts on 
behalf of refugees throughout the world.
  In 1998, he was named United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2001, the 
same year that he received the Kennedy Center Honors, he received a 
medal from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for his 
fundraising efforts on behalf of refugees throughout the world.
  In memory of this giant man of music, beloved by all those who enjoy 
the great opera, I ask my colleagues to join in supporting H. Res. 708, 
introduced by our colleague from California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez).

                              {time}  1300

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. I thank my good friend from New 
York.
  I am pleased that today the House of Representatives is considering 
House Resolution 708, honoring the life and accomplishments of Luciano 
Pavarotti. As the sponsor of this legislation, I would like to thank 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, especially the chairman, Mr. Lantos, 
for his assistance in

[[Page H15233]]

bringing this before the end of the year, the year 2007, the year in 
which Mr. Pavarotti died.
  He was born on October 12, 1935, and he died on September 6, 2007, in 
Modena, Italy. I know, because I was in the Veneto that day when his 
death was announced by his family. And during his life, Mr. Pavarotti 
shared his incredible talent and passion for opera with the entire 
world. During his life, he actually began as a second grade teacher 
before he decided to turn to his pursuit of music full time. After 
devoting himself to serious voice training for over 7 years, Mr. 
Pavarotti made his operatic debut in the role of Rodolfo in Puccini's 
``La Boheme.''
  From that initial performance, Pavarotti continued to follow his 
dream of performing opera around the world. And after many years of 
hard work, of course, he became really one of opera's premier 
performers. But in addition to his incredible voice and his talent on 
stage; Mr. Pavarotti made frequent television performances, and as a 
result he really opened up the world of opera to a whole new audience. 
Mr. Pavarotti, with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, entered into one 
of the most famous collaborations in music, and The Three Tenors 
continued to bring opera music to more and more people around the 
world. As an established opera star, he decided to use his talent and 
his connections to benefit charities, and he began hosting the annual 
Pavarotti and Amici, or Pavarotti and Friends, concerts in Modena, 
Italy, to raise money for worthy United Nations causes.
  Mr. Pavarotti's appeal to opportunities, he got an opportunity to see 
things that are rarely enjoyed by most of us. He earned five Grammy 
Awards and a Grammy Legend Award, and he became the first and so far 
the only opera singer to perform on ``Saturday Night Live.'' Mr. 
Pavarotti also received numerous honors for his charitable work 
including being named the United Nations' Messenger of Peace and 
receiving the Nansen Medal from the United Nations High Commission for 
Refugees in honor of his efforts to raise money on behalf of refugees 
around the world.
  Mr. Pavarotti's career is an inspiration to aspiring young artists 
around the world, and it encourages them to continue to go after their 
dream. In addition, Mr. Pavarotti's commitment to charitable causes 
provides an important example of how artists can raise awareness in 
funding for people in need.
  Mr. Speaker, since his death, the world has missed his talent and his 
passion. And although we will always have recordings of his beautiful 
music, we will continue to miss his presence and his love for life. And 
I know that in the last 10 years of his life he filled his life and was 
very fulfilled. But we should remember that Mr. Pavarotti once said: 
``A life in music is a life beautifully spent, and this is what I have 
devoted my life to.''
  Mr. Pavarotti's life was indeed a life beautifully spent, and I urge 
my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 708 to honor 
his life and his achievements.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 708.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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