(CNN) -- Luciano Pavarotti died Thursday at the age of 71 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.  I-Report contributors shared their memories of the famed opera tenor. Here is a selection of those stories: . Annamaria Capicchioni shared this snapshot from the 1993 Pavarotti San Marino Grand Prix in Modena, Italy. Leslie Oakley of Davenport, Florida I grew up in a small town in Kentucky where opera didn't exactly fit in the scheme of things. My family wasn't at all musical either but seeing as though I took an interest in it, my parents indulged me with opera recordings. One of the first ones I received was The Three Tenors. Luciano Pavarotti was to me what Michael Jordan was to other children. He was my hero. I even did a report on him one year in high school. I can remember sitting in my room listening to his voice, closing my eyes and seeing the operas unfold in my mind. He inspired me to teach myself to sing, and I went on to win awards in high school and to sing for three professional groups out of college. Singing has enriched my life immeasurably, and I owe it all to that beautiful voice that so entranced me as a child. I have many fond memories of Pavarotti. His voice always moves me to tears. It is the feeling of being given a glimpse of the divine that I will most remember about him. My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. There will never be another Pavarotti. Edmund Chua of Singapore Maestro's voice was truly a blessing. That exciting, that fascinating quality, that, sigh ... too many adjectives. Of course, there was that unforgettable personality. Personally, (don't know if this is a right thing to say but) I saw Italy in him, so to speak, always loving life. Knew he was fighting cancer but always thought he'd recover. I was hoping I'd be able to watch him live but I guess it'll only be in the footage. He's indeed a legend lost, a legacy remembered. ... We'll miss him. Tina Minges of Woodland, California I never cared for opera ... then I heard Pavarotti ... and from that point I loved it. Sandra Miser of Dallas, Texas I consider him the greatest singer ever. His voice had a quality like no others. I cried going to work this morning when I heard he was gone. When I listen to his music I can disappear into the beauty of it and be a peace. He will be greatly missed. Thank goodness for CDs so that we will never be without his voice. George Wendy of Eatons Neck, New York We had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Pavarotti sing a few times. His recital with James Levine at the Metropolitan Opera House was remarkable. I could not imagine feeling more emotion from listening to someone sing. Ciao, Luciano! Shannon Broussard of Springfield, Missouri Heaven now has a tenor for its choir. Chris Nissen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I heard Pavarotti perform twice in Philadelphia during the years he sponsored an operatic competition for young performers. I still have goose bumps thinking about the brilliance of those two evenings. Not only was his performance breathtaking, but his genuine joy in sharing the stage with the winners of the competition was obvious and written all over his face with a grand smile. Whenever I need to feel inspired with my own work I go and dig out my Pavarotti CDs. Bravo to the great one! Reynaldo O. Arcilla, Philippines  Even Mt. Etna wept when Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest opera singers of all time, died. Marelize, South Africa In the mid-'90s, Luciano Pavarotti came to South Africa and performed in the town of Stellenboch. It was a very exclusive open-air concert. The tickets were very expensive and all the rich and famous in South Africa were there. Next to the stadium is a river that runs through the town. On the night, crowds of people gathered along the banks of the river. Like me, they could not afford the concert. From where we stood we could see the beautiful mountains, see the lights of the stadium and we could not see him, but we could hear his amazing voice. I looked at the people around me, they all had an expression of sheer wonder on their faces. He gave us all a wonderful gift that night. I will never forget it! He made us fall in love with opera! Edgardo J. Tria Tirona, Philippines This great tenor's death is like the dimming of a star at the break of dawn. But, as in the final strains of Nessun Dorma "All'alba vincero!" - at daybreak, he [again] conquers! The world's loss is now heaven's gain. Barry, New York City As a former employee of the New York Metropolitan Opera, it was my pleasure and "thrill of a lifetime" to watch and listen to "the Maestro" sing from the wings of the stage. I still get goose bumps thinking about that glorious voice, golden tenor. Ozonato, Kuala Lumpur Luciano Pavarotti's death was a shock, I attended his concerts in Hong Kong (SAR) 2005. Wife Nicoletta Mantovani [and his] daughters should have courage to bear the loss. I like the power of his strength of music. He was famous during his lifetime, may he rest in the Lord. Mario Rizzotti of Lincolnwood, Illinois ARRIVEDERCI GRANDE LUCIANO!!!!!! In your honor all the opera houses in USA should have the Half-Staff Flag. Sei stato grande. Your Italian Friends that fell in love with your singing and used your singing to make ladies fall in love, will always remember you. Now you rest in peace you can say:" VINCEROOOOOOOOO." E-mail to a friend .
Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti died Thursday at his home in Modena, Italy .
CNN.com readers recall the tenor's "amazing voice" and "strength" of music .
"The world's loss is now heaven's gain," one user writes .
(CNN) -- Luciano Pavarotti died Thursday at the age of 71 after suffering from pancreatic cancer. I-Report contributors shared their memories of the famed opera tenor. Here is a selection of those stories: . Annamaria Capicchioni shared this snapshot from the 1993 Pavarotti San Marino Grand Prix in Modena, Italy. Leslie Oakley of Davenport, Florida I grew up in a small town in Kentucky where opera didn't exactly fit in the scheme of things. My family wasn't at all musical either but seeing as though I took an interest in it, my parents indulged me with opera recordings. One of the first ones I received was The Three Tenors. Luciano Pavarotti was to me what Michael Jordan was to other children. He was my hero. I even did a report on him one year in high school. I can remember sitting in my room listening to his voice, closing my eyes and seeing the operas unfold in my mind. He inspired me to teach myself to sing, and I went on to win awards in high school and to sing for three professional groups out of college. Singing has enriched my life immeasurably, and I owe it all to that beautiful voice that so entranced me as a child. I have many fond memories of Pavarotti. His voice always moves me to tears. It is the feeling of being given a glimpse of the divine that I will most remember about him. My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. There will never be another Pavarotti. Edmund Chua of Singapore Maestro's voice was truly a blessing. That exciting, that fascinating quality, that, sigh ... too many adjectives. Of course, there was that unforgettable personality. Personally, (don't know if this is a right thing to say but) I saw Italy in him, so to speak, always loving life. Knew he was fighting cancer but always thought he'd recover. I was hoping I'd be able to watch him live but I guess it'll only be in the footage. He's indeed a legend lost, a legacy remembered. ... We'll miss him. Tina Minges of Woodland, California I never cared for opera ... then I heard Pavarotti ... and from that point I loved it. Sandra Miser of Dallas, Texas I consider him the greatest singer ever. His voice had a quality like no others. I cried going to work this morning when I heard he was gone. When I listen to his music I can disappear into the beauty of it and be a peace. He will be greatly missed. Thank goodness for CDs so that we will never be without his voice. George Wendy of Eatons Neck, New York We had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Pavarotti sing a few times. His recital with James Levine at the Metropolitan Opera House was remarkable. I could not imagine feeling more emotion from listening to someone sing. Ciao, Luciano! Shannon Broussard of Springfield, Missouri Heaven now has a tenor for its choir. Chris Nissen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania I heard Pavarotti perform twice in Philadelphia during the years he sponsored an operatic competition for young performers. I still have goose bumps thinking about the brilliance of those two evenings. Not only was his performance breathtaking, but his genuine joy in sharing the stage with the winners of the competition was obvious and written all over his face with a grand smile. Whenever I need to feel inspired with my own work I go and dig out my Pavarotti CDs. Bravo to the great one! Reynaldo O. Arcilla, Philippines  Even Mt. Etna wept when Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest opera singers of all time, died. Marelize, South Africa In the mid-'90s, Luciano Pavarotti came to South Africa and performed in the town of Stellenboch. It was a very exclusive open-air concert. The tickets were very expensive and all the rich and famous in South Africa were there. Next to the stadium is a river that runs through the town. On the night, crowds of people gathered along the banks of the river. Like me, they could not afford the concert. From where we stood we could see the beautiful mountains, see the lights of the stadium and we could not see him, but we could hear his amazing voice. I looked at the people around me, they all had an expression of sheer wonder on their faces. He gave us all a wonderful gift that night. I will never forget it! He made us fall in love with opera! Edgardo J. Tria Tirona, Philippines This great tenor's death is like the dimming of a star at the break of dawn. But, as in the final strains of Nessun Dorma "All'alba vincero!" - at daybreak, he [again] conquers! The world's loss is now heaven's gain. Barry, New York City As a former employee of the New York Metropolitan Opera, it was my pleasure and "thrill of a lifetime" to watch and listen to "the Maestro" sing from the wings of the stage. I still get goose bumps thinking about that glorious voice, golden tenor. Ozonato, Kuala Lumpur Luciano Pavarotti's death was a shock, I attended his concerts in Hong Kong (SAR) 2005. Wife Nicoletta Mantovani [and his] daughters should have courage to bear the loss. I like the power of his strength of music. He was famous during his lifetime, may he rest in the Lord. Mario Rizzotti of Lincolnwood, Illinois ARRIVEDERCI GRANDE LUCIANO!!!!!! In your honor all the opera houses in USA should have the Half-Staff Flag. Sei stato grande. Your Italian Friends that fell in love with your singing and used your singing to make ladies fall in love, will always remember you. Now you rest in peace you can say:" VINCEROOOOOOOOO." E-mail to a friend .
(CNN) -- Luciano Pavarotti died Thursday at the Grand Prix in Modena, Italy. Leslie Oakley of [again] conquers! The world's loss is now like the power of his strength of music. He was