QUEEN Guitarist Pays Tribute to LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

QUEEN guitarist Brian May has paid tribute to legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti with whom he shared the stage at the 10th anniversary Pavarotti and Friends charity concert in 2003 in Pavarotti's hometown of Modena, Italy. The opera legend, 71, died on September 6 after losing a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Writing on his official web site, BrianMay.com he said, "I resisted talking about my moment of singing with Luciano when I wrote my small tribute… because I didn't want to use the occasion to do any self-advertisement. All I wanted to do was offer respects and love.

"I see that the video of 'Too Much Love' [from the Pavarotti and Friends concert] has been hugely watched, yesterday and today ... and that makes me feel... all the strange things that go with sadness and loss. Mixed in, there are feelings of pride and joy that this moment should have happened. Strongest of all, perhaps, is that feeling, when someone passes on, of incomprehension, and disbelief. Why? What are we meant to be learning? Why are we still here? Maybe it's all a dream. Well, Luciano Pavarotti spun dreams for the world. A great man. A great loss. But his heavenly voice will be with us for a very long time."

Brian had previously performed "Too Much Love Will Kill You" for Pavarotti in the very first Pavarotti and Friends concert held in 1992. Having returned to perform again just over ten years later, Pavarotti specially requested to perform the song as a duet with Brian.

Watch video footage of QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor performing "Too Much Love Will Kill You" with Luciano Pavarotti at the Pavarotti and Friends charity concert in 2003:

THANKS: BLABBERMOUTH.NET