Opera star Luciano Pavarotti dies of cancer aged 71

Pavarotti, modern-day opera's greatest star, died just before 5am following a long fight against pancreatic cancer. His wife Nicoletta, 37, and his three grown-up daughters from his first marriage were at his bedside at his villa in Pesaro in northern-Italy.

His body will lie in state in Modena cathedral from late today until a funeral on Saturday at 1pm UK time.

In a statement, his manager Terri Robson said: "The maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life.

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"Fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing."

As news of his death spread, crowds began to gather outside his home close to the city of Modena, where he was born.

Police had to be called to control the number of mourners paying respect to a singer who, during a career spanning five decades, rose to become the best-known opera singer in the world.

Placido Domingo, one of his partners along with José Carreras in the Three Tenors, paid tribute to his colleague and rival. "I always admired the God-given glory of his voice - that unmistakeable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range," he said.

"I also loved his wonderful sense of humour and on several occasions of our concerts we had trouble remembering that we were giving a concert before a paying audience because we had so much fun between ourselves."

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Pavarotti, who made his stage debut in 1961 in La Boheme at Reggio Emilia in Italy, had enjoyed a glittering career but it was the emotion-charged rendition of Nessun Dorma sung by the three at the 1990 Italian World Cup which brought him global fame.

Pavarotti went on to sing in front of more than 150,000 people, including Princess Diana, in Hyde Park in 1991 followed by a concert in Central Park two years later for 500,000 fans. He made more than 100 recordings and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

The Royal Opera House said: "He introduced the extraordinary power of opera to people who perhaps would never have encountered opera, in doing so he enriched their lives. That will be his legacy."

Classical music critic David Mellor, an Evening Standard columnist and former Heritage Secretary, described Pavarotti as a "lovely, lovely man" and a "really good human being". "Pavarotti had a wonderful honeyed voice, a gift from God that comes just once in a generation."

In his private life, he was embroiled in a tax scandal and forced to settle a £6 million bill with the Italian government. In 2003, after divorcing Adua, his wife of 30 years, and paying her £40 million, Pavarotti married his secretary Nicoletta Mantovani who was half his age. The marriage came a year after the birth of their daughter, Alice.

Pavarotti had been battling pancreatic cancer since July last year when he had an operation in New York. He returned to his villa in Pesaro and was never seen in public again.

Last month he was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia and insiders said it was the beginning of the end.His last public performance, singing Nessun Dorma, was at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, in February last year. In the months before the diagnosis he had given worldwide farewell concerts.

Two years ago, he launched a vocal academy for talented young singers in Modena where he taught a hand-picked group of students until a few weeks ago. He was planning to complete a recording of sacred songs .

He was still in good spirits up until his death and said: "I haven't lost my sense of humour. I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life to."

There were tenors and there was him ... tributes from around the world

Placido Domingo: "I always admired his divine voice, with its unmistakeable timbre and complete vocal range. Sometimes in our concerts we forgot we were performing because the three of us were having so much fun."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "It's a terrible loss. Millions will be listening to his words and his music in decades to come."

Franco Zeffirelli, the Italian film director: "There were tenors and then there was Pavarotti."

Australian soprano Joan Sutherland: "The quality of the sound was so different. You knew immediately that it was Luciano."

US President George Bush : He was a "great humanitarian" who used his great talent to help the needy.

Antonio Pappano, Musical Director ROH: "The applause after his farewell performances in 2002 was probably the most moving and heartfelt in the history of the Royal Opera."

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President: "He was the best incarnation of the great tenor since Enrico Caruso. His artistic qualities, seduced the whole world."

Elton John, who sang a duet with him in 1996: "It's a sad day for music and for the world."

Venusta Nascetti, 71, who regularly served Pavarotti coffee when they were young: "He was full of joy - he had a happy spirit."