American tenor Richard Tucker was gifted with a bright, ringing tone, which he wedded to a technique so secure that in performance he could sing with the utmost abandon. Tucker died suddenly in 1975, just days before he was to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his Metropolitan Opera debut. During those years, Tucker had sung nearly every important spin to and dramatic tenor role in the repertoire, combining his passionate emotionalism with scrupulous musicianship to create a great number of unforgettable portrays.