Jubilant Sykes, Beloved Opera Singer, Passes Away at 71; Son Taken into Custody by Police

Trending on Billboard

Singer Jubilant Sykes was fatally stabbed at his Santa Monica home on Monday, December 8. The 71-year-old Grammy-nominated classical, opera, and gospel artist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Explore

Police were dispatched to Sykes’ residence around 9:20 p.m. PT following a 911 call reporting an alleged assault, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

Officers discovered Sykes with severe injuries consistent with a stabbing. Personnel from the Santa Monica Fire Department responded and confirmed the singer’s death at the scene.

Micah Sykes, the 31-year-old son of the victim, was found inside the home and taken into custody without incident. Identified by police as the “suspect,” he is expected to be booked for homicide, and the case will be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review.

“He was a wonderful person, a beautiful singer, and he had a good spirit,” said Sammy Murphy, a neighbor and friend of Jubilant Sykes. “I was born and raised in Santa Monica, so we were really close out here.”

Billboard has reached out to the Santa Monica Police Department for additional comments.

Sykes was a highly regarded baritone known for his performances in opera houses worldwide, including the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater. He received a Grammy nomination in 2009 for his role as the Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.

In a poignant reflection on his craft, Sykes expressed in 2002, “In life, there is an extraordinary pain, and I don’t believe that you can sing without having a little bit of pain in life. The fact that we’re all alive is a great gift, but pain is always coupled in there. I don’t think you can have great love without great pain.”