Free Republic

Beverly Sills, the Brooklyn-born opera diva who was a global icon of can-do American culture with her dazzling voice, bubbly personality and management moxie in the arts world, died Monday of cancer, her manager said. She was 78. It had been revealed just last month that Sills was gravely ill with inoperable lung cancer. Beyond the music world, Sills gained fans worldwide with a style that matched her childhood nickname, Bubbles. The relaxed, red-haired diva appeared frequently on TV talk shows, on "The Tonight Show," "The Muppet Show" and in televised performances with her friend Carol Burnett. Together, they did...

Beverly Sills, the opera diva who won over fans worldwide with her sparkling voice and charming personality and became a powerhouse in the New York arts world, is gravely ill with cancer, The Associated Press has learned. Sills, 78, was chairwoman of the Metropolitan Opera until she resigned two years ago, citing health and family reasons. She remains the Met's chairwoman emerita. The Met would neither confirm nor deny news of her illness, but people close to her health situation said Sills was at a Manhattan hospital, with her daughter at her side. In an e-mail this week to members...