On August 2, 1921, Enrico Caruso died in Naples, Italy at the age of 48. He was the son of a Neapolitan police officer and baker and was born in Naples in 1873. He was a renowned Italian operatic tenor who had a major international career at several of the leading opera houses of Europe and the Americas, enjoying a critically acclaimed career from the 1890s to the 1920s. He had a tremendous tenor voice of great power and resource, beauty and flexibility, and wide range, capable of meeting the requirements of both bel canto and verismo roles. In a career that spanned no fewer than two thousand performances, he sang in a variety of styles: opera, oratorio, operetta, Spanish and Neapolitan songs. His popular appeal brought opera and arias to a much wider audience than was usual at the time. Caruso was a dominant influence in the world of opera until his death in 1921. The legacy he left behind is remarkable. He was widely known and appreciated throughout his lifetime for his unparalleled artistry and talent. He is remembered today as a revered and acclaimed singer, the appraised model of operatic vocalism and a performer who forever changed the scope and understanding of opera.