Renowned soprano Montserrat Caballé, who brought opera into the pop charts by singing "Barcelona" with Freddie Mercury, died aged 85 early on Saturday, hospital officials said.
The Spanish singer died in Sant Pau hospital in the city of Barcelona, staff there said, without giving further details. She had been suffering from ill health for a number of years, news agency EFE reported.
Her duet with rock singer Mercury became the anthem of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
The 'Gran Teatre del Liceu' opera house in Barcelona, where Caballé performed more than 200 times, described her as "one of the most important sopranos in history."
Spain's royal family called her "the great lady of the opera, a legend of universal culture, the best among the best".
"Her personality and her unique voice will always be with us. We are very sorry for her loss," the royals said in a tweet.
On Twitter, fans paid tribute to the star.
one of the most incredible voices I’ve ever heard. RIP #MontserratCaballe watch this and I bet you won’t have a dry eye by the end. Caballé & Mercury- Barcelona https://t.co/PihaG3OQeK pic.twitter.com/BSJYV5xsVk
— Luke Evans (@TheRealLukevans) October 6, 2018
Adieu #MontserratCaballe ! Thank you for all those incredible endless legato pianissimo floating lines. And for your generous warm-hearted humanity. Your laughter. It was an honour to share the stage with you. Adeù
— Janina Baechle (@jabaechle) October 6, 2018
Caballé was born in Barcelona, and began her professional career in Basel in 1956, as Mimi in La Bohème.
She released the song "Barcelona" with the Queen frontman in 1987 - and it was used again during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a year after Mercury's death. She performed during the opening ceremony with opera singers Placido Domingo and José Carreras.
In a live performance Caballé was accompanied by a recording of the late Mercury ahead of the 1999 Champions League soccer final in Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium.
According to Spanish media, her funeral is planned for Monday.
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