I just learned that MMDer and Metropolitan Opera singer John Del Carlo
passed away in California on Friday, October 28th, 2016.  He was
described as having a "big, booming voice and great sense of comic
timing [that] made him one of the most outstanding character basses
at the Met in the last quarter-century!"

The Seattle Opera said last year, "Del Carlo, a 6 foot 6 inch bass
with a Wotan-sized voice, has made a name for himself as one of
America's greatest comic basses."

Del Carlo was very proud of his Mason & Hamlin Ampico grand piano
in which he had installed the very first production kit of Wayne
Stahnke's "LX" digital playback system.  His MMD articles are indexed
at http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Authors/Aut3427.html 

References:

  http://slippedisc.com/2016/10/sad-news-met-bass-baritone-has-died/ 
  http://www.bruceduffie.com/delcarlo2.html 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ0B7jpGo7U
 
  http://www.metopera.org/News-Flash/Met-News-Flash1/Remembering-John-Del-Carlo/ 

Robbie Rhodes, MMDigest