RIP, Beverly Sills

Opera diva Beverly Sills gravely ill

June 28, 2007

BY VERENA DOBNIK
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Editor's note: An earlier headline gave incorrect information about opera singer Beverly Sills. She is gravely ill.

NEW YORK — Beverly Sills, the opera diva who won over fans worldwide with her sparkling voice and charming personality and later 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.

----
Actually, the incorrect information was "dead"

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/NEWS08/70628070

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

Sadly, we could have four within a week's time. (Shooter, Benoit, Claiborne)

She was diagnosed four weeks ago. Man, if she goes, the Met is going to have a huge hole to fill.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

She's one of my birthday buddies, along with Miles Davis, Mike Myers, Lauren Hill and Ralph Waldo Emerson. A shame; here's hoping she doesn't suffer.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

Actually, I think the mistake lies with the Freep. I just checked the wire here at our shop and all of the AP versions say she is gravely ill.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

Embarrassing.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

Did AP send out a bulletin kill? What did the original AP headline say?

Having been involved in a few bulletin kills (fortunately none in which I was the individual at fault), I can tell you it's probably the thing most feared by AP reporters. It's gut wrenching and has a way of slowing down a career.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

It's a good thing the AP caught it. Imagine someone at her bedside reading the paper to her about her death!

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

Never heard of her.

But thank goodness she's not dead.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

No bulletin kill on our wire here. The headline include "AP Newsbreak: Opera diva Beverly Sills gravely ill". Starting to think the Freep didn't like the idea of trumpeting an AP Newsbreak and wrote its own headline, with grave results.

 

Re: Despite AP, Sills not dead yet

BUT I'M NOT DEAD YET!



Headline writing is a grave, er ... undertaking.

 

Re: Despite AP and or the Freep, Sills not dead yet

I see they just moved Mitch Albom's column from Sills' funeral.

 

Re: Despite AP and or the Freep, Sills not dead yet

Were Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson there as pallbearers?