Opera Singer. A dramatic tenor, he is remembered for singing leading roles in many of the world's principal venues. Raised in one of his country's more important Afrikaner cities, he learned to sing in the Dutch Reformed Church and was able to benefit from private lessons arranged by the minister. Mr. Botha served the South African Air Force in 1983 and 1984, singing in a chorus and playing drums in a jazz band, and made his 1989 professional bow at Roodepoort as Max from Weber's "Die Freischutz", then moved to Europe where he earned a living singing in the chorus at Bayreuth and taking small parts in minor theatres. His major break came with a 1993 performance at Paris' Opera Bastille as the dishonorable LT B.F. Pinkerton of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly"; over his time before the public his forte was the works of Richard Wagner, his roles including Siegmund and Siegfried from "The Ring Cycle", Walther in "Die Meistersinger", and the title leads of "Lohengrin", "Tannhauser", "Tristan und Isolde", and "Parsifal", though he also earned praise as Calaf in Puccini's "Turandot", Radames from Verdi's "Aida", the painter Mario Cavaradossi of Puccini's "Tosca", Florestan in Beethoven's "Fidelio", and the title leads of Verdi's "Otello" and "Don Carlos". Mr. Botha joined the company of the Vienna State Opera (VSO) in 1995, that same year bowed at Covent Garden as Rodlofo from Puccini's "La Boheme", in 1997 made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the tragic clown Canio in Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci", was a noted oratorio artist in Mahler's "Das Lied von Erde", Verdi's "Requiem", and other works, and over the years headlined at La Scala Milano, the Salzburg Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and elsewhere. Named the youngest Kammersanger (KS) in the history of the VSO in 2003, he gave the last of his 82 Met performances in 2010 and that same year finally got his 'real' Bayreuth debut, bowing as Siegfried. Diagnosed with liver cancer a few months prior to his death, he attempted a comeback in June of 2016 and in August of that year last sang on stage at a cancer research benefit recital. At his demise, he left a quite significant legacy of 'live' and studio recordings.