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Grammy-Nominated Crooner Jubilant Sykes Fatally Stabbed—Was It a Family Feud Written in the Stars?

Added on December 9, 2025 inMusic News Cards

Is there something in the stars this week that just wants to see the opera get a plot twist worthy of a Greek tragedy? Mercury’s in retrograde, so you know what that means—drama, drama, and, oh—did I mention drama? Well, grab your telescope and a box of tissues, because the universe has tossed a cosmic curveball at the world of music: Jubilant Sykes, the legendary, honey-voiced Grammy-nominated baritone, whose name actually means “happy,” has left his final curtain call—and the circumstances couldn’t be more jaw-dropping if Saturn itself crashed into the Santa Monica Pier. How is it possible that a man who brought so much beauty to the world—sharing stages with everyone from Julie Andrews to Carlos Santana, owning the Met, and even dazzling at the Apollo—could find his life end like an unresolved opera aria, right in his own home, and allegedly at the hands of his own son? Maybe Venus is trying to teach us all a lesson about family, or maybe—just maybe—life is messier and more unpredictable than even the most chaotic celestial chart . If you want to dig deeper into the incredulity, heartbreak, and legacy of Sykes’ remarkable journey, and find out what really happened on that fateful Monday under this tempestuous sky, just follow the stardust here: LEARN MORE.

Jubilant Sykes, a Grammy-nominated opera singer, was allegedly stabbed to death by his son in his Santa Monica home on Monday. He was 71. 

Police responded to a 911 call at about 9:20 p.m. on Monday from someone inside the home who reported an “assault in progress,” the Santa Monica Police Department shared in a statement.

“Officers quickly arrived and contacted the reporting party, who directed them into the home. Inside the residence, officers located an adult male, 71-year-old Jubilant Sykes, with critical injuries consistent with a stabbing,” the statement said. 

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“The suspect, the victim’s son, Micah Sykes, 31, was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident.”

Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene by the Santa Monica Fire Department. His son was to be booked for homicide, and the case was to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. 

Sykes grew up in Los Angeles, began his career as a soprano and performed in venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Apollo Theater and the Hollywood Bowl. 

Along the way, he collaborated with Julie Andrews, Terence Blanchard, John Beasley, Renée Fleming, Josh Groban, Christopher Parkening, Patrice Rushen, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Warren and Brian Wilson. 

Sykes earned his Grammy nomination in 2010 through his participation in the Leonard Bernstein classical album Mass. He also was an actor, with credits including Peter Cousens’ Freedom (2014) and Matt Green’s The Descent (2023).

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