Grammy-nominated opera singer Jubilant Sykes was fatally stabbed in his home in Santa Monica, California on Monday, police say.
Police responded to a 911 caller reporting an assault in progress at 18th Street and Delaware Avenue, near the Santa Monica College.
When police arrived at the home, they found Sykes with “critical injuries consistent with a stabbing,” the Santa Monica Police Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police arrested Sykes’ son Micah Sykes, 31, inside the home.
Micah will be charged with suspicion of murder, police said. A knife was recovered in the home.
Neighbors told reporters at the scene that Jubilant Sykes grew up in the area and would sing at the nearby Calvary Baptist Church.
Sykes was nominated for a Grammy for Best Classical Album for his performance as the celebrant in the 2009 recording of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.”
He collaborated with artists such as Josh Groban, Julie Andrews, Carlos Santana and Brian Wilson.
Sykes was a renowned baritone who performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, the Boston Pops, and more.
Sykes’ neighbor and friend, Sammy Murphy, referred to Micah as “a bad man.”
Sykes and his wife Cecilia had three sons, according to his bio.
