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Sting leads emotional memorial concert to Pavarotti in ancient red rock city of Petra...

Sting and his wife Trudie Styler were among the stars who paid tribute to the late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti last night.

The Police frontman took the stage at the private memorial concert in the ancient red rock city of Petra in Jordan to commemorate the Italian tenor's music and humanitarian work.

Speaking before the event, held on what would have been Pavarotti's 73rd birthday, Sting said: 'He had a big appetite this man, he had a big appetite for everything. He had an appetite for life but it was matched by a huge generosity with spirit.

'Luciano was a big man, he had a big heart and that generosity was transformed to his voice - and when we heard his voice, all of us were richer.'

Opera stars Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Roberto Alagna and Jose Carreras, Italian rock singer Zucchero and hip-hop star Jovanotti also paid their respects to Pavarotti, who died from cancer aged 71 in September 2007, at Sunday's concert.

Other events marking the first anniversary of the singer's death have been staged in New York, Rome and Paris.

Jordan's Princess Haya, a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, helped organise the Petra concert.

The fundraiser was held in Petra because performing there was an unfulfilled dream of the late Italian tenor. He had always wanted to sing at the city, which was hewn out of rock more than two thousand years ago, but never did during his lifetime.

Proceeds from the concert will go to World Food Programme and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), both of which Pavarotti supported during his lifetime, as well as for a local charity supporting disabled children in Petra.

UNHCR's Radhouane Nouicer said: 'Luciano Pavarotti was one of the greatest supporters of UNHCR's work, using his amazing talents to raise awareness of refugee issues around the world.'

(c) Daily Mail by Graham Smith