Not only was the performance done on 20 minutes notice, she had no rehearsal and simply heard Pavarotti’s rehearsal once on a goddamn tape player and just listened, nodded and said she could do it. the most famous opera song in the world, on one of the biggest nights for music in the world, no rehearsal, and she just went out and did it.

More backstory: she’d performed Nessun Dorma at another event two days before, but got asked to take Pavarotti’s slot and basically instantly accepted— WHICH HAPPENED AFTER THE SHOW HAD ALREADY STARTED. (The producer didn’t hear he wasn’t coming until about 1:50 before he was supposed to be onstage.) She got a recording of Pavarotti practicing, and got to sit with his conductor and rehearse until it was time for her performance (the originally scheduled one) and for a bit of time afterwards. She didn’t know that there was a 30-strong backing choir or 50-piece orchestra till she saw it on her way down. What a queen.