Carlos Marín, one-fourth of the opera-pop quarter Il Divo, has died. He was 53. The group confirmed his passing on Twitter, writing, “It is with heavy hearts that we are letting you know that our friend and partner, Carlos Marín, has passed away. He will be missed by his friends, family and fans. There wiIl never be another voice or spirit like Carlos.”
They continued, “For 17 years the four of us have been on this incredible journey of Il Divo together, and we will miss our dear friend. We hope and pray that his beautiful soul will rest in peace. With Love—David, Sebastien and Urs.”
Marín was hospitalized in the United Kingdom on December 8 after falling ill during a tour, according to Variety. According to the Daily Mail, his agent told a Spanish TV show called Corazon that Marín tested positive for COVID on December 7.
Il Divo was formed by Simon Cowell in 2003 as a new version of the Three Tenors, performing covers of songs that mixed opera and pop music. The singers came from all over the world.
Urs Bühler was a Swiss tenor, David Miller was an American tenor, Sébastien Izambard a French pop singer, and Marín was a Spaniard born in Germany.
Cowell said in a statement, as reported by Variety, “I am devastated Carlos Marín has passed away. He loved life. He loved performing and always had so much appreciation towards the fans who supported the group from day 1. Rest in peace Carlos. I will miss you.”
Since their debut, the group has released ten studio albums, including 2021's For Once In My Life: A Celebration Of Motown, plus a 2012 greatest hits compilation and two live albums.
Before joining Il Divo, Marín had already found success.
He recorded his first album at eight years old and performed in stage productions of Les Misérables, Beauty And the Beast, and Grease. He was married to French-born singer Geraldine Larrosa, who goes by the stage name Innocence, from 2006 to 2009.