James King, born May 22, 1925, in Dodge City, Kansas, was an American operatic tenor. He studied at Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri–Kansas City, initially as a baritone. His breakthrough came in 1961 when he won the Cincinnati competition and debuted as Don José in Carmen in San Francisco. King's career included notable performances such as Cavaradossi in Tosca in Florence and Iphigenie in Aulis at the Salzburg Festival in 1962. He became a prominent figure at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera, and the Bayreuth Festival from 1965 to 1975. In 1966, he debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Fidelio alongside Birgit Nilsson. King was named Kammersänger (Court Singer) in Vienna, Munich, and Berlin. He dedicated himself to teaching at Indiana University from 1984 until his retirement in 2002. King passed away on November 20, 2005, in Naples, Florida.
![Beethoven: Leonore, Op. 72 (1805 Version) [Live]](https://cdn-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/8652dedd2f44fef9a1c2971e609c82df/120x120-000000-80-0-0.jpg)
