The tenor had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease for some time before he passed away on Friday (10Jul15).

Born in Saskatchewan, Vickers studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and made his debut at London's Royal Opera house in 1957.

He rose to international fame after a well-received performance at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany in 1958, when he played Siegmund in Wagner's The Valkyrie, which went on to become one of his signature roles.

In 1960, Vickers joined New York's Metropolitan Opera, where he enjoyed the greatest recognition of his career following critically-acclaimed performances in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde and Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes.

During his career, Vickers won two Grammy Awards and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1969. He was also inducted into the Academy of Vocal Arts Hall of Fame for Great American Singers in 1985.

He retired in 1988.