Posted: Wed., Feb. 11, 2009, 2:49pm PT

Mariah Carey on Leontyne Price

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Leontyne Price is the true diva. That's neither an insult nor a compliment, it is just the honest truth. The word "diva" has become one of the most misappropriated words in the English language. Its personification is La Price: a celebrated female singer, possessing a rare, outstanding talent in the world of opera. There is absolutely no match for the woman born Mary Violet Leontyne Price in Laurel, Miss., in 1927. While women of color dealt with the debilitating cruelty of racism in the South in the 1940s, her unparalleled talent drove her to rule opera houses around the globe until her retirement in 1985 -- a career length that demands sheer envy. I discovered the beauty and soul of Leontyne Price through my personal inspiration -- my mother, who, like this great opera singer, was also a student of Juilliard. I was blessed with the opportunity to meet La Price in 2005 at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball, and it was quite possibly the most humbling experience of my lifetime. She absolutely blew my mind with her wit, generosity of spirit, and astonished me beyond comprehension with her knowledge of my work. I was blown away that she even knew my name. I could not have dreamt of a higher compliment. Leontyne Price has set the bar so high with her standard of excellence and unparalleled lyrical interpretations. Without her story, the face of musical history would be changed forever. And so I say thank you to the true diva, Ms. Price, with an endless standing ovation and a resounding Brava! Brava! Brava!