Jubilant Sykes Stabbed to Death, Son in Custody

Grammy-nominated opera, classical and gospel singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death at his Santa Monica home on Monday — allegedly by his son, police told KTLA. He was 71.

Officers were called to Sykes’ home at approximately 9:20 p.m. after someone inside dialed 911 to report an assault in progress, police said.

“Officers arrived and contacted the reporting party, who directed them into the home where they located an adult male with significant injuries,” Santa Monica Police Lt. Erika Aklufi said. Sykes, who was not publicly identified as the victim until Tuesday, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The suspect, the victim’s son, Micah Sykes, 31, was found inside the residence and taken into custody without incident,” police said. He will be booked on suspicion of homicide and the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for consideration, authorities told KTLA.

A native of Los Angeles, Sykes began singing soprano as a child.

“Initially, I had no dreams of becoming an opera singer,” he told California State Fullerton’s CSUF News in 2019. “But that changed when I was at Cal State Fullerton. I had teachers who poured their lives into me. I had everything I needed right on campus to prepare me for my career.”

He has performed at such prestigious venues as the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican Centre, the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Bowl, New Orleans Jazz Festival and many others. He performed in the role of the Celebrant in the 2009 recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, which earned him a Grammy nomination.

“This is a classic and singers often tend to overdo it,” Sykes told CSUF of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” in a telling description of his craft. “I like to take a different approach — less swagger and more of a sinister ‘I’ll get him’ kind of attitude. This doesn’t need to be too big. Take in low breaths. It’s like you’re riding a wave.”