Shannon Tavarez - R.I.P.

Eleven years old is too young to be the subject of an obituary, yet this morning we are called upon to comment on the passing of Broadway sensation, Shannon Tavarez who accomplished more during her brief life than most folks do in three-score and ten. Her soaring voice brought joy to the thousands who watched her perform in “Lion King.” Shannon’s too-brief fame was not an accident. She trained from the age of three, not because she was pushed, but because no one could hold her back. Did she know her time would be so brief? Perhaps so. She gave us far more than her years in the performing arts. She was proud and brave, a Pro to the end. Goodbye, Shannon, and thanks. Our condolences to her family and many friends.

Paul Petersen for AMC