Pavarotti To Pay Taxman

By Stephen M. Silverman

11/13/1997 at 12:00 AM EST

Italian opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti, 64, pledged in a Rome courtroom on Thursday to shell out nearly $12 million in (previously disputed) back taxes and interest. "My soul is free of a big burden (that) destroyed my private life, my thoughts, to be considered a bad person," the international celebrity told reporters after his court appearance. He said it will take him two years to pay off the debt.