Opera singer Jubilant Sykes stabbed to death in LA home, son arrested

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Dec 9, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — Jubilant Sykes, a renowned opera and gospel singer who was also a Grammy nominee, was stabbed to death inside his Los Angeles-area home on Monday. He was 71 years old.

His 31-year-old son, Micah Sykes, has since been arrested and booked by the Santa Monica Police Department on suspicion of homicide.

Police in Santa Monica responded to a home on Delaware Avenue around 9:20 p.m. Monday following a report of an assault in progress. Upon arriving to the scene, officers entered the home and located the older Sykes suffering from “critical injuries consistent with a stabbing,” police said in a press release Tuesday.

Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene, while his son, who was found inside the residence, was taken into custody without incident.

A weapon recovered at the scene and other evidence are currently being processed by forensic specialists.

“The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration,” police said.

The probable murder remains under investigation but appears to be an isolated incident. Authorities have not released any details on a possible motive.

Micah Sykes remained in custody Tuesday on $2 million bail, according on online jail records. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

A baritone, Sykes performed in many of the world’s biggest venues during his heralded career, including Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera and the Apollo Theater in New York City, as well as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and several international stages.

He “collaborated with such artists as Julie Andrews, Terence Blanchard, John Beasley, Renée Fleming, Josh Groban, Christopher Parkening, Patrice Rushen, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Warren and Brian Wilson,” according to a biography on his website.

In 2010, Sykes was nominated for a Best Classical Album Grammy for Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” He played the role of the Celebrant in the 2009 recording.

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

“Initially, I had no dreams of becoming an opera singer,” he told 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.”

Describing his performance style, he told CSUF that he likes 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.”

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