Renowned baritone and Grammy-nominated vocalist Jubilant Sykes, 71, was fatally stabbed in his Santa Monica, California home on December 8, 2025, with his 31-year-old son Micah Sykes arrested at the scene on suspicion of homicide. Santa Monica Police responded to a 9:19 p.m. assault call from Sykes' wife Cecelia who noted Micah's history of mental illness finding the singer with critical stab wounds; he was pronounced dead on-site by fire department personnel.
Micah, found cooperative inside the Delaware Avenue residence, faces booking by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office after detectives seized a weapon and evidence; no prior domestic calls linked the family, and police deem it an isolated household incident. Neighbors echoed the mental health context, with investigators probing motives absent reported arguments.
Sykes, a Los Angeles native celebrated for classical, gospel, and jazz nominated for Leonard Bernstein's Mass—leaves a legacy of powerful performances alongside wife Cecelia and three sons, cutting short a career blending soprano roots with baritone mastery.