Richard Gill died...

...at age 82. The Times obit describes him as an "economist and opera singer," which alone makes him worth mentioning. But what really caught my eye was this (my emphasis):

By his late 30s, shouldering academic and family responsibilities, Mr. Gill was a two-and-a-half-pack-a-day smoker. He made himself quit and, as an incentive to stay on the wagon, began private voice lessons with Herbert Mayer, a respected New York teacher.

...during the years of rigorous vocal exercise that followed, his neck size grew from 14 to 17 ½.