A musician from Brazil named Sergio Mendes, who worked with The Black Eyed Peas, has died. He was 83 years old.
TMZ reports that the famous Latin artist who made music for the James Bond movies died in Los Angeles.
Mendes was nominated for an Oscar for the song “Real In Rio,” which he wrote with John Legend for the animated movie “Rio” (2012).
His career lasted 70 years and earned him three Grammys.
Mendes was famous for playing bossa nova music in the samba style, which mixes funk with other styles.
Besides jazz greats like Herb Alpert, he worked with many other famous artists.
Not only that, but Mendes also wrote the theme song for the 1982 James Bond movie Never Say Never Again.
He was the leader of the famous band Brasil ’66.
In 2006, Mendes re-recorded a version of his first big hit, “Mas que Nada,” with the Black Eyed Peas.
Coupled up with fellow performer Gracinha Leporace, they had been working together for many years.
But Mendes’ biggest success came from hit singles in the US, where he started out in Brazil in nightclubs.
He was invited to play with Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, and Charlie Byrd at the famous Bossa Nova Festival in Carnegie Hall in 1962.
That’s where he met a lot of famous musicians and record producers. After two years, he moved to California.
Later, at the 1968 Academy Awards, he sang the song “The Look of Love,” which was nominated for an Oscar.
“The Fool on the Hill,” “Scarborough Fair,” and “Never Gonna Let You Go” are some of his hit songs.
Mendes was one of Brazil’s most famous and successful artists ever who performed around the world.
He made more than 35 albums in his career, and many of them went gold or platinum.
