Astrud Gilberto Passes Away at 83
Remembering the voice of Girl From Ipanema
The jazz world has been paying tribute to Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto who has died at the age of 83 – the news was confirmed by musician and friend Paul Ricci.
Gilberto will be most fondly remembered for her laid-back performance on the breakout worldwide bestseller ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, the classic bossa-nova written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and performed by Astrud’s husband João Gilberto together with saxophonist Stan Getz; they recruited her to perform the English language segments of the song.
Initially overshadowed on the record, she faced limited recognition and received only a small fee. However, when the song was re-edited as a solo single without João's Portuguese vocals, it skyrocketed to success in 1964, reaching the US Top 5 and the UK Top 30, and winning a Grammy award.
She retired in 2002 and dedicated the remainder of her life to animal rights activism and a career in the visual arts.
She leaves behind two sons: Joao Marcelo Gilberto and Gregory Lasorsa.