(CelebrityAccess) — Astrud Gilberto, the Grammy-winning Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer who shot to international acclaim with her rendition of the “The Girl from Ipanema” has died. She was 83.
The New York Times reported that Gilberto’s death was announced on social media by a family friend who was speaking for Gilberto’s son. Details about her passing were not provided.
Gilberto, who at the time she recorded her most famous hit was the wife of Brazilian bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto and the recording, included on the album “Getz/Gilberto,” a collaboration between João Gilberto and Stan Getz.
“While rehearsing with Stan in the song ‘The Girl From Ipanema,’ João casually asked me to join in and sing a chorus in English after he had just sung the first chorus in Portuguese,” Ms. Gilberto said in a 2002 interview for her official website. “Stan was very receptive. I’ll never forget that while we were listening back to the just recorded version, Stan said to me, ‘This song is going to make you famous.’”
The song went on to earn her a Grammy for Song of the Year, and a nomination for Best Vocal Performance by a female artist.
Astrud went on to a 4-decade recording career of her own, releasing more than a dozen studio albums working with artists such as Stan Getz, Chet Baker, and Stanley Turrentine.
In 1992, she was presented with a Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement and a decade later, she was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Although she never officially announced her retirement, Gilberto told fans in 2002 that she was taking “indefinite time off” from public performances.
