Bossa nova singer Astrud Gilberto has died at 83. She was best known for the Stan Getz’ English language recording of “The Girl From Ipanema”, a super hit in 1963 that would go on to sell five million copies and further popularize the music of Brazil. She was at the recording session with her husband João Gilberto and volunteered herself to sing on the track simply because she was confident in her English. Her father was a language instructor and she knew several languages fluently. She wasn’t even credited on the release but it led her to stardom. She moved to the United States permanently in 1963, touring initially with Stan Getz.
In 1965 she recorded The Astrud Gilberto Album, a set of standards that had her paired with Antonio Carlos Jobim. By the 70s she was recordinging albums that included her originals. She grew famous internationally and toured throughout the 80s and 90s before retiring after a final album in 2002.
