Sergio Mendes (February 11, 1941 – September 5, 2024) was a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader whose innovative blend of bossa nova, samba, jazz, and pop introduced Brazilian music to audiences around the world. He achieved international fame in the 1960s with Brasil ’66, recording timeless hits such as Mas Que Nada, The Look of Love, The Fool on the Hill, and Never Gonna Let You Go. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Mendes recorded over 35 albums and collaborated with artists including Herb Alpert, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and the Black Eyed Peas, earning multiple Grammy Awards and an Academy Award nomination. He remains one of Brazil’s most influential musical ambassadors. Mendes died on September 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 83, from complications related to long COVID.
