Who was Sergio Mendes married to? All about his wife of 50 years and their kids as Brazilian legend dies aged 83

Well-known musician Sergio Mendes, 83, unexpectedly passed away on September 6, 2024. Sergio's family first announced the news, but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet. The Brasil '66 member was married to Gracinha Leporace, who is a singer.

Mendes' family shared a statement with The Guardian, revealing that he was at his Los Angeles-based residence surrounded by his wife and children at the time of death. The statement also reads:

"Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona. For the last several months, his health had been challenged by the effects of long-term Covid."

Social media platforms were flooded with tributes from other well-known faces of the music industry. Singer Sitti Navarro also posted two photos on Facebook where she was posing with Mendes and stated that they were captured when she opened for Sergio's concert at Araneta in 2012. She thanked Mendes for his music and added:

"I will continue singing your songs and spreading the love for bossa nova and samba for as long as I live."

Musician Herb Alpert wrote in a Facebook post that Sergio Mendes was one of his close friends and a talented individual who deserves credit for making everyone aware of Brazilian music.

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Sergio Mendes and Gracinha Leporace were married for around 50 years

Although many details about Mendes and Leporace's relationship remain unknown, the duo met in Brazil. They even performed together on different occasions and Mendes addressed the same in an interview with The Brasilians in March 2020. He said at the time:

"It's magical. I feel so lucky to have her in my life – and beside that, what a great voice."

In another conversation with SFJazz the previous year, Mendes disclosed that Leporace was a member of Hermeto Pascoal's band. He even hinted towards an upcoming performance by saying:

"She'll be with me in San Francisco – and I want to say, this is a city that I've always loved. In '64, '65, I used to play at a club in Sausalito called the Trident, and I played in San Francisco at the El Matador in Broadway (in North Beach)."

As mentioned, Leporace has been active in the same industry as her late husband. Although she did not pursue a solo career, she performed with a lot of bands, including Sergio's Brasil '66. Notably, she was a replacement for another member, Lani Hall. She also feautured in Mendes' 2014 album Magic and lent her voice to the 2006 re-recording Mas Que Nada, featuring the Black Eyed Peas.

Brasil '66 worked with record labels like A&M Records and Atlantic Records. The band members went through multiple changes over the years and one of their most successful albums was Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. The project also grabbed the 7th spot on the US Billboard 200.

Apart from being married, Mendes and Leporace were the parents of two children-Tiago and Gustavo. Mendes had three children from his first marriage- Bernardo, Rodrigo, and Isabella.

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Sergio Mendes released a lot of albums in his career

Also known as Sergio Santos Mendes, he developed an interest in music during his childhood and was 17 years old when he joined a local dance band. He later began performing at nightclubs and his song Groovy Samba was featured in the 1962 album Cannonball Bossa Nova, released by Cannonball Adderley.

Although the song helped him to join Atlantic Records, his major projects failed to receive a positive response. He established Brasil '65 in 1964 after joining Capitol Records and the name was later changed to Brasil '66.

Apart from being associated with Brasil '66, Sergio Mendes also focused on his solo career where he released many albums. The list included titles such as The Great Arrival, Favorite Things, and more. He even released his self-titled album in 1975, which included ten songs in the soundtrack.

Despite having a successful career, Mendes had to battle some health issues, including osteomyelitis. However, he was cured after his father managed to acquire a drug called penicillin.

Sergio Mendes also had a documentary in his credits titled In the Key of Joy, which was released in 2020. He even served as a co-producer of the soundtrack for the 2011 animated film Rio alongside its sequel.