Sergio Mendes dead at 83: Music legend who worked with Black Eyes Peas & helped create 007 theme dies

BRAZILIAN musician Sergio Mendes who worked with The Black Eyed Peas has died aged 83.

The world-famous Latin artist who created sound tracks for the James Bond franchise, passed away in Los Angeles, TMZ reports.

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Mendes received an Oscar nomination for his song Real In Rio which he made with John Legend for the 2012 animated movie Rio.

He took home three Grammy awards over his 70 year career.

Mendes was kniown for playing samb a-style bossa nova music often crossed with funk.

He collaborated with dozens of other iconic artists including jazz legends like Herb Alpert.

Mendes also worked on the title song for James Bond film Never Say Never Again in the 1980s.

He headed up the iconic musical group Brasil ’66.

Mendes re-recorded a version of his breakthrough hit track, Mas que Nada, with The Black Eyed Peas in 2006.

He was married to fellow performer Gracinha Leporace and the pair had worked together for decades.

Mendes got his start at nightclubs in Brazil but had his biggest success with hit singles in the US.

He was invited to perform at the famous Bossa Nova Festival in Carnegie Hall in 1962, joining Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, and Charlie Byrd.

There he met several other legendary musicians and record producers and two years later moved to California.

He later performed the Oscar-nominated song The Look of Love at the Academy Awards in 1968.

Some of his hit songs include The Fool on the Hill, Scarborough Fair and Never Gonna Let You Go.

Mendes was one of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time.

Over the course of his career he recorded over 35 albums with many going gold or platinum.