Astrud Gilberto
Amateur singer whose girlish, intimate vocal on 'The Girl from Ipanema' became one of pop music's most recognizable sounds. João Gilberto's wife, drafted into the Getz/Gilberto sessions during a moment of last-minute spontaneity when it became clear João couldn't handle the English lyrics. Untrained and nervous, her voice barely rose above a whisper—wispy but beguiling, utterly spellbinding. The single edit removed most of João's Portuguese vocals, spotlighting Astrud almost completely. It reached number five on the US pop chart in the summer of 1964, becoming a global phenomenon. Producer Creed Taylor and Stan Getz later claimed they 'discovered' her talent, but Astrud and her son Marcelo disputed this version, alleging Getz and Taylor contrived the story to deprive her of royalties. Her untrained delivery—understatement getting a point across more forcefully than projection—proved that music is contradictory: highly personal expressions can become hugely popular.