Brazilian Rock Icon Dies at 85 in a Hospital in Rio de Janeiro State

By Richard Mann

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Singer Serguei died on Friday morning, June 7th, at the Zilda Arns Hospital in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, where he had been hospitalized since the end of May. He was 85 years old. According to the hospital, Serguei remained in the ICU for 11 days and died of heart problems caused by pneumonia, malnutrition, and senility complications linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The singer was born on November 8th, 1933, the only son of executive Domingos Bustamante and housewife Heloísa Bustamante. At the age of 12, he moved in with his maternal grandmother, Lia Anderson, in Long Island, New York, where he took part in student festivals.

He returned to Brazil in 1955, at the age of 22, but later moved back to the United States, where he began his musical career in 1966. He returned to Brazil again in 1972 to live in the city of Saquarema, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It was then that the story of his affair with singer Janis Joplin became known.

The musician was famous for producing versions of classic rock music, often with a spectacular performance, look, and speech. His appearance was characterized by torn clothes, makeup, several accessories, black shirts, and long hair.

Serguei performed at four editions of Rock in Rio (1991, 2001, 2011 and 2013) and had his house in Saquarema converted into a rock museum.

Among his accomplishments on stage, he opened the second edition of Rock in Rio, at Maracanã. In 2001, he returned to the festival and sang “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.

The singer was also a highlight of the Rio Carnaval by Mocidade Independente, in 2013, when the school paraded a theme related to Rock in Rio, in the Marquês de Sapucaí. He walked among the main troupe wearing an unusual costume with the phrase “I fucked Janis Joplin”.