Nelson Ned Death: Remembering 'El Pequeno Gigante' Top 10 Songs

We lost a dear music superstar over the weekend. The first Latino to sell more than one million albums in the U.S. market, Nelson Ned. The Brazilian superstar passed away on Sunday, Jan. 5, in Sao Paulo, after being hospitalized for a severe case of pneumonia. The Sao Paulo state Health Secretariat's press office said he died of "clinical complications" of pneumonia and bladder problems. "The Little Giant of Song," name he received because he was just 3 feet, 6 inches tall, became a sensation in the 1960s, when he emerged as one of Brazil’s most famous romantic performers.

He became an immediate success, gathering fans all over the world, especially in Latin America and France. He recorded in Portuguese, but soon had to crossover and record several albums in Spanish, positioning him as an idol in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and many other nations. Nelson Ned sold 45 million albums worldwide. Classics like "Domingo à Tarde," "Tudo Passará," "Eu Tambem Sou Sentimental," "Deus Abençoe as Crianças do Brasil," "Medo" and "Feliz Aniversario," were some of the songs he was known for. After living a life of excess, Ned converted to evangelical Protestantism in the 1990s. From that moment on, he made a career performing only religious music in Portuguese and Spanish.

Although his faith was renewed, his health didn’t run with the same luck. All those years of indulging in the life of a true rock star took a toll on him, causing the singer to experience several health issues throughout his life, but the situation worsened in 2003, year when he suffered a stroke that left him blind in his right eye and causing him to move around in a wheelchair. He also suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and an early phase of Alzheimer’s. Nevertheless, his music has always spoken for him. Nelson Ned leaves a legacy. Timeless classics that remain public knowledge and that have transcended generations and will continue to do so for many, many years. That’s why we’ve gathered some of them, to remember a true star, Nelson Ned.