Renato Russo (March 27, 1960 - October 11, 1996) was the formal founder and leader of the most well known Brazilian rock band, Legião Urbana.

He was born in Rio de Janeiro, as Renato Manfredini Júnior. His father was an executive of the Banco do Brasil, and they moved to New York in 1967, when Renato's father was transferred to there. Later, they came back to Rio de Janeiro before finally, in 1973, they moved to Brasília.

When Renato was 15, he suffered an illness which left his legs paralyzed for two years. Because of the illness, Renato used the time to read. He passed without difficulties in the Vestibular , for Law. He became interested in music, particularly punk. He worked as a journalist for some time before abandoning it to become a musician and composer.

During 1978 and 1979, he was the a guitarist of the Aborto Eletrico . Although the band did not survive for long, Renato Russo wrote many songs during this period, that would be hits of Capital Inicial (founded by the other members of the Aborto Eletrico) and Legião Urbana (founded by Renato Russo).

In 1982, he, along with Marcelo Bonfá, Dado Villa-Lobos and Renato Rocha, formed the Legião Urbana (idealized some time before by Renato Russo). With "Legião Urbana" and "Dois", they became widely famous in Brazil, with its songs with words of protest and justice, at first, and love, spiritualism, family and sex, after.

Renato Russo, in 1990, declared that he was bisexual. He also used drugs in the beginning of his career.

He worked in two solos, with English and Italian songs, in the 1992s .

He died in 1996 from AIDS related illness, but many argue that he committed suicide by succumbing to depression, as he expressed in the "Via Lactea" song, of the "A Tempestade" Album:

When everything is lost

I feel so alone

When everything is lost

I don't want to be,

Who I am

After his death, the remaining integrants of Legião Urbana decided to dismantle the band. Renato Russo was the writer of 95% of the songs of the band.

Renato Russo left a son, who was 8 years old.

Renato Russo's solo albuns Number of copies sold (in thousands)

• The Stonewall Celebration Concert (1994) - 75
• Equilibrio Distante (1995) - 125
• O Ultimo Solo (1997) - 50
• Renato Russo Presente (2003) - 150