Blanco had a unique style, describing his previous experiences either with humor or with exaltation, of experiences of love and disillusionment. Where his syncopatic style of samba, which diverged from contemporary works and grabbed the attention of singers at the time. The first composition of his career was "Pra Variar" in 1951. During the 1950s and 1960s, hit songs of his were recorded by
Dick Farney, ,
João Gilberto,
Dolores Duran,
Sílvio Caldas,
Nora Ney,
Jamelão,
Elizeth Cardoso,
Dóris Monteiro,
Os Cariocas,
Pery Ribeiro,
Miltinho,
Elis Regina,
Miriam Batucada and
Hebe Camargo. His first major success was "Estatutos da Gafieira", sung by
Inezita Barroso, recorded at RCA Victor studios in 1954. Among his musical partners were
Baden Powell, in "Samba Triste",
Tom Jobim, in "Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro" and
João Gilberto, in "Descendo o Morro" e "A Montanha/O Morro", a tribute to the people of the favelas. He and violinist
Sebastião Tapajós composed 56 works, and with other composers, wrote about 500 works in total. Of those, about 300 were recorded. . Among his other hits, they include "Sinfonia Paulistana", "Tereza da Praia", "O Morro", "Estatuto da Gafieira", "Mocinho Bonito", "Samba Triste", "Viva meu Samba", "Samba de Morro", "Pra Variar", "Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro" and "Canto Livre". "Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro" is composed of ten songs, written in partnership with Tom Jobim, in 1960. These songs include "Hino ao Sol", "Coisas do Dia", "Matei-me no Trabalho", "Zona Sul", "Arpoador", "Noites do Rio", "A Montanha", "O Morro", "Descendo o Morro" and "Samba do Amanhã". "Sinfonia Paulistana" was finished in 1974, after 10 years of work. It is made up of 15 songs, sung by, among others,
Elza Soares,
Pery Ribeiro,
Cláudya, Claudette Soares, Nadinho da Ilha, and
Miltinho, with chorus provided by the
Teatro Municipal de São Paulo. The production was done by Aloysio de Oliveira, with an orchestra led by maestro Chico de Moraes. The songs on the album include "Louvação de Anchieta", "Bartira", "Monções", "Tema de São Paulo", "Capital do Tempo", "O Dinheiro", "Coisas da Noite", "O Céu de São Paulo", "Amanhecendo", "O Tempo e a Hora", "Viva o Camelô", "Pro Esporte", "São Paulo Jovem", "Rua Augusta" and "Grande São Paulo". "Monções" is noted for its
carimbó influence, and "O Tempo e a Hora" is a fustion between bossa nova and pop.
O Estado de S. Paulo noted the refrain of "Amanhecendo" as "what best defines the people of São Paulo". From 1974 to 2017, the song, the most well known from this album, was part of the soundtrack to
Jornal da Manhã, the morning newscast of
Rádio Jovem Pan. After briefly spending time at
Fort Copacabana during the
military dictatorship, Blanco composed "Canto Livre". In 2009, he accepted the invite of filmmaker Cesar Nero to participate in the production of "Desde o Princípio" with his own song, "Sinfonia Paulistana", about a messenger from the future who arrives in São Paulo to attempt to avert catastrophe. The production included the participation of
Antonio Abujamra,
Maximira Figueiredo,
José Mojica Marins, Mario Gomes, and
Chico Anysio. While keeping the works of this production with Nero and exchanging information, Blanco continued to dedicate himself to gospel music until he suffered a stroke in 2010, being hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro. Despite being in stable condition, he lost all ability to speak. He died on 8 July 2011, at 87 years old. In 2012, the municipal government of Rio de Janeiro paid tribute to him, giving him name to the Mergulhão Billy Blanco, a construction project at the Trevo das Palmeiras (also known as the Cebolão) in the
Barra da Tijuca neighborhood. == Personal life ==