“Go Senor Abravanel, stay Silvio Santos”: the account of biographer Fernando Morgado

“Where is my biographer?”

It was with this question that the long-awaited meeting between me, the biographer, and Silvio Santos, the subject of the biography, began. We were in studio 3 at the SBT headquarters in Osasco. Silvio had just filled his jacket pockets with cash (yes, it was real money that he threw to his coworkers) and was heading to the stage when he saw me. We greeted each other and, while still backstage, I could hear him thank me for the book “Silvio Santos – A Trajetória do Mito” (Editora Matrix, 2017). This moment was immortalized by the photo that illustrates this article.

The story of the university professor who wrote an unauthorized biography of the greatest Brazilian artist without knowing him personally gained prominence in the press. It earned full-page reports in the biggest newspapers, featured on the home pages of the biggest internet portals and interviews on the biggest radio stations in the country.

In addition to all this, Silvio Santos himself decided to help with the promotion, creating advertisements that were broadcast for six months on SBT’s programming and dedicating almost seven minutes of his program on May 28, 2017 to praising the work. This was something that had never been done before in Brazil, perhaps in the world. The result: in just a few weeks, the book entered several best-seller lists and sold five editions in just two months.

All these moments played out like a movie in my head until the moment I was called to the stage by Silvio. In front of the cameras, the host reinforced his thanks and made a revelation, as shown on SBT on June 18, 2017:

“I liked the book, not only because it talks about me, but because you mention events that I didn’t even remember anymore. I mean, it’s a curious book, especially for me!”

He also said words that moved me:

“I really appreciate you coming here. It’s not just to promote my book, because it’s already been promoted on SBT, but it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you very much.”

And finally, a special compliment:

“Man, you’re really a star!”

Talking to Silvio Santos on and off the air and participating in his show were unforgettable experiences. After all, turning his life into a book was one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced. This challenge was made even greater by the fact that I had never had access to Silvio Santos, who refused to give interviews or authorize biographies.

One of the aspects that most caught the market’s attention was the format of the work, which was never before published in Brazil. In addition to my analyses and the timeline, each chapter contains statements made by the Man of the Trunk himself to the press over the last half century. Thus, I revealed to the reader how Silvio Santos’s thinking on a wide range of subjects evolved, even though I had never spoken to him.

This work, combined with my more than fifteen years of experience as a speaker and researcher, allowed me to understand who Silvio Santos was and to extract valuable lessons from his career. First and foremost, there is self-confidence. Silvio demonstrated an unshakable certainty that his decisions were the best, no matter how unusual they were. One example was the decision to show successive episodes of The Pink Panther until the moment when the competing soap opera (nothing more, nothing less, than Roque Santeiro) ended and he could start broadcasting his main attraction. This strategy allowed SBT to reach the first place in prime time audience ratings.

Relive the highlights of Silvio Santos’ career

Relive the highlights of Silvio Santos’ career | NOW CNN

Directly linked to self-confidence is boldness. Silvio did not seem to hesitate when he chose to walk down untrodden paths. When he founded SBT in 1981, he decided to dedicate at least half of his programming to children while all his competitors were only targeting housewives. The success achieved with Bozo, Mara Maravilha and Sérgio Mallandro, as well as countless cartoons and series (especially Chaves), proved that he was right.

There is also a keen eye for finding business opportunities where no one else could see them. In the late 1950s, Silvio managed to save a nearly bankrupt business, Baú da Felicidade, and transform it into the seed of a business group that came to have 15 thousand employees.

Although his life has had its ups and downs, Silvio Santos has established himself as an icon of national popular culture, remaining beloved by a significant portion of Brazilians, who see him as both a great source of joy and an example to be followed.

With the death of Senor Abravanel, the country has lost not only a television icon, but also a unique figure in its history and in its collective and emotional memory. Silvio Santos transcended the role of entertainer and businessman, becoming a symbol of popular culture. He left deep marks on various areas of society, shaping generations and creating an invaluable legacy. Senor Abravanel is gone, Silvio Santos remains, because myths are eternal.

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*Fernando Morgado is a consultant and speaker in the areas of communication and business intelligence. He is a professor at ESPM and a Top Voice on LinkedIn. He has published books in Brazil and abroad, including the bestseller Silvio Santos – A Trajetória do Mito. He was the assistant coordinator of the Radio Studies Center at UFRGS. He has a Master’s degree in Creative Economy Management and a specialization in Business Management and Marketing from ESPM.