Rita Lee Jones, the Brazilian Queen of Rock, passed away at the age of 75. She was married to guitarist Roberto de Carvalho at the time of her death. Rita’s vibrant and genuine singing style brought her international prominence and popularity. Her iconic songs, including “Now Only Missing You,” “Mania de Você,” and “Ovelha Negra,” have left a lasting impact on music fans.
The legendary singer died at her home in São Paulo on Monday evening, as announced via a message posted on Rita’s official Instagram account on Tuesday, May 9. Throughout her six-decade career, she made a mark with her creativity, compositions, and significant themes, which also contributed to the exposure of feminism in Brazil. Rita openly addressed her personal struggles with drug addiction through her music.
In 1968, Rita married Mutante Arnaldo Baptista and later divorced in 1972. She met her current spouse, Roberto, in 1976 through MPB singer Ney Matogrosso. Rita has three children with Roberto: Antônio Lee, Joo Lee, and Beto Lee.
Rita Lee’s Battle with Illness
Since 2021, Rita had been reportedly fighting lung cancer. In early 2023, she was hospitalized due to complications with her treatment. Roberto, her husband, provided updates on her condition. Rita Lee and Roberto shared a close and caring relationship. Their son Beto Lee is also a musician in the band Tits and a co-founder of Galaxy, with two solo albums to his credit, one of which earned him a Latin Grammy Award.
Joo Lee, Rita and Roberto’s middle son, is also involved in the music industry as a DJ and producer. Their 42-year-old son, Antônio Lee, is a visual artist. Rita Lee, despite considering her own voice somewhat out of tune and weak, delivered a series of top-selling records and had several of her songs featured in popular Latin American telenovelas. Her interpretation of the song “Poison Weed” was used in three shows on the Behemoth Television Network Globo.
In a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone Brazil, the singer expressed her views:
“I was not born to marry and clean underwear. I wanted the same freedom as the lads who used to play with their toy cars in the street. When I first started listening to music, I recognized that ‘machos’ ruled supreme, especially in rock music. ‘Wow,’ I thought, ‘here is where I’m going to let my fangs out and give them a hard time.’
Rita Lee’s versatility was widely acclaimed as a multi-instrumentalist, playing the piano, drums, guitar, autoharp, and harmonica. She was also one of the first artists in Brazil to utilize an electric guitar. Her success as a singer and composer extended beyond Brazil, with performances across Europe, including England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and France. The British publication Daily Mirror declared in 1988 that Prince Charles was fond of Rita’s song “Lança Perfume” and considered her one of his favorite singers.
In 2001, Rita Lee received a Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Album for her album “3001.” She and her husband, Roberto de Carvalho, enjoyed a 44-year musical partnership and in 2021 released a new song called “Change,” along with a remix of some of Rita’s best songs.