Who is Rita Lee married to? All about her husbands and kids as Brazilian rock icon dies aged 75

Brazilian Queen of Rock, Rita Lee Jones, who passed away at 75 on Monday, May 8, was married to guitarist Roberto de Carvalho at the time of her death. Rita gained global fame and following through her vivid and candid style of singing. She has gifted music enthusiasts with hits like Now Only Missing You, Mania de Você, and Ovelha Negra.

The legendary singer took her last breath at her home in São Paulo on Monday evening. The news was shared in a statement that was posted on Rita’s official Instagram account on Tuesday, May 9.

Her career spanned over six decades and she managed to leave a lasting impact with her creativity and compositions with meaningful messages that helped introduce the people of Brazil to feminism. She also candidly addressed her own struggles with drug abuse through her music.

Rita first married Mutante Arnaldo Baptista in 1968 and divorced in 1972. In 1976, she was introduced to her present husband Roberto through MPB singer Ney Matogrosso. With Roberto, Ritaa had three children, Antônio Lee, João Lee, and Beto Lee.

---

Rita Lee was diagnosed with a lung tumor in 2021

The Brazilian Queen of Rock was reportedly fighting a lung tumor since 2021. She was hospitalized at the beginning of 2023 due to some complications in her treatment. Her husband, Roberto, updated her fans on Rita’s health status.

Rita Lee and Roberto seemed to share a very close, loving, and affectionate bond. The guitarist frequently posted pictures of his wife on his Instagram profile and so did Rita.

The couple’s eldest son, Beto Lee, 46, is also a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is currently a member of the band Titãs. Beto is the co-founder of Galaxy and he has released two solo albums, one of which, earned him a Latin Grammy Award.

Rita and Roberto's middle son, João Lee, 44 is also in the music industry and works as a DJ and a producer. Antônio Lee, 42, their youngest son is a visual artist.

Although Rita Lee regarded her own voice as a little out of tune and weak, she blessed her fans with a long run of top-selling albums. Dozens of Rita’s songs were featured in popular telenovelas in Latin America. Her rendition of the song Poison Weed was used by the Behemoth Television Network Globo in three of its programs.

In 2008, the singer spoke to Rolling Stone, Brazil, and said:

“I was not born to get married and wash underwear. I wanted the same freedom as the boys who used to play in the street with their toy cars. When I got into music, I realized that the “machos” reigned absolute, even more in rock music. ‘Wow’, I said, ‘this is where I’m going to let my fangs out and, literally, give them a hard time.’”

Rita Lee was praised for her versatility. She played at least five instruments including the piano, drums, guitar, autoharp, and harmonica. She was also one of Brazil’s first musicians to play electric guitar.

Eventually, her popularity as a singer and songwriter extended beyond Brazil. Rita Lee performed in Europe as well, including England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and France. In 1988, Daily Mirror, the British newspaper revealed that Prince Charles expressed his admiration for Rita’s song Lança Perfume, and even considered her one of his favorite singers.

Rita Lee also won a Latin Grammy in 2001 for the Best Portuguese Language Album category, for her album 3001. She shared a 44-year musical partnership with her husband Roberto de Carvalho. They also released a new song, Change, in 2021, and a remix of some of Rita’s biggest hits.