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Rita Reys

1924 – 2013

Dutch jazz singer

Singer Jazz musician Jazz singer
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About Rita Reys

Lived 1924 – 2013 (aged 88). Rita Reys was a Dutch singer, jazz musician, jazz singer and musician.

Rita Reys (born Maria Everdina Reijs; 21 December 1924 – 28 July 2013) was a jazz singer from the Netherlands. She was promoted as "Europe's First Lady of Jazz". She died in Breukelen, the Netherlands, on 28 July 2013.

Rita Reys gets a standing ovation at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Thursday 17 December 2009.

Discography The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (Columbia, 1956) The Cool Voice of Rita Reys No. 2 (Philips, 1957) New Voices (Dawn, 1957) Two Jazzy People with Bengt Hallberg (Philips, 1959) Marriage in Modern Jazz with Pim Jacobs (Philips, 1960) Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition with Pim Jacobs (Philips, 1961) Jazz Sir, That's Our Baby (Philips, 1963) Rita Reys at the Golden Circle Club Stockholm with Pim Jacobs (Philips, 1963) Rita Reys Meets Oliver Nelson (Philips, 1965) Congratulations in Jazz (Philips, 1965) Rita a Go-Go with Pim Jacobs (Philips, 1967) Today: Recorded in London (Philips, 1969) Sings Burt Bacharach (CBS, 1971) Rita Reys Sings Michel Legrand (CBS, 1972) Our Favorite Songs with Pim Jacobs (CBS, 1973) Rita Reys Sings the George Gershwin Songbook (CBS, 1975) That Old Feeling with Pim Jacobs (CBS, 1979) Collage (CBS, 1980) Sings Antonio Carlos Jobim (Philips, 1981) Collage with Pim Jacobs (CBS, 1981) Rita Reys (Philips, 1982) Memories of You with Pim Jacobs (Utopia Music, 1983) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with Pim Jacobs (Polydor, 1986) Live at the Concertgebouw with Pim Jacobs (RCA, 1986) Two for Tea with Louis Van Dijk (Polydor, 1987) Relax with Rita & Pim (Philips, 1989) Swing & Sweet (Blue Note, 1990) The American Songbook Volume 1 (Music-All-In, 1992) The American Songbook Volume 2 (Music-All-In, 1992) Loss of Love: Rita Reys Sings Henry Mancini (Quintessence, 1998) The Lady Strikes Again (Quintessence, 1999) Once Upon a Summertime (Koch, 1999) Young at Heart (Wedgeview Music, 2010)

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Important facts

Birth century
Awards
Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau; Paul Acket Award; Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
Also known as
M.E. Reys

People in Rita Reys's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rita Reys's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rita Reys?

Dutch jazz singer (1924-2013)

When was Rita Reys born?

Rita Reys was born on 21 December 1924 in Rotterdam.

When did Rita Reys die?

Rita Reys died on 28 July 2013 in Breukelen.

What was Rita Reys's occupation?

Rita Reys was a singer, jazz musician, jazz singer and musician.

What nationality was Rita Reys?

Rita Reys was Dutch.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rita Reys

· Wikidata: Q275258

· DBpedia: Rita Reys

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rita Reys. https://biography.guide/rita-reys/

MLA: "Rita Reys." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rita-reys/.

Chicago: "Rita Reys." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rita-reys/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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