Rita Reys
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". • Illustration — Rita Reys & Trijntje Oosterhuis at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, singing White Christmas, Thursday 17 December 2009. In the 1980s, Rita returned to the American Songbook, recording albums such as Memories of You with the Lex Jasper orchestra.
Also recorded as M.E. Reys
Rita Reys
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Artistencafe Rita Reys en Donald Jones Datum: 6 december 1959 Persoonsnaam: Donald Jones, Reys, Rita Fotograaf: Lindeboom, Henk / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort: Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer archiefinventaris: bekijk toegang 2.24.01.03 Bestanddeelnummer: 910-8627](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Artistencafe_Rita_Reys_en_Donald_Jones%2C_Bestanddeelnr_910-8627.jpg/1280px-Artistencafe_Rita_Reys_en_Donald_Jones%2C_Bestanddeelnr_910-8627.jpg)
Henk Lindeboom/ Anefo · CC0
- Name
- Rita Reys
- Birth Name
- Maria Everdina Reijs
- Born
- 21 December 1924
- Birthplace
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Died
- 28 July 2013
- Place of death
- Breukelen
- Occupation
- Singer
- Full name
- Maria Everdina Reijs.
- Nationality
- Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Fields
- jazz
- Honours
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau · Paul Acket Award · Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Languages
- Dutch
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
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". • Illustration — Rita Reys & Trijntje Oosterhuis at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, singing White Christmas, Thursday 17 December 2009. In the 1980s, Rita returned to the American Songbook, recording albums such as Memories of You with the Lex Jasper orchestra.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
museum · 40c112f9-f256-4078-8da5-905260c4d83a · wikidata · Q275258 · wikipedia · Rita Reys
In this article
Biography
Biography
She died in Breukelen, the Netherlands, on 28 July 2013. • Illustration — Rita Reys gets a standing ovation at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Thursday 17 December 2009.
The recorded working language is Dutch. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are jazz. Places of work recorded in the authority are Rotterdam. Work by Rita Reys is recorded in the collections of Stadsarchief Rotterdam. Distinctions recorded are Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Paul Acket Award and Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Aankomst Rita Reys (midden) en Pim Jacobs (links) en zijn trio (Ruud Jacobs, midden en Wim Overgaauw, rechts) met gewonnen trofee, Schiphol, 19 juli 1960 Foto Ben van Meerendonk / AHF, collectie IISG, Amsterdam
IISG · 07-19-1960_17371A Trio Pim Jacobs
![Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Huwelijk van Pim Jacobs en Rita Reys te Hilversum. Pim en Rita met hun laatste langspeelplaat Datum: 30 september 1960 Locatie: Hilversum, Noord-Holland Trefwoorden: huwelijken, langspeelplaten Persoonsnaam: Jacobs, Pim, Reys, Rita Fotograaf: Pot, Harry / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Ma](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Huwelijk_van_Pim_Jacobs_en_Rita_Reys_te_Hilversum_Pim_en_Rita_met_hun_laatste_l%2C_Bestanddeelnr_911-6356.jpg/800px-Huwelijk_van_Pim_Jacobs_en_Rita_Reys_te_Hilversum_Pim_en_Rita_met_hun_laatste_l%2C_Bestanddeelnr_911-6356.jpg)
Collectie / Archief: Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie: [onbekend] Beschrijving: Huwelijk van Pim Jacobs en Rita Reys te Hilversum. Pim en Rita met hun laatste langspeelplaat Datum: 30 september 1960 Locatie: Hilversum, Noord-Holland Trefwoorden: huwelijken, langspeelplaten Persoonsnaam: Jacobs, Pim, Reys, Rita Fotograaf: Pot, Harry / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende: Nationaal Archief Ma
Harry Pot for Anefo
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rita Reys • Birth Name — Maria Everdina Reijs • Born — 21 December 1924 • Birthplace — Rotterdam, Netherlands • Died — 28 July 2013 • Place of death — Breukelen • Genre — Jazz, bossa nova • Occupation — Singer • Label — Universal • Website — ritareys.eu/
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
The authorities additionally record the heading M.E. Her recorded language was Dutch. She married Wessel Ilcken and Pim Jacobs. Other recorded relations include Wilbert Plijnaar.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1924
Rita Reys born at Rotterdam.
2013
Rita Reys died at Breukelen.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Rotterdam.
Birth place
Breukelen.
Death place
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)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Rita Reys”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q275258: Rita Reys
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Rita Reys
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Een kort verhaal over haar leven is vastgelegd in: .
- 2.Haar geboortehuis werd weggevaagd tijdens het Bombardement op Rotterdam, 14 mei 1940.
- 3.Rita Reys, Biography, ritareys.eu, geraadpleegd op 16 februari 2024.
- 4.Bert Vuijsje & Rita Reys, Rita Reys Lady Jazz (Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Thomas Rap, 2004), p. 80-81
- 5.Bert Vuijsje & Rita Reys, Rita Reys Lady Jazz (Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Thomas Rap, 2004), p. 88
- 6.Boekje bij Rita Reys: The American songbook, volume 1 en 2 (Masters Music, 1992)
- 7.Hoes van het album Rita Reys Sings Michel Legrand (CBS, 1972)
- 8.De Volkskrant, 8 juli 1988
- 9.Rita Reys terug op het podium, De Telegraaf, 27 juni 2013
- 10.Rita Reys (88) overleden, De Telegraaf, 28 juli 2013
- 11.Laatste applaus voor jazzlegende Rita Reys, Algemeen Dagblad, 5 augustus 2013
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Rita ReysMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Rita Reys received Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Paul Acket Award and Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Recorded at birth as Maria Everdina Reijs. Recorded as having received Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, Paul Acket Award and Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Recognition and collections
Work by Rita Reys is
Stadsarchief Rotterdam
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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