Rita Lee was born in So Paulo, Brazil, to Charles Fenley Jones, an American-Brazilian dentist descended from Confederate soldiers, and Brazilian musician Romilda Padula.
Rita studied classical piano under renowned pianist Magdalena Tagliaferro. Instead of the typical adolescent debut ball, she asked for a drum kit.
Lee was educated in a French-speaking institution and grew fluent in Spanish, French, and Italian in addition to her native Portuguese and the English her parents spoke at home.
She enrolled in college and was Regina Duarte’s classmate, a well-known actress, but she soon left to concentrate on her musical career.
Rita Lee Ex-Husband: Meet Arnaldo Baptista
Rita Lee and Arnaldo Baptista were legally tied to each other for ten months. Before being married on December 30, 1971, they dated for three years after meeting in 1968. Ten months later, in November 1972, they split up.