rita lee build up

Os Mutantes co-founder Rita Lee has died

Rita Lee, one of the founding members of Brazilian psych icons Os Mutantes, died on Monday at age 75, following a lung cancer diagnosis and more than a year of treatment. The news was confirmed on Lee’s Instagram account, translated from Portuguese, “We announce the death of Rita Lee, at her residence, in São Paulo, capital, late last night, surrounded by all the love of her family, as she always wanted.”

Born New Year’s Eve, 1943, Rita Lee Jones formed Os Mutantes in 1966 with Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias and released five albums between 1968 and 1972, during which time she also released two solo albums. She also recorded with Tutti Frutti and went on record over a dozen other solo albums, and was an animal rights activist and vegan.

Rest easy, Rita. Watch a few vintage Os Mutantes performances below.