Czech singer Marie Rottrová celebrated her eighty-fifth birthday on Friday, November 13, surrounded by family, colleagues, and fans, CNN Prima NEWS reported.
Dubbed Lady Soul or the first lady of Czech soul, the vocalist marked the milestone with no formal plans during the day, telling Blesk.cz that her phone had been ringing constantly since morning with text messages.
Music publicist Václav Svoboda said that the moniker Lady Soul originated in the late 1960s when Rottrová began singing that repertoire with the Flamingo band and Petr Němec, a style she maintained throughout her career, according to tn.nova.cz.
Born in Ostrava, where she lived for over forty years, the singer crossed paths there with lyricist Jaromír Nohavica, who wrote her major hit Lásko, voníš deštěm.
Colleagues and public figures offered warm wishes for the jubilee. “Zpívej si, Maruško, říkám ti, Maruško. Tanči a s námi se směj. A k tomu ti přeji ještě hodně zdraví, lásky, krásných písniček a dlouhý život,” singer Helena Vondráčková said, according to tn.nova.cz.
“Přeju pevné zdraví a přeju, aby jí zůstalo to, co ona v sobě má, takovou tu obyčejnost, žádnou nadutost a takovou úžasnou skromnost, co má v sobě,” actor Jiří Lábus said, while Ostrava Mayor Richard Vereš praised her enduring energy and local roots.
Family celebrations and missed presence
While Rottrová spent the daytime hours waiting to see how her husband, Milan Říha, would surprise her, the wider family gathered for an evening dinner, Blesk.cz reported. Her younger son, musician and composer Vít Rotter, attended with his family, including grandsons Max and another grandchild, allowing the singer to spend time with her loved ones.
However, her older son, Martin Kučaj, could not make the trip from Toronto, where he lives with his wife and two sons composing music for animated films and commercials. “Nemůže, má tam práci, chápu to. Uvidíme se jindy,” Rottrová told Blesk.cz regarding his absence.
Rottrová has been married three times across her life. Her first marriage was to musician Vlastimil Kučaj, with whom she had sons Vít and Martin; after divorcing, she later cared for him during his illness until his death in 1997, CNN Prima NEWS noted.
Her second marriage to Jiří Burgerstein led to a move to Stuttgart in 1988 amid total burnout from performing two concerts a day, before she returned to Prague and music in the mid-1990s, Novinky reported.
Ten years of marriage and continuous touring
Following years of living alone after the death of her mother, Rottrová met businessman Milan Říha through lyricist Jiřina Fikejzová, CNN Prima NEWS reported. After Říha left his previous marriage, the pair grew close, and they recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.
To mark her milestone birthday, Supraphon released a special collection titled Řeka lásky containing eighty-five tracks, according to Květy.cz. Despite briefly retiring in 2011 before returning to the stage in 2013, the singer maintains an active schedule of autumn concerts, including a Sametový galakoncert in Hradec Králové on November 17 and a Vánoční galakoncert at the Prague Congress Centre on December 12, Blesk.cz reported.
Common questions about Marie Rottrová
How many children does Marie Rottrová have?
She has two sons, Martin and Vít, from her first marriage to musician Vlastimil Kučaj, CNN Prima NEWS reported.
When did Marie Rottrová move to Germany?
She relocated to Stuttgart in 1988 following her marriage to Jiří Burgerstein and stayed there until returning to the Czech Republic in the early 1990s, Novinky reported.
What is the title of her birthday album collection?
Supraphon released an eighty-five-track collection named Řeka lásky to celebrate her anniversary, according to Květy.cz.
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