Marie Rottrová celebrated her 85th birthday on Thursday, tn.nova.cz reported.
“I am in a positive mood, I am in good shape so far,” Marie Rottrová said when asked about her secret to maintaining such great shape at 85.
Known as the Czech Lady Soul, the singer received public birthday wishes from fellow artists including Helena Vondráčková and actor Jiří Lábus, alongside a special greeting recorded for TV Nova viewers. “Sing, Maruška, I tell you, Maruška. Dance and laugh with us. And I wish you good health, love, beautiful songs and a long life,” Helena Vondráčková said. “I wish her good health and I wish that she retains what she has within herself, that ordinaryness, no arrogance and that wonderful modesty that she has within herself,” Jiří Lábus said.
“She is one of the most famous people from Ostrava. I would certainly wish her continued success on her birthday, that she has the enthusiasm that we all see in her,” Richard Vereš (ANO), Mayor of Ostrava, said. “I wish all Nova TV viewers lots of good shows, good music and a nice autumn,” Marie Rottrová said.
Music publicist Václav Svoboda said that the nickname Lady Soul was coined in the late 1960s when Rottrová began performing that repertoire with the band Flamingo and Petr Němec, a style she maintained throughout her career, according to tn.nova.cz.
Born in Ostrava, she spent over 40 years in the city, where she encountered Jaromír Nohavica, who wrote the lyrics for her major hit “Lásko, voníš deštěm.”
Musical Career and Returns to the Stage
Rottrová has twice stepped away from public performing only to return when the absence of an audience proved too difficult, Novinky reported. In 2011, she announced her retirement due to severe psychological exhaustion, telling Novinky that she felt completely burned out after performing two concerts a day and struggling with stage fright.
By 2013, encouraged by friends including the late singer Hana Zagorová, who repeatedly told her she would not be able to endure without singing because it simply could not be endured, she returned to concert stages.
“I said to myself that if it were possible, I would return, but I would be more careful, I would guard myself more and I would rest more,” Rottrová told Novinky.
Her career also paused in the late 1980s when she married her second husband, German-Czech businessman Jiří Burgerstein, and moved to Stuttgart in 1988.
She lived in Germany until 1992, stepping back from the constant travel required by the Czechoslovak music scene. Following her return to Prague, she released the acoustic-flavored album Rowanberries in 1995. During this period, radio stations fortunately continued playing her songs, and Czech Television broadcast recordings of her 1980s programs titled Theater under the tower.
Rottrová's marriages and family life
Rottrová was first married at age 21 to musician Vlastimil Kučaj, with whom she had two sons, Vít and Martin, CNN Prima NEWS reported. After their divorce, she maintained a close friendship with Kučaj, eventually taking him in to care for him when he fell ill with cancer before his death in 1997 at age 56.
Her third marriage brought her together with businessman Milan Říha, who was 15 years younger, after they were introduced by lyricist Jiřina Fikejzová, according to CNN Prima NEWS. Rottrová recalled that Říha initially stood outside her gate with flowers for a year before she let him in.
“Milan was close to me when I needed someone by my side,” Rottrová told CNN Prima NEWS, noting that they celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.
How Rottrová styles her wardrobe
Marie Rottrová maintains a youthful approach to fashion, frequently incorporating classic blazers into her stable wardrobe staples, according to iGlanc. She is known for wearing bright suits featuring vests instead of shirts or tops, light jackets layered over simple patterned dresses, and distinctive Chanel-style collarless coats, demonstrating an ability to pair simple pieces with striking geometric patterns and accessories.
What readers ask about Marie Rottrová
What is Marie Rottrová’s nickname?
Media and music historians refer to her as the Czech Lady Soul or the first lady of Czech soul, a title that originated during her work with the band Flamingo in the late 1960s, according to tn.nova.cz and CNN Prima NEWS.
How many children does the singer have?
She has two sons, Vít and Martin, from her first marriage to musician Vlastimil Kučaj, as reported by CNN Prima NEWS.