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Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, her loving mother and grandmothers
were members of the well-respected St. Augustine Presbyterian Church in the
Bronx, New York, of which Rita’s maternal grandmother was Choir Director.
At the approximate age of 5, Rita was prompted to sing “Oh Little Mother of
Mine” on Mother’s Day before the entire church assembly. At that time,
Rita’s desire to sing was motivated and established as part of her life.
Rita was taught to hear and sing harmony in the choir, which ultimately became
her prime musical interest. During Rita’s school tenure, she sang in plays and the chorus, always
harmonizing the highest notes possible. While attending junior high
school, she sang in a small youth band that practiced near the residence of the
famous George Benson. Mr. Benson specifically educated Rita on how
to blend harmonies with his guitar. When she learned that George
Benson’s song “Masquerade” hit the airwaves, Rita was in awe of this
wonderfully talented musician. Rita wanted more than ever to learn how to read and write music. She
decided to apply for and audition for the High School of Music & Arts in
N.Y.C., where she successfully learned music composition and all the components
of this industry. While attending Music & Arts, she joined an R&B
group called Unfinished Business who performed on Coney Island, several New York
festivals, and many private parties. Some of the musicians she encountered
and performed with include Angela Bofil, Kurtis Blow, Keith Sweat, and Evelyn
Champagne King. In 1979, Rita attended Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, and graduated with a B.A. in Music, Business & Computer Programming. After graduating college, Rita relocated to Tampa to be near her parents, where she sang with several R&B bands from 1981-1985. In 1985, Rita began her own vocal R&B group named Signature, which was comprised of three exciting females performing for outdoor concerts and exclusive parties. Rita married and from that union a baby girl was born. After the birth
of her daughter, Rita refrained from public and private performances to fully
concentrate on her family and a future business venture. Rita established
and built a successful computer business named Soft Support in 1989 in Tampa,
Florida, and currently provides hardware and software support services primarily
in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. In 1991, Rita met Mr. Fred Johnson who was Music Director for the Tampa
Housing Department. Fred requested Rita to return to singing and join him
for a concert in Naples, Florida, where she ultimately met Theo Valentin.
Rita and Theo immediately blended as “sisters” and have been inseparable
ever since. Rita Wilson and Theo Valentin have provided endless hours of magical entertainment for the past ten (10) years at places like the renowned Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Largo Cultural Center, the C-Note, Club 442, Selena’s, The Falls, Tucsons, Moets, and countless festivals, weddings, and private banquets. Experience, devotion to the arts, and her love to perform in harmony has driven Rita to be the best in all she pursues.
Email : rita@theovalentin.com Back to top
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