Rita Hovink, pseudonym of Hendriekje Jannie Vink (born Beverwijk, 3 March 1944; died Hilversum, 7 September 1979) was a Dutch vocalist, known for her dramatic timbre. She sang in Dutch and English throughout the 1960s and 1970s, to moderate success during her lifetime, but her dramatic 1976 heartbreak single 'Laat me alleen' ('Leave Me Alone', a modest #29 chart hit in January 1977) is now a Dutch evergreen. A wannabe theatre actress at a tender age, Hovink's career as a singer started in 1959. In 1960 and 1961 she frequently performed for American and Dutch troops based in Germany and other European countries. Het debut single 'Yeah Yeah Yeah' came out in 1964, but her third single 'Die eerste zoen' became was her first to enter the Dutch charts. Convinced of Hovink's talent, her record label gave her maximum freedom to make the debut LP she wanted to make. She went for jazz. Recorded in August 1969, Love Me Or Leave Me was almost completely overlooked upon release and flopped mercilessly, but the album was re-appreciated in later years and is now regarded as a lost gem of Dutch jazz. The album saw a re-release on vinyl in 2019. 1976 and 1977 were Hovink's most successful years commercially, with three singles ('Ay Dolores', 'Laat me alleen' and 'Antonio') reaching the twenties regions of the Dutch Top 40. The single '... Zegt Mijn Man' (1978) turned out to be her last. It was taken from her final studio album Ik wil vrouw zijn (May 1978). That year Hovink was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent heavy treatment and appeared to be recovering, but her condition worsened in 1979, leading to her tragic death in September of that year, aged just 35. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Rita+Hovink">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.