More about: The Ronettes

Pioneering singer and leader of The Ronettes Ronnie Spector has died at the age of 78 “after a brief battle with cancer”, a statement from family has confirmed. 

Born Veronica Yvette Bennett in Manhattan, 1943 to Cherokee-African-American and Irish parentage, Spector shot to fame aged 18 with girl group The Ronettes alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley.

Known for international chart smashes ‘Be My Baby’ and ‘Baby, I Love You’, The Ronettes’ image typified the beehive hairstyles and winged eyeliner of the era, and their bad-girl personas paved the way for many trailblazing female musicians.

Spector was also known for her 1968 marriage to the controversial Phil Spector, the era-defining producer who died last year in prison for murder. The marriage was an abusive one and after six years and three adopted children she escaped barefoot with the help of her mother, as recalled in her 2004 memoir Be My Baby, How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness.

After a time in the wilderness recovering from Phil Spector’s abuse, she became known to a whole new generation of fans with her collaboration with Eddie Money on ‘Take Me Home Tonight’ in 1986, whilst The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Their music has featured in blockbuster movies Dirty Dancing and Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets.

Ronnie Spector leaves behind a unique and powerful legacy with The Ronettes and as a symbol for both the tough and tender. The family’s statement said she “lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face”. 

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More about: The Ronettes