The Ronettes

The Ronettes Artistfacts

  • 1962-1966
    Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett (a.k.a. Ronnie Spector)Lead vocals
    Estelle Bennett VannVocals
    Nedra Talley RossVocals
  • Ronnie and Estelle are sisters; Talley is their cousin. They were dancers and backup singers at clubs and on tours before recording as The Ronettes.
  • Phil Spector produced the group and signed them to his record label. He and Ronnie were married from 1968-1974.
  • In 1998, Spector was ordered to pay The Ronettes $2.6 million in back royalties. All the money their songs made from movies, commercials and TV shows went to Spector, until a judge agreed the group should be paid. In 2002, the ruling was overturned.
  • They opened for The Rolling Stones on their first US tour in 1964 and for The Beatles on their 1965 US tour.
  • In Ronnie Spector's 1990 autobiography, she claims that Phil would make her watch Citizen Kane, a movie about a singer whose husband makes her famous, to remind her that she would be nothing without him.
  • Even after remarrying, Ronnie kept the last name of Spector for professional reasons. She has since taken the name of her husband and is now known as Ronnie Greenfield.
  • Spector did not let Ronnie tour with The Beatles. He replaced her with another Bennett cousin.
  • The Ronettes were multiracial, which was a very unusual sight during the '60s. The Bennetts' mother was black and Native American and their father was white. In her autobiography, Ronnie Spector said that she was not sure if she was black or white at one point in her childhood. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jerro - New Alexandria, PA
  • Estelle Bennett died on February 11, 2009 at age 67. Shortly after her death, the New York Times published a story revealing that she struggled with anorexia and mental illness since the '70s.
  • Thanks to their diverse ethnicities, they had a very exotic look. The Bennett sisters were part black, American Indian and Irish; Talley was black, Indian and Puerto Rican.
  • They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • The group got their first regular gig at The Peppermint Lounge in New York City under the name Ronnie and the Relatives. The underage trio was trying to sneak into the hip club when they were mistaken for backup dancers and invited on stage to dance behind the house band Joey Dee and the Starliters. Ronnie ended up on the mic singing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" and earned her group a permanent position at the club.
  • They landed a deal with Colpix Records in 1961 but quickly became frustrated when single after single failed to chart. They contacted hotshot producer Phil Spector, who agreed to audition them. When they started singing Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?," Spector exclaimed, "That's it! That's it! That's the voice I've been looking for!" Spector wanted to sign Ronnie as a solo act, but her mother insisted the trio was a package deal, so he agreed to sign them as a group.

Comments: 2

  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScApparently he was very difficult to work with anyway. He butted heads with some of his artists.
  • Brandon from Seattle, WaI don't like Phil Spector a lot when it comes down to Ronnie Spector. I mean, tons of male artists/groups were inspired by the Ronettes. And, Phil Spector had to complain about that (i.e. Phil did not release "Don't Worry Baby" and refused the Ronettes to do it, rumor or not Phil was accused of murdering one of the Ramrones who supposedly did a cover version of a Ronettes song, Phil refused Ronnie to go on tour with the Beatles and instead replaced her with a cousin, etc.). I mean, come on, Phil did not get mad at any of the girl musicians/groups when they were inspired by the Ronettes. Is he a f...ed up guy or what?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Rupert Hine

Rupert HineSongwriter Interviews

Producer Rupert Hine talks about crafting hits for Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top Proverb

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.