The Ronettes
The Ronettes | |
|---|---|
 L-R: Nedra Talley, Veronica Bennett (Ronnie Spector), Estelle Bennett | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Genres | Pop, Rock and roll |
| Years active | 1959–1966 |
| Labels | Colpix, Philles |
| Past member(s) | Veronica Bennett Estelle Bennett Nedra Talley Elaine Mayes (a cousin, Beatles 1966 American tour only); Chip Fields Hurd (1973-74); and Diane Linton (1973-74) |
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The Ronettes were an American girl group. They were based in New York City and were popular in the 1960s. The girls began singing as adolescents around Spanish Harlem in 1959.
They were originally a five-member group, Ronnie and the Relatives, who became a permanent act at the Peppermint Lounge, earning $10 a night per girl to dance The Twist and sing a song during the show. Later, Ronnie and the Relatives became 'The Ronettes'.[1] They had eight songs on the Billboard Top 100. They were the only girl group to tour with the Beatles, in August 1966. The group broke up in 1967.
Influence of Phil Spector
[change | change source]The trio worked with Phil Spector from 1963. Veronica Bennett was married to Phil Spector from 1968 to 1974, and took his name professionally. She claimed he abused her physically and mentally. Ronnie stated in her autobiography that she walked out of the house through the closed and locked rear sliding glass door, shoeless, shattering the glass as she left, and feet all cut up by the time she got to the gate. She never returned. Ronnie Spector filed for divorce in 1972. She wrote a book about her experiences, and said years later: "I can only say that when I left in the early 1970s, I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I was going to die there".[2] She and Spector separated in 1973 and divorced one year later. In August 2011, Spector admitted that she went to rehab in order to escape living with Phil.[3]
Top hits
[change | change source]The first top hit credited to the Ronettes was Be My Baby in 1963. They had already recorded several hits which were issued and credited to another group, the Crystals.[1] Walking in the Rain (Ronette version) won a Grammy Award in 1965, and Be My Baby went into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.[4] Other hits were Silhouettes, Baby, I Love You', (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up.
Albums
[change | change source]Studio albums
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Spector, Ronnie 2004. Be my baby: how I survived mascara, miniskirts, and madness, or my life as a fabulous Ronette. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-41153-6
- ↑ Ron-Nuts - The mad, vicious life of Phil & Ronnie Spector Maureen Callahan (March 7, 2007) New York Post
- ↑ "Ronnie Spector remembers Amy Winehouse, reveals she went to rehab to escape from Phil Spector". Spinner. 2011-08-02. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
- ↑ The Ronettes
- 1959 establishments in the United States
- 1967 disestablishments in the United States
- 1950s American music groups
- 1960s American music groups
- African-American musical groups
- American pop music groups
- Musical groups established in 1959
- Musical groups from New York City
- 1950s establishments in New York (state)
- 1960s disestablishments in New York (state)
- The Ronettes