The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Be My Baby’ singer Ronnie Spector, aged 78
Ronnie Spector, the rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as Be My Baby, Baby I Love You and Walking In The Rain as the leader of the girl group the Ronettes, has died at the age of 78.
Spector died on Wednesday after a brief battle with cancer, her family said.
“Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude,” a statement said.
The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices – plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector – turned them into one of the premier acts of the girlgroup era, touring England with the Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.
Spector, alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, scored hits with pop masterpieces like Baby, I Love You, Walking In The Rain, I Can Hear Music and Be My Baby, which was co-written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
“We weren’t afraid to be hot. That was our gimmick,” Spector said in her memoir.
“When we saw The Shirelles walk on stage with their wide party dresses, we went in the opposite direction and squeezed our bodies into the tightest skirts we could find.”
Spector, born Veronica Bennett, and her bandmates grew up in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. They were signed to Phillies Records in 1963 and their debut album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, was released in 1964. Five of its 12 tracks had made it to the US Billboard charts.
Ronnie Spector’s influence was felt far and wide. Brian Wilson became obsessed with Be My Baby and Billy Joel wrote Say Goodbye To Hollywood in Spector’s honour. Amy Winehouse frequently cited Spector as an idol.
She is survived by her husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and two sons.