Only a few artists in history have been capable of defining an entire era in pop music.
Ronnie Spector is one of those artists: the embodiment of the heart, soul, and passion of
female rock and roll in the 1960s. And to this day, no one has ever surpassed Ronnie's
powerful trademark vocals, her gutsy attitude, or her innocent but knowing sexuality. For
these qualities and more, Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes, were inducted into the Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame in March 2007.
Ronnie Spector was born and raised in Spanish Harlem. She formed the Ronettes while
in her teens and released her first records in 1961 on the Colpix label.
The Ronettes were also professional singers and dancers at New York’s Peppermint
Lounge. There they were discovered by legendary disc jockey “Murray the K" (Murray
Kaufman), who promptly hired them as dancers for his Brooklyn Fox Theater rock and
roll revues.
Beginning in 1963, Ronnie Spector—as lead singer of the ultimate girl group, The
Ronettes—recorded a long string of classic pop hits: powerful, poignant teen anthems
like the Grammy Award-winning "Walking in the Rain," "Do I Love You," "Baby I Love
You,” "The Best Part of Breaking Up," "I Can Hear Music," and the international Number
One smash "Be My Baby." These records are among the best-loved and most-emulated
recordings in the history of rock and roll.
“There were girl group hits before the Ronettes,” wrote Canadian critic Carl Wilson in
a 2003 feature for the Toronto Globe & Mail. “But Ronnie Spector was the first woman
in rock to provoke anything like the hysteria that Elvis had caused, which was soon to
engulf the Beatles.”
As the Number One pop group in England, Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes headlined
over acts like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and The Yardbirds. The Beatles
personally requested that the Ronettes join their final U.S. tour in August 1966; later that
year, at Basin Street East, a talented young comedian named Richard Pryor was the
opening act for the Ronettes' final live performance.
In 1970, Ronnie sang on Jimi Hendrix’s recording of “Earth Blues”.
In 1971, Ronnie Spector released her Apple Records debut single, “Try Some, Buy
Some”—written and produced by George Harrison, with a backing band that included
George, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr.
In 1976, Billy Joel wrote "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" as a tribute to Ronnie. The next
year, she recorded the song with backing by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,
and it was issued as a single on Epic Records.
In 1986, Ronnie's duet with Eddie Money—“Take Me Home Tonight”—reached No. 4 on
the Billboard Hot 100 and hung on the chart for 23 weeks. The song was nominated for
a Grammy Award and became a heavy rotation video on MTV.
In 1989, Ronnie took time off to write the story of her remarkable life and great music.
Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness (Crown, 1990) was an
international bestseller; a revised and updated mass-market paperback was published in
June 2004.
In 1999, Ronnie released the critically acclaimed EP She Talks to Rainbows on the
cutting-edge indie label Kill Rock Stars. Highlights included Johnny Thunders' "You Can't
Put Your Arms Around A Memory," and a duet with EP producer Joey Ramone on his
own composition "Bye Bye Baby."
In June 2000, after a fifteen-year legal battle, Ronnie Spector won a landmark decision
in the New York State courts. The ruling eased the way for veteran artists of the Fifties
and Sixties to collect past-due royalties on their old recordings.
In 2004 Ronnie was recognized for her contribution to American popular music when
she was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.
Ronnie’s CD, The Last of the Rock Stars, released 2009, marked the first time she
was ever in full control of her material, arrangements, and production. The supporting
cast includes Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), members of The Raconteurs, The Dead
Weather, Patti Smith, and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
Her latest CD, ‘Ronnie Spector’s Best Christmas Ever’ was released 2010. Most
recently, her cover of Amy Winehouses’ “Back to Black” was single of the month in Mojo
Magazine October 2011.
The style, look, and sound of Ronnie Spector have served as an inspiration and role
model for generations.