The Ronettes

Artist Image: The Ronettes
Attribution
Image Credit: General Artists Corporation-GAC (management)-photographer-James Kriegsmann, New York. ( photo front photo back), Public domain

Biography

The Ronettes were an American 1960s girl group from New York City. One of the most popular groups from that period, they placed more than eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100, five of which became top forty hits. The trio from Washington Heights, Manhattan consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. The girls had sung together since they were teenagers, when they were known as "The Darling Sisters." Signed first by Colpix Records in 1961, they moved to Spector's, Philles Records in March 1963. Some of The Ronettes most famous songs include, "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up", and "Walking in the Rain," all of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. "Walking in the Rain" won a Grammy Award in 1965, and "Be My Baby" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In the late 1964, the group released their only studio album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, which entered the Billboard charts at #96. Rolling Stone ranked it number 422 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2007, The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004. The Ronettes were the only girl group that toured with The Beatles. The Ronettes began as a family act where the girls grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan. According to Nedra Talley, the girls started singing during their childhood visits to their grandmother's home. "Estelle and Veronica are sisters," she said in a later interview. "I'm their cousin. Our mothers are sisters. We came out of a family that, on Saturday nights, home for us was at our grandmother's, entertaining each other." The Bennetts' mother was African-American and Cherokee; their father was Irish-American. Their cousin, Nedra Talley, is African-American and Puerto Rican. "By the time I was eight, I was already working up whole numbers for our family's little weekend shows," Ronnie Spector later recalled. "Then Estelle would get up onstage and do a song, or she'd join Nedra or my cousin Elaine and me in a number we'd worked out in three-part harmony." Furthering their interest in show business, Estelle was enrolled at Startime, a popular dancing school in the 1950s, while Ronnie became fascinated with Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. In 1957, Ronnie formed the group which would later become known as The Ronettes. Composed of Ronnie, her sister Estelle, and their cousins Nedra, Diane, and Elaine, the five girls learned how to perfect their harmonies first at their grandmother's house, and they became proficient in songs such as “Goodnight Sweetheart” and “Red Red Robin”. Emulating Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the girls added their male cousin Ira to the group, and were signed up for a Wednesday-night amateur show at the Apollo Theatre by a friend of Ronnie and Estelle's mother. The show started out as a disaster; when the house band started playing Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Ira didn't sing a word, so Ronnie took over. "I strutted out across the stage, singing as loud as I could," Ronnie later recalled. "When I finally heard a few hands of scattered applause, I sang even louder. That brought a little more applause, which was all I needed." After their night at the Apollo, Ira, Elaine, and Diane left the group. Renaming themselves Ronnie and the Relatives, Ronnie, Estelle, and Nedra began taking singing lessons two afternoons a week. Appearing at local bar mitzvahs and sock hops, they met Phil Halikus, who introduced them to Colpix Records producer Stu Phillips. According to Ronnie, Phillips played the piano while the girls auditioned for him, singing "What's So Sweet About Sweet Sixteen." Successful, they were brought into the studio in June 1961 and recorded four tracks: "I Want a Boy," "What's So Sweet About Sweet Sixteen," "I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead," "and "My Guiding Angel." Colpix released "I Want a Boy" in August 1961 and "I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead" in January 1962, the first singles credited to Ronnie and the Relatives. While both singles failed to chart on the Billboard Top 100 fate intervened in advancing the group's success. A fortuitous case of mistaken identity led to Ronnie and the Relatives making their debut - as dancers rather than a singing act - at New York City's hip Peppermint Lounge in 1961. It was the height of the Twist Craze and the underage Nedra and Ronnie needed to disguise themselves to get in. The girls' mothers showed them how to put on make-up and fix their hair to look at least twenty-three. When they arrived outside the club its manager mistook Ronnie, Estelle, and Nedra for the trio supposed to dance behind house band Joey Dee and the Starliters. They followed him in, were brought up on stage, and performed in their place. During the show Starliter David Brigati even handed the mike over to Ronnie when she started to sing Ray Charles's "What'd I Say." Soon afterward, Ronnie and the Relatives became a permanent act at the Peppermint Lounge, earning $10 a night per girl to dance the Twist and usually sing a song at some point in the show. Ronnie and the Relatives became The Ronettes. Later that year they were flown down to Miami to open up a Florida branch of the Peppermint Lounge. Colpix issued the first two singles credited to the Ronettes, "Silhouettes," and a re-issue of "I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead", on its May label in April and June 1962, respectively. Both singles failed to chart. After their performance at the Miami gala, radio host Murray the K came backstage and introduced himself to the act. He wanted the girls to begin appearing at his shows at the Brooklyn Fox in New York. They agreed, taking the Fox stage in 1962 and completing a transition from Murray the K's "Dancing Girls," to back-up singing for other acts, to performing as the Ronettes before year's end. It was during this time the girls evolved their iconic look, wearing ever more exaggerated eye make-up and teasing their hair to impossible proportions. "We'd look pretty wild by the time we got out onstage," Ronnie later recalled, "and the kids loved it." Colpix's May label issued one final single by the Ronettes in March 1963. When "Good Girls" failed to chart, the girls decided it was time to look elsewhere for studio work. In early 1963, fed up with Colpix Records and the group's lack of success, Estelle placed a phone call to producer Phil Spector, telling him of the Ronettes, and how they would like to audition for him. Spector agreed, and met the girls soon after at Mira Sound Studios in New York City. Later, Spector told Ronnie that he had seen them at the Brooklyn Fox several times, and was impressed with their performances. At the audition, Spector sat at a piano while the group began singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" when he suddenly jumped up from his seat and shouted "That's it! That's it! That's the voice I've been looking for!" After their successful audition, Spector decided to sign the group. Originally, he wanted to sign Ronnie as a solo act, until her mother told him either he signed the Ronettes as a group or it was no deal. He agreed to sign the group, and instructed Ronnie's mother to inform Colpix Records that the girls had "given up" on show business, in order for the studio to let them out of their contract. By March 1963, the group was officially signed to Spector's Philles Records. The first song the Ronettes rehearsed and recorded with Phil Spector was a song by Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich called "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love?" They were brought out to California to make the record, but, once it was complete, Spector refused to release it. They recorded more songs for Spector, including covers of "The Twist," "The Wah Watusi," (lead vocals by Nedra), "Mashed Potato Time," and "Hot Pastrami." These four songs were released, but were credited to the Crystals on their 1963 Philles LP "The Crystals Sing The Greatest Hits, Volume 1." With the success of "Walking in the Rain," the popularity of the group had clearly peaked. In February 1965, Philles Records released the group's next single, "Born to Be Together," which peaked only at number fifty-two on the Billboard 100. Over the course of the next year, the Ronettes recorded a whole catalog of songs which Phil Spector refused to release once they were completed. Many attribute this to Spector's insecurities and his love for the group's lead singer, Ronnie. As the popularity of the Ronettes became greater and greater, the relationship between Spector and Ronnie became more serious, to the point of which they were basically living together. Spector then decided he didn't want Ronnie and the Ronettes to become too popular, in fear they would one day outgrow him. So he tried to reverse the whole star-making process by not releasing the records the Ronettes were contractually obligated to make. This allowed for Motown group The Supremes to rise in popularity, and eclipse the Ronettes as the most popular girl group in the music industry. Among the songs the Ronettes recorded during this time which went unreleased were "Paradise," "Everything Under the Sun," and "I Wish I Never Saw the Sun Shine." All three songs individually have since been covered by other artists such as The Shangri-Las, The Supremes, and Ike and Tina Turner, among others. Perhaps their biggest loss was the Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich song "Chapel of Love," which the Ronettes recorded in early 1964. They were the first to record their version of the song, but Spector refused to release it as a single. Their version of the song eventually did come out of their Philles LP, but by then The Dixie Cups had already achieved mainstream notoriety for it. "We thought it was such a great record that we practically begged to put it out," Ronnie Spector later wrote. "Then the Dixie Cups' version came out and it was a smash! It was so depressing." In June 1965, the Ronettes' next single, "Is This What I Get For Loving You?" was released, becoming only a minor hit, reaching only 75 on the Billboard 100. The song was popular enough the for group to make appearances on the popular TV shows Hullabaloo, "Hollywood A Go-GO", and Shivaree, but it was a failed attempt to get the Ronettes another top ten hit, especially when The Supremes scored their fifth consecutive number one record with "Back in My Arms Again." Some have also attributed the decline of the Ronettes' recording career to the fact Phil Spector wasn't enthusiastic over his promotion of the group, which stemmed from his insecurities about his intimate relationship with Ronnie. There were also some problems within the group. "You also have to remember that Nedra and Estelle stood in the background while I got to bask in the spotlight," Ronnie later wrote. "I was the one who flew out to California and sang lead on all our records. I was the one deejays wanted to talk to. And I was the one our producer was in love with, which meant I get the preferential treatment in all kinds of other ways which drove them crazy." "I hated the 'dog-eat-dog' side of show-business," Nedra Talley later commented. "I hated pushing for the next record and the feeling of failure if we didn't get it. There was a continual demand on us to produce that I thought was unfair. My personality didn't like that." Nedra's disdain for show business also became partly fueled by her desire to marry and settle down with her boyfriend, DJ Scott Ross.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1959
Number of Albums 4
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia The Ronettes on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Who was the lead singer of The Ronettes?

Veronica Bennett

...The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...
How many of the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 became Top 40 hits?

six

...Darling Sisters. The Ronettes placed nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100, six of which became Top 40 hits. 2, their only contemporary top 10 hit, Baby...
When did the group release their only studio album?

1964

..., I Love You, (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up and Walking in the Rain. In 1964 , the group released their only studio album, Presenting the Fabulous Ron...
What was the name of the band's only studio album?

Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica

...1964, the group released their only studio album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica . That year, the Rolling Stones were their openin...
What was the name of the group that was revived in the 1970s?

Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes

... up in 1967. In the 1970s, the group was briefly revived as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes . Their song Be My Baby was inducted into the Grammy Hall o...
What is the name of the song that The Ronettes released in 1963?

Be My Baby

... on how to submit The Ronettes lyrics. Although their 1963 hit single Be My Baby was their only topten hit, the song made the Ronettes pop music icons...
Who was the producer and svengali that made the Ronettes pop music icons?

Phil Spector

...t, the song made the Ronettes pop music icons. Producer and svengali Phil Spector turned the three New York City girls into stars with songs from the ...
Veronica and Estelle Bennett began dancing and singing with what cousin?

Nedra Talley

...nie) and Estelle Bennett began dancing and singing with their cousin Nedra Talley when they were schoolgirls in New York City's Washington HeightsSpan...
What year did Bennett and Spector marry?

1968

...ently carried over into real life as well, since the two were married in 1968 , not long after Bennett went solo. Unfortunately, the union was an unhap...
What was the name of Veronica Bennett's sister?

Estelle

...Spanish Harlem area of New York City. Sisters Veronica (aka Ronnie) and Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley first started harmonizing togeth...
Where were the Ronettes formed?

Washington HeightsSpanish Harlem area of New York City

... autobiography. The Ronettes were formed in the Washington HeightsSpanish Harlem area of New York City . Sisters Veronica (aka Ronnie) and Estelle Benn...
Where was the amateur talent contest held?

Apollo Theater

... their dance moves, and won the famed amateur talent contest at the Apollo Theater ; afterward, they began formal vocal training. In 1961, they were st...
How did the three singers dress in the video?

identical longsleeved pencil dresses

...the curtain parts to reveal the three singers dressed in identical longsleeved pencil dresses , their hair partially swept up in the same halfbouffant ...
What part of their hair was swept up in the same halfbouffant?

partially

...ee singers dressed in identical longsleeved pencil dresses, their hair partially swept up in the same halfbouffant that would become part of their sig...
Who opens her mouth on Be My Baby?

Ronnie Spector

...hips and arms awkwardly to the opening bars of Be My Baby, and then Ronnie Spector , standing on the left, opens her mouth. When the camera zooms in, w...
What was typical of the direction 1960s girl groups received from their mostly male managers?

swaying hips, lightly moving hands

...n turn their heads. The micromovements in the performance swaying hips, lightly moving hands were typical of the kind of directions 1960s girl groups ...
What do the Ronettes look like on the surface?

teen girls who have been coached to move in unison and smile for the cameras

... the surface, The Ronettes look like teen girls who have been coached to move in unison and smile for the cameras part of the reason The Ronettes are ...
What do The Ronettes have been coached to do?

move in unison and smile for the cameras

...Ronettes look like teen girls who have been coached to move in unison and smile for the cameras part of the reason The Ronettes are often classified a...
What did The Ronettes embody in their sound and look?

protorock transgressions

...he group constructed its sound and look, The Ronettes embodied protorock transgressions , as their heavy eyeliner, poufed hair and natural New York acc...
What was the name of The Ronettes' only studio album?

Presenting...

... and maneuvered those malleable boundaries. Their only studio album, Presenting... collected singles from the previous year, including Be My Baby. Bil...
How many Billboard charts were there for Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain?

23

...singles from the previous year, including Be My Baby. Billboard charts: Be My Baby (2), Walking in the Rain ( 23 ), Baby I Love You (24), Do I Love You?...
What was Phil Spector's job title?

producer

...p of the early '60s, The Ronettes achieved their biggest success under producer Phil Spector. In towering black beehive hairdos and dark eye makeup, t...
What did Grandma encourage the three to do?

harmonize

...he three in a room for an indefinite period and encourage the three to harmonize . When they won Grandma started having them take singing lessons. Phil...
Who became their manager?

Phillip Halikus

...ze. When they won Grandma started having them take singing lessons. Phillip Halikus heard them, saw their potential and became their manager. He start...
What was the name of the place where the girls stood in line in 1961?

Joey Dee's Peppermint Lounge

...ight skirts and with their hair piled high, stood in line at Joey Dee's Peppermint Lounge on New York's 45th Street. The girls took the club by storm ...
Where was Joey Dee's Peppermint Lounge located?

New York's 45th Street

...ir piled high, stood in line at Joey Dee's Peppermint Lounge on New York's 45th Street . The girls took the club by storm and were signed to appear reg...
Who spotted the girls and converted them into Murray the K's dancing girls?

Murray Kaufman

...rly for 10 a night. There they were spotted by New York disc jockey Murray Kaufman , who converted them into Murray the K's dancing girls for his touri...
Kaufman converted the girls into what kind of dancing girls?

Murray the K's

...otted by New York disc jockey Murray Kaufman, who converted them into Murray the K's dancing girls for his touring company and his Brooklyn Fox shows....
When did the Ronettes' career end?

1967

... off the tour and replaced her with cousin Elaine. Their career ended in 1967 and lead singer, Ronnie Bennet ended up marrying Phil Spector, who kept ...
What year did The Ronettes file a lawsuit against Phil?

1988

...ful tours only to disband for Ronnie Spector to pursue a solo career. In 1988 , The Ronettes filed a lawsuit against Phil Spector for unpaid royalties ...
How much money did the Ronettes order Phil to pay them in 1988?

2.6 million

...yalties and eventually won, 12 years later, ordering Phil to pay them 2.6 million . After an appeal, they eventually walked away with 1.5 million in 20...
What is the name of the early Wall Of Sound production?

Be My Baby Chords Be My Baby

...l of Fame, although they had been eligible for a considerable time. Be My Baby Chords Be My Baby is an early Wall Of Sound Production by Phil Spector....
Where did Spector live with her mother, father, and older sister?

Spanish Harlem

..., but the tumultuous marriage ended six years later. She grew up in Spanish Harlem with her mother, father and older sister, Estelle. The daughter of ...
What was Spector's father's name?

Louis

... of her mixed ethnic heritage, a rarity for the time period. Her father, Louis , left the family when Spector and her sister were still very young. Eve...
When did Spector's father leave the family?

when Spector and her sister were still very young

...he time period. Her father, Louis, left the family when Spector and her sister were still very young . Eventually, her exotic features, distinct voice ...
Where was the Peppermint Lounge located?

46th Street

..., eventually getting a steady gig dancing at the Peppermint Lounge on 46th Street . They were still underage and took to stuffing their bras and wearin...
By 1963, the girls had not found much success with what drug?

Colpix

...torium, climbing atop the table to sing. They found little success with Colpix , however, and continued to perform in clubs as dancers, eventually gett...
What studio did Phil Spector work for?

Mirasound Studios

...pix and made a bold move: They coldcalled the legendary producer Phil Spector at Mirasound Studios ; struck by their moxie, he agreed to audition them....
When was Silhouettes released?

1962

...s credited to Ronnie And The Relatives, but when Silhouettes followed in 1962 , the Ronettes appellation was in place. They recorded four singles for t...
How many singles did the Ronettes record for the ColpixMay group?

four

...s followed in 1962, the Ronettes appellation was in place. They recorded four singles for the ColpixMay group and appeared on disc jockey Murray The K...
Who was the disc jockey on The Ks Live From The Brooklyn Fox?

Murray

...corded four singles for the ColpixMay group and appeared on disc jockey Murray The Ks Live From The Brooklyn Fox before a chance telephone call result...
What year was I Can Hear Music released?

1966

...by I Love You, another Top 20 entrant in both countries. Following their 1966 offering, I Can Hear Music, the groups career was shelved during Spector...
When did the Ronettes name reemerge on A&M Records?

1969

...helved during Spectors mid60s retirement. The Ronettes name reemerged in 1969 on A&M Records with You Came, You Saw, You Conquered!. Credited to The R...
What was the name of the 1969 Ronettes single?

You Came, You Saw, You Conquered!.

.... The Ronettes name reemerged in 1969 on A&M Records with You Came, You Saw, You Conquered!. Credited to The Ronettes Featuring The Voice Of Veronica ...
When did Ronnies separate from Spector?

1973

...Ronnies aspirations were again sublimated. She separated from Spector in 1973 and joined Buddah Records, founding a new group with vocalists Diane Lin...
Who replaced Diane Linton?

Denise Edwards

...founding a new group with vocalists Diane Linton (later replaced by Denise Edwards ) and Chip Fields. The groups name was then dropped as its lead sing...