Nedra Talley - April 26, 2026 - American singer (80) The Ronettes were a female vocal trio from New York City who had several hits in the US and UK in the early 1960s. The girl group's most famous song is "Be My Baby" from 1963. Sisters Ronnie and Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley first performed together in 1959, winning a talent competition and appearing regularly on stage, initially as the Darling Sisters. Record producers soon took notice, and in 1961 they released their first single. Shortly afterward, they renamed themselves The Ronettes, derived from Ronnie Bennett. In 1963, they began working with renowned producer Phil Spector. With the experienced songwriting team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, he wrote them the highly successful single "Be My Baby," which he produced in the style of his famous "Wall of Sound." The song propelled the trio to the top of the charts in both the US and the UK. Five consecutive singles landed in the US Top 40, and four of them also charted in the UK. The album *Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica* wasn't as successful on the charts, but it was later ranked number 427 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album title itself highlighted Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett, and she was specifically mentioned in the band's name on releases from 1965 onward. However, the subsequent singles failed to meet expectations. After both Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley married in 1966, the group finally disbanded. In 1968, Ronnie Bennett married Phil Spector; the marriage lasted six years. Ronnie Spector continued her musical career with varying degrees of success. In 1973, she briefly toured with two other singers as Ronnie and the Ronettes, but then continued solo with her own recordings, as a background singer and backing vocalist for Bruce Springsteen, and in 1986 for Eddie Money, with whom she recorded his biggest hit, "Take Me Home Tonight." She was quoted in the song's chorus—"just like Ronnie sang"—and appeared in the accompanying official music video. The Ronettes were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years later. In 2017, Billboard magazine ranked "Be My Baby" number one on its critics' list of the 100 best girl group songs of all time. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ronettes The Ronettes - Be My Baby The Ronettes - (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up
RIP - ..though before my time, these songs were massive on the radio and 45s. Teenagers at the malt shop, the school dance, letterman jackets and all that. My Mom would sing be my baby around the house <3 Thank you ladies, RIP Nedra Last edited: Apr 28, 2026 at 12:50 PM
