The Ronettes Through the Years

The Ronettes -- New Yorkers Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett, her sister Estelle and cousin Nedra Talley (from right) -- began in the early '60s as a singing and dancing trio. Their first break came at famed New York nightspot the Peppermint Lounge, when the club's manager mistook the three dolled-up teens for the singing act he booked and ushered them onstage, where they proved a smash hit.

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In 1963, after the Ronettes had suffered a series of flop singles, 22-year-old wunderkind producer Phil Spector signed the trio to his Philles label. Spector delivered on his promise to make them stars with his first recording with the group, the epochal single 'Be My Baby,' a two-and-a-half-minute mini-symphony drenched in his grandiose "Wall of Sound" production, which reached No. 2.

By 1964 the Ronettes were considered by many the quintessential girl group, with Ronnie's unique vulnerable-sounding lead vocals the focal point of their high-quality musical output. The stylish threesome were fashion leaders as well and were seldom seen without their striking eye makeup, mile-high beehive hairdos and tight, slitted dresses.

The series of Ronettes singles released in 1964 and '65 include such classics as 'Baby, I Love You,' '(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up,' 'Do I Love You?' and the Grammy-winning 'Walking in the Rain.' During this period, the telegenic trio also made notable appearances on such programs as 'Shindig' and 'Hullabaloo' as well as a memorable turn in the theatrical concert film 'The Big T.N.T. Show.'

In 1966 the Beatles, who had met the Ronettes in the U.K. two years earlier, personally requested that the trio be their opening act on their U.S. tour. Two years after the Ronettes' dissolution in late 1966, Phil Spector signed Ronnie to a different kind of exclusive contract -- the couple were married from 1968 till 1973, a union that was often fraught with turmoil.

Now a solo performer after sister Estelle and cousin Nedra traded in their bouffants and high heels for the domestic life, Ronnie Spector was signed to the Beatles' Apple Records. In 1971 she recorded the single "Try Some, Buy Some," written by George Harrison and co-produced by Harrison with Phil Spector.

Ronnie made her way back onto the charts in 1986 with 'Take Me Home Tonight,' a duet with Eddie Money. The track, which features a Ronnie-sung hook that quotes 'Be My Baby,' was a Top 5 single. Similary, Billy Joel wrote his 1976 song 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood' as an homage to the Ronettes, with Ronnie returning the favor by recording her own version of the song a year later.

Ronnie Spector has been cited as an influence by many of the New York punk and new wave acts of the '70s and '80s, especially female vocalists such as Debbie Harry of Blondie. Frontman David Johansen of notorious '70s glam punks the New York Dolls has acknowledged that his band envisioned itself as a musical and visual cross between the Rolling Stones and the Ronettes.

In the '90s Ronnie formed a strong friendship with Joey Ramone, who produced her critically lauded 1999 EP 'She Talks to Rainbows.' The record's highlight is a duet with the Ramones frontman, who passed away two years later, on his composition 'Bye Bye Baby.' In addition, Ronnie covers the Beach Boys' 'Don't Worry Baby,' a song that Brian Wilson originally wrote in 1964 with her in mind.

Currently into her fifth decade as a performer, Ronnie Spector's career shows no sign of waning. She still hosts her annual Christmas concert, and she lent her trademark "whoa-oh-oh" to 'Ode to L.A.,' a 2005 song by Danish duo the Raveonettes. And in 2006 she released 'Last of the Rock Stars,' with guest appearances from Keith Richards and fellow 2007 Hall of Fame inductee Patti Smith.

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