Ronnie Spector

Veronica Greenfield (born Veronica Yvette Bennett; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022), known as Ronnie Spector, was an American singer who formed the girl group the Ronettes in 1957 with her elder sister, Estelle Bennett, and their cousin, Nedra Talley.

Ronnie fronted the group while record producer Phil Spector produced the majority of their recording output. The two were married in 1968 and separated in 1972.

Bennett sang lead on the Ronettes' string of hits in the early-to-mid–1960s, including "Be My Baby" (1963), "Baby, I Love You" (1963), "The Best Part of Breakin' Up" (1964) and "Walking in the Rain" (1964). In 1964, she launched a solo career with the single "So Young". After 1980 she released five studio albums: Siren (1980), Unfinished Business (1987), Something's Gonna Happen (2003), Last of the Rock Stars (2006) and English Heart (2016). Bennett also recorded one extended play, She Talks to Rainbows (1999). In 1986, her career revived when she was featured on Eddie Money's song "Take Me Home Tonight".

Bennett was sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". In 1990, she published a memoir, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, Or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Ronettes.

Early life

Spector was born Veronica Yvette Bennett in Washington Heights, Manhattan, the daughter of an African-American-Cherokee mother and Irish–American father. Bennett and her sister, Estelle Bennett (1941–2009), were encouraged to sing by their large family, as was their cousin, Nedra Talley (1946-). Together they formed the Darling Sisters, known later as the Ronettes. They performed locally while attending George Washington High School in Washington Heights.

Career

1963–1969: The Ronettes and early success

The Ronettes became a popular live attraction around the greater New York area in the early 1960s. Looking for a recording contract, they initially were signed to Colpix Records and produced by Stu Phillips. After releasing a few singles on Colpix without success, they tracked down record producer Phil Spector, who signed them to his label Philles Records in 1963. Their relationship with Spector brought chart success with "Be My Baby" (1963), "Baby, I Love You" (1963), "The Best Part of Breakin' Up" (1964), "Do I Love You?" (1964), and "Walking in the Rain" (1964). The group had two top 100 hits in 1965 with "Born to Be Together" and "Is This What I Get for Loving You?".

In 1965, the Ronettes were voted the third-top singing group in England behind the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. They supported and toured with the Beatles on their 1966 US tour. The group's last single, "I Can Hear Music", on the Philles Records label, was released in the fall of 1966. Instead of recording with Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, the Ronettes returned to New York City with producer Jeff Barry.

The Ronettes broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour. Spector's 1960s recording "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered", credited as "The Ronettes Featuring the Voice of Veronica", appeared in 1969 on Herb Alpert's A&M Records label, with "Oh I Love You", an old Ronettes B-side, as the flip. Her vocals were used for the lead and backing vocals. Phil Spector kept many of the group's unreleased songs in a vault for years.

1970–1982: Solo career and Siren

In February 1971, during Phil Spector's work with George Harrison, Spector recorded the single "Try Some, Buy Some/Tandoori Chicken" at Abbey Road Studios, released as Apple 33 in the UK and as Apple 1832 in the US. The A-side was written by George Harrison, and produced by both him and Spector. Although the single was not a big hit, its backing track was used two years later for Harrison's own version of the song, on his chart-topping Living in the Material World album. "Try Some, Buy Some" had another lasting influence when John Lennon recorded "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" later the same year and asked Spector (co-producing again) to reproduce the mandolin-laden Wall of Sound he had created for Spector's single. Lennon liked the rockabilly B-side too; he sang it at his birthday party in New York City in October 1971 (a recording of which has appeared on bootlegs). Spector recorded other Harrison songs during those London sessions − including "You" and "When Every Song Is Sung" − but her versions were never released, even though a full album had been planned.

In 1973, Spector reformed the Ronettes (as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes) with two new members (Chip Fields Hurd, the mother of actress Kim Fields, and Diane Linton). They released a few singles on Buddah Records, but the records failed to chart. By 1975, Spector was recording as a solo act. She released the single "You'd Be Good For Me" on Tom Cat Records in 1975.

In 1976, Spector sang a duet with Southside Johnny on the recording "You Mean So Much To Me", penned by Southside's longtime friend Bruce Springsteen and produced by Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band. This was the final track on the Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes' debut album I Don't Want to Go Home. She also made appearances with the band the following year, including a cover version of Billy Joel's 1976 track "Say Goodbye to Hollywood".

In her book, Spector recounted several abortive attempts to recapture mainstream success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, during which time she was perceived as an oldies act.[23] She recorded her first solo album in 1980, Siren, produced by Genya Ravan, which was a prelude to her work with Joey Ramone in the late 1990s.

1983–2002: "Take Me Home Tonight", Unfinished Business, and return to music

In 1986, Spector enjoyed a resurgence of popular radio airplay as the featured vocalist on Eddie Money's Top 5 hit, "Take Me Home Tonight", in which she answers Money's chorus lyric, "just like Ronnie sang", with, "be my little baby". The song's music video was one of the top videos of the year and in heavy rotation on MTV. During this period, she also recorded the song "Tonight You're Mine, Baby" (from the film Just One of the Guys).

In 1988, Spector began performing at the Ronnie Spector's Christmas Party, a seasonal staple at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City. In 1999, she released the EP, She Talks to Rainbows, which featured a few covers of older songs. Joey Ramone acted as producer and appeared on stage with her to promote the record.

In 1988, Spector and the other members of the Ronettes sued Phil Spector for nonpayment of royalties and for unpaid income he made from licensing of Ronettes’ music. In 2001, a New York court announced a verdict in favor of the Ronettes, ordering Spector to pay $2.6 million in back royalties. The judgment was overturned by a Court of Appeals in 2002 and remanded back to the New York State Supreme Court. The judges found that their contract gave Phil unconditional rights to the recordings. It was ruled that Spector was entitled to her share of the royalties, which she had forfeited in her divorce settlement, but they reversed a lower court's ruling that the group were entitled to the music industry's standard 50 percent royalty rate. In the final outcome, Phil paid in excess of 1 million dollars to Spector.

2003–2022: Collaborations and English Heart

In 2003, Spector provided backing vocals for The Misfits' album Project 1950 on the songs "This Magic Moment" and "You Belong to Me." In 2004, Spector was recognized for her contribution to American popular music when she was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Spector provided guest vocals on the track "Ode to LA", on The Raveonettes' album Pretty in Black (2005). Spector's album, Last of the Rock Stars (2006), was released by Bad Girl Sounds and featured contributions from members of The Raconteurs, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Raveonettes, Patti Smith, and Keith Richards. Spector herself co-produced two of the songs.

Despite objections from Phil Spector (who was awaiting trial for murder), the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

A Christmas EP, Ronnie Spector's Best Christmas Ever, was released on Bad Girl Sounds in November 2010, featuring five new Christmas songs.

In 2011, after the death of Amy Winehouse, Ronnie Spector released her version of Winehouse's single "Back to Black" (2006) as a tribute and for the benefit of the Daytop Village addiction treatment centers. She also performed this song as part of her live act, including in 2015 during a UK tour.

In 2016, she released, through 429 Records, English Heart, her first album of new material in a decade. The album features her versions of songs of the British Invasion by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Bee Gees, and others produced by Scott Jacoby. English Heart peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

On August 9, 2017, People premiered a new single Love Power produced by Narada Michael Walden by Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes, making it the first Ronettes single in decades. The song was released August 18, 2017.

In 2018, Spector appeared in the music documentary; Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (2018), based on Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011, and her final 2006 studio album Back to Black. The album was inspired by 1960s girl groups Winehouse gathered inspiration from listening to, such as The Ronettes. It contains new interviews as well as archival footage.

In September 2020, it was announced that actress Zendaya will portray Spector in a biopic adapted from her memoir Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness.

Personal life and death

Bennett and Phil Spector began having an affair soon after she was signed to his label in 1963. Early in their relationship, she was unaware that he was married. Once, Bennett was busted by house detectives for prostitution at the Delmonico hotel in New York City after leaving a room they had booked. She was allowed to call Spector, who threatened the hotel, and then they allowed her to leave. After Spector divorced his wife in 1965, he purchased a home in Beverly Hills, where he lived with Bennett. They married at Beverly Hills City Hall on April 14, 1968. Bennett changed her surname and became known as Ronnie Spector. Their son Donté Phillip was adopted in 1969. Two years later, Phil surprised her for Christmas with adopted twins, Louis and Gary.

Spector revealed in her 1990 memoir, Be My Baby, that following their marriage, Phil subjected her to years of psychological torment and sabotaged her career by forbidding her to perform. He surrounded their house with barbed wire and guard dogs, and confiscated her shoes to prevent her from leaving. On the rare occasions he allowed her out alone, she had to drive with a life-size dummy of Phil. Spector stated that Phil installed a gold coffin with a glass top in the basement, promising that he would kill her and display her corpse if she ever left him. She began drinking and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to escape the house.

In 1972, Spector fled their mansion barefoot and without any belongings with the help of her mother. "I knew that if I didn't leave I was going to die there," she said. In their 1974 divorce settlement, Ronnie forfeited all future record earnings after Phil threatened to have a hit man kill her. She received $25,000, a used car, and monthly alimony of $2,500 for five years. Spector later testified that Phil had frequently pulled a gun on her during their marriage and threatened to kill her unless she surrendered custody of their children.

Spector tried to rebuild her career, keeping his surname professionally because "I needed any way I could to get back in, I'd been kept away so long." But Phil hired lawyers to prevent her singing her classic hit songs and denied her royalties. In 1988, Spector and the other Ronettes sued Phil for $10 million in damages, rescission of the contract, the return of the masters, and recoupment of money received from the sale of Ronettes masters. It took 10 years for the case to make it to trial, and after a prolonged legal battle, Phil was ordered to pay Spector over $1 million in royalties.

In 1982, Spector married her manager Jonathan Greenfield. They lived in Danbury, Connecticut, with their two sons, Austin Drew and Jason Charles.

Spector died from cancer on January 12, 2022, at the age of 78.

Discography

The Ronettes

• Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, 1964
• The Ronettes Greatest Hits – Volume 1, 1981
• The Ronettes Greatest Hits – Volume 2, 1981
• The Best of The Ronettes, 1992