Ronnie Spector
Encyclopedia
Veronica Yvette "Ronnie" Spector ( Bennett; born August 10, 1943) is an American
rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer
of the 1960s hit-making girl group
, The Ronettes
, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll
."
on August 10, 1943. From an early age, Ronnie took to singing, encouraged by her large, close family. The other members of the Ronettes, her sister, Estelle Bennett
(1941–2009), and cousin, Nedra Talley
, were also encouraged to sing by their family. The Ronettes were a multiracial
group. The Bennetts' mother was African-American and Cherokee
, and their father was Irish
; their cousin, Nedra Talley
, is African-American and Puerto Rican
.
Bennett was married to Phil Spector
from 1968 to 1974, and took his name professionally; they adopted three children, including a set of twins, whom Phil adopted as a single parent after Ronnie and the youngest child left.
By her account, Phil kept Ronnie a near-prisoner and limited her opportunities to pursue her musical ambitions. In her autobiography, she said that he would force her to watch the film Citizen Kane
to remind her she would be nothing without him. Spector's domineering attitude led to the dissolution of their marriage. Bennett was forbidden to speak to the Rolling Stones or tour with the Beatles, because Phil Spector feared that she would be unfaithful.
Bennett claims Spector showed her a gold coffin with a glass top in his basement, promising to kill and display her if she left him. During Spector's reclusive period in the late 1960s, he reportedly kept his wife locked inside their mansion. She claimed he also hid her shoes to dissuade her from walking outside, and kept the house dark because he did not want anyone to see his balding head. Ronnie stated in her autobiography that she walked out of the house through the closed and locked rear sliding glass door, shoeless, shattering the glass as she left, and feet all cut up by the time she got to the gate. She never returned. Ronnie Spector filed for divorce in 1972. She wrote a book about her experiences, and said years later, "I can only say that when I left in the early 1970s, I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I was going to die there". She and Spector separated in 1973 and divorced one year later. In August 2011, Spector admitted that she went to rehab in order to escape living with Phil.
Her autobiography, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, co-authored with Vince Waldron, was published in 1989. In 2004, Onyx Books republished the book in a revised and updated mass-market paperback edition in the United States. She lives in Connecticut
with her second husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and their two sons, Austin Drew and Jason Charles. She has been performing Ronnie Spector's Christmas Party annually since the late 1980s around the United States and for the last ten years in New York City at B. B. King
's Blues Club and Grill.
by Phil Spector and managed by Val Irving of (GAC) General Artists Corporation in Manhattan. In the early 1960s, they had huge hits with "Be My Baby
", "Baby, I Love You
", "The Best Part of Breakin' Up, "Do I Love You?" and "Walking in the Rain
". The group had two top 100 hits in 1965: "Born to Be Together" and "Is This What I Get for Loving You." The group broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour that included their appearance at the Moonlight Lounge, in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they entertained American military personnel there. The group's last single, "I Can Hear Music," on the Philles Records label (# 133), was released in the fall of 1966. Ironically, that song was not produced by Phil Spector, who used to hire the "Wrecking Crew," Los Angeles area musicians, to provide Wall of Sound orchestral pop symphony backups for the group, at Gold Star Recording Studios in Hollywood. Instead, "I Can Hear Music" was produced by songwriter/producer Jeff Barry, who used only a small band when he recorded the trio in a New York City recording studio. For the group, the writing was on the wall. Spector simply stopped producing new Ronettes' records and kept many of the group's many unreleased songs in the vault, for years. The Ronettes were never to reunite until their 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
)The year of 1966 was also the time when Phil Spector went into a brief seculsion. He earlier that same year felt reputationally devastated by the high expectations and then disappointment of the Spector-produced Tina Turner recording "River Deep - Mountain High" {US #88; a UK #3}. Thereafter, a one-off single, "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered," sung by Ronnie but credited to "The Ronettes Featuring the Voice of Veronica," appeared in 1969 on Herb Alpert's A&M label, with "Oh I Love You," an old Ronettes B-side, as the flip. Only Ronnie voice was used for the lead and background vocals on "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered". Ronnie's recording and performing career had begun its long hiatus. Ironically, it all happened after Ronnie and Phil Spector married in 1968.
In early 1971, during Phil Spector's tenure as head of A&R
at Apple Records
, Ronnie recorded the single "Try Some, Buy Some
"/"Tandoori Chicken"; released as Apple 33 in the UK
, Apple 1832 in the U.S.
The A-side
of the single
was written
by George Harrison
, and produced
by both Harrison and Spector. Although the single was not a big hit, it had one lasting influence: when John Lennon
recorded "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
" later the same year, he asked Spector to reproduce the same mandolin-laden 'Wall of Sound
' that he had created for "Try Some, Buy Some". Lennon liked the rockabilly
B-side
too; he sang it at his birthday party in New York in October 1971 (a recording of which appeared in bootlegs). Other Ronnie Spector songs were produced by Phil Spector during those London recording sessions, but none were ever released.
In the early to mid 1970s, Ronnie briefly 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). In her book, she recounted several abortive attempts to recapture mainstream success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, during which time she was widely perceived as an oldies act.
Billy Joel
's 1976 hit Say Goodbye to Hollywood
was inspired by Ronnie. Ronnie herself covered
it in 1977 backed by Bruce Springsteen
's E Street Band
. Ronnie recorded her first solo album in 1980 produced by Genya Ravan
, which was a prelude to her work with Joey Ramone in the late 1990s. In 1986, Ronnie enjoyed a resurgence to popular radio airplay as the featured vocalist on Eddie Money
's Top 5 hit "Take Me Home Tonight
", (where she is introduced by Money singing "just like Ronnie sang (Money)... OH, OH, OH, OH-OH (Ronnie Spector)"). The video to the hit recording was one of the top videos of the year and in power rotation on MTV. During this period, she also recorded the song "Tonight You're Mine, Baby" (from the film Just One of the Guys
) and sang a duet
with Southside Johnny
on the recording "You Mean So Much To Me", which was penned by Southside's longtime friend Bruce Springsteen
and produced by Steven Van Zandt
of the E Street Band
.
In 1999, she released the critically acclaimed album, 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 2003, she provided backing vocals for The Misfits' album, Project 1950
.
In 2003, Ronnie Spector and the other Ronettes sued Phil Spector for non-payment of royalties, winning a $3 million judgment; upholding the terms of the group's 1963 contract as binding.
Ronnie along with her group were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2007.
Ronnie's recent album Last of the Rock Stars (Bad Girl Sounds) was released domestically in 2009 featuring contributions from members of the Raconteurs, Nick Zinner of the 'Yeah Yeah Yeahs', the Raveonettes, Patti Smith and Keith Richards. Ronnie herself has co-produced two of the songs.
A new 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 Amy's hit 'Back to Black' as a tribute and for the benefit of the Daytop Village addiction treatment centers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock and roll and popular music vocalist, and was the lead singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
of the 1960s hit-making girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, The Ronettes
The Ronettes
The Ronettes were a 1960s girl group from New York City, best known for their work with producer Phil Spector. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett ; her older sister, Estelle Bennett; and their cousin Nedra Talley...
, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2007. She is known as the "original bad girl of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
."
Personal life
She was born Veronica Yvette Bennett in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 10, 1943. From an early age, Ronnie took to singing, encouraged by her large, close family. The other members of the Ronettes, her sister, Estelle Bennett
Estelle Bennett
Estelle Bennett was a member of the girl group The Ronettes, along with her sister Ronnie Spector and cousin Nedra Talley....
(1941–2009), and cousin, Nedra Talley
Nedra Talley
Nedra Talley, now Nedra Talley Ross , was a member of the girl group The Ronettes, along with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett. She is of African-American, Native American and Puerto Rican descents...
, were also encouraged to sing by their family. The Ronettes were a multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
group. The Bennetts' mother was African-American and Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, and their father was Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
; their cousin, Nedra Talley
Nedra Talley
Nedra Talley, now Nedra Talley Ross , was a member of the girl group The Ronettes, along with her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett. She is of African-American, Native American and Puerto Rican descents...
, is African-American and Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
.
Bennett was married to Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
from 1968 to 1974, and took his name professionally; they adopted three children, including a set of twins, whom Phil adopted as a single parent after Ronnie and the youngest child left.
- Donté Phillip (b. March 23, 1969; adopted November 1969, aged 8 months)
- Louis Phillip (b. May 12, 1966; adopted at the age of 5)
- Gary Phillip (b. May 12, 1966; adopted at the age of 5)
By her account, Phil kept Ronnie a near-prisoner and limited her opportunities to pursue her musical ambitions. In her autobiography, she said that he would force her to watch the film Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
to remind her she would be nothing without him. Spector's domineering attitude led to the dissolution of their marriage. Bennett was forbidden to speak to the Rolling Stones or tour with the Beatles, because Phil Spector feared that she would be unfaithful.
Bennett claims Spector showed her a gold coffin with a glass top in his basement, promising to kill and display her if she left him. During Spector's reclusive period in the late 1960s, he reportedly kept his wife locked inside their mansion. She claimed he also hid her shoes to dissuade her from walking outside, and kept the house dark because he did not want anyone to see his balding head. Ronnie stated in her autobiography that she walked out of the house through the closed and locked rear sliding glass door, shoeless, shattering the glass as she left, and feet all cut up by the time she got to the gate. She never returned. Ronnie Spector filed for divorce in 1972. She wrote a book about her experiences, and said years later, "I can only say that when I left in the early 1970s, I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I was going to die there". She and Spector separated in 1973 and divorced one year later. In August 2011, Spector admitted that she went to rehab in order to escape living with Phil.
Her autobiography, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, co-authored with Vince Waldron, was published in 1989. In 2004, Onyx Books republished the book in a revised and updated mass-market paperback edition in the United States. She lives in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
with her second husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and their two sons, Austin Drew and Jason Charles. She has been performing Ronnie Spector's Christmas Party annually since the late 1980s around the United States and for the last ten years in New York City at B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
's Blues Club and Grill.
Career
The Ronettes were producedRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Phil Spector and managed by Val Irving of (GAC) General Artists Corporation in Manhattan. In the early 1960s, they had huge hits with "Be My Baby
Be My Baby
"Be My Baby" is a 1963 single written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, performed by The Ronettes and produced by Spector. When released as a single, the song reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles Chart and #4 on the UK's Record Retailer...
", "Baby, I Love You
Baby, I Love You
"Baby, I Love You" is a pop song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, produced by Spector, and originally recorded in 1963 by The Ronettes...
", "The Best Part of Breakin' Up, "Do I Love You?" and "Walking in the Rain
Walking in the Rain (The Ronettes song)
"Walking in the Rain" is a song written by Barry Mann, Phil Spector, and Cynthia Weil and was recorded by The Ronettes in 1964. The song reached #23 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. The song also reached #28 on the R&B Singles chart in 1965. The song is the only Phil Spector produced song to win...
". The group had two top 100 hits in 1965: "Born to Be Together" and "Is This What I Get for Loving You." The group broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour that included their appearance at the Moonlight Lounge, in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they entertained American military personnel there. The group's last single, "I Can Hear Music," on the Philles Records label (# 133), was released in the fall of 1966. Ironically, that song was not produced by Phil Spector, who used to hire the "Wrecking Crew," Los Angeles area musicians, to provide Wall of Sound orchestral pop symphony backups for the group, at Gold Star Recording Studios in Hollywood. Instead, "I Can Hear Music" was produced by songwriter/producer Jeff Barry, who used only a small band when he recorded the trio in a New York City recording studio. For the group, the writing was on the wall. Spector simply stopped producing new Ronettes' records and kept many of the group's many unreleased songs in the vault, for years. The Ronettes were never to reunite until their 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
)The year of 1966 was also the time when Phil Spector went into a brief seculsion. He earlier that same year felt reputationally devastated by the high expectations and then disappointment of the Spector-produced Tina Turner recording "River Deep - Mountain High" {US #88; a UK #3}. Thereafter, a one-off single, "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered," sung by Ronnie but credited to "The Ronettes Featuring the Voice of Veronica," appeared in 1969 on Herb Alpert's A&M label, with "Oh I Love You," an old Ronettes B-side, as the flip. Only Ronnie voice was used for the lead and background vocals on "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered". Ronnie's recording and performing career had begun its long hiatus. Ironically, it all happened after Ronnie and Phil Spector married in 1968.
In early 1971, during Phil Spector's tenure as head of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
at Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
, Ronnie recorded the single "Try Some, Buy Some
Try Some, Buy Some
"Try Some, Buy Some" is a song written by George Harrison and released on his Living in the Material World in 1973. It was initially recorded by Ronnie Spector in 1971 and co-produced by Phil Spector. Harrison re-used the same backing track for his own version.The original Ronnie Spector version...
"/"Tandoori Chicken"; released as Apple 33 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Apple 1832 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
The A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by both Harrison and Spector. Although the single was not a big hit, it had one lasting influence: when John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
recorded "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
"Happy Xmas " is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir....
" later the same year, he asked Spector to reproduce the same mandolin-laden 'Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
' that he had created for "Try Some, Buy Some". Lennon liked the rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
too; he sang it at his birthday party in New York in October 1971 (a recording of which appeared in bootlegs). Other Ronnie Spector songs were produced by Phil Spector during those London recording sessions, but none were ever released.
In the early to mid 1970s, Ronnie briefly 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). In her book, she recounted several abortive attempts to recapture mainstream success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, during which time she was widely perceived as an oldies act.
Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's 1976 hit Say Goodbye to Hollywood
Say Goodbye to Hollywood
For the similarly named Eminem song, see: The Eminem Show."Say Goodbye to Hollywood" is a song written & performed by Billy Joel, first released in 1976 on his album Turnstiles. The song achieved greater notoriety in 1981 when a live version from Songs in the Attic was released as a single...
was inspired by Ronnie. Ronnie herself covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
it in 1977 backed by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
. Ronnie recorded her first solo album in 1980 produced by Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
, which was a prelude to her work with Joey Ramone in the late 1990s. In 1986, Ronnie enjoyed a resurgence to popular radio airplay as the featured vocalist on Eddie Money
Eddie Money
Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
's Top 5 hit "Take Me Home Tonight
Take Me Home Tonight
"Take Me Home Tonight" is a song by American rock singer Eddie Money, from his album Can't Hold Back, released in 1986. It was released as a single and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks...
", (where she is introduced by Money singing "just like Ronnie sang (Money)... OH, OH, OH, OH-OH (Ronnie Spector)"). The video to the hit recording was one of the top videos of the year and in power rotation on MTV. During this period, she also recorded the song "Tonight You're Mine, Baby" (from the film Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys is a 1985 comedy film, directed by Lisa Gottlieb. The film is marketed with the tagline "Terri Griffith is about to go where no woman has gone before." This movie ranked number 48 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the "50 Best High School Movies".-Plot:Terry Griffith is an...
) and sang a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Southside Johnny
Southside Johnny
Southside Johnny is an American singer-songwriter, who usually fronts his band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.-Early days:...
on the recording "You Mean So Much To Me", which was penned by Southside's longtime friend Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and produced by Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
of the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
.
In 1999, she released the critically acclaimed album, She Talks to Rainbows
She Talks to Rainbows
She Talks to Rainbows is the 1999 EP album released by Ronnie Spector. It was critically acclaimed, but did not perform too well with the public and went virtually unnoticed...
, which featured a few covers of older songs. Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
acted as producer, and appeared on stage with her to promote the record. In 2003, she provided backing vocals for The Misfits' album, Project 1950
Project 1950
-Chart positions:-Bonus DVD:# "This Magic Moment"# "Dream Lover"# "Diana"# "Donna"# "Runaway"*Tracks 1-4, recorded at the Phillips US Open Snowboarding Championships*Track 5, recorded live, at The World in NYCBonus Material...
.
In 2003, Ronnie Spector and the other Ronettes sued Phil Spector for non-payment of royalties, winning a $3 million judgment; upholding the terms of the group's 1963 contract as binding.
Ronnie along with her group were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2007.
Ronnie's recent album Last of the Rock Stars (Bad Girl Sounds) was released domestically in 2009 featuring contributions from members of the Raconteurs, Nick Zinner of the 'Yeah Yeah Yeahs', the Raveonettes, Patti Smith and Keith Richards. Ronnie herself has co-produced two of the songs.
A new 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 Amy's hit 'Back to Black' as a tribute and for the benefit of the Daytop Village addiction treatment centers.
Ronettes and solo album discography
- The Ronettes Featuring Veronica, 1961
- The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, 1965
- Siren, 1980
- The Ronettes Greatest Hits - Volume 1, 1981
- The Ronettes Greatest Hits - Volume 2, 1981
- Unfinished Business, 1987
- The Best of The Ronettes, 1992
- She Talks to RainbowsShe Talks to RainbowsShe Talks to Rainbows is the 1999 EP album released by Ronnie Spector. It was critically acclaimed, but did not perform too well with the public and went virtually unnoticed...
EP, 1999 - Something's Gonna Happen, 2003
- Last of the Rock Stars, 2006
External links
- Official website
- Interview on Spinner.com regarding Rock Hall of Fame Induction
- Asked & Answered | Ronnie Spector, The New York Times T Style magazine interview