No other girl group set men's hearts pounding quite like the Ronettes managed to do. The girls deliberately courted a bad girls' image although they did nothing to actually earn the title. Three little girls from Spanish Harlem, Veronica (Ronnie) Bennett, her sister Estelle, and their cousin Nedra Talley grew up being pushed by Ronnie's desire to be a star.

Ronnie watched her sister's dance classes through the studio window and then taught herself the moves. She set up impromptu shows for her relatives whenever she had a chance. Wherever people gathered little Ronnie was ready to perform. She would spend hours, while her sister studied, on a make believe stage singing along with her Little Anthony, the Chantels and Frankie Lymon records.

The girls finally got a chance to sing at amateur night at the Apollo Theatre. The Darling Sisters, as they called themselves, won the contest and Ronnie and Estelle were rewarded with singing lessons. Hanging out in their spare time at the Brill Building they met Phil Halikus a small-time agent who got them some sock hop and bar mitzvah work. Phil eventually got them a contract at Colpix Records. Seventeen year old Ronnie and her sister and cousin recorded a number of songs for Colpix but they all went in the same direction. Nowhere.

They figured they could meet someone famous, who could help their fledgling careers, if they could get into the trendy Peppermint Lounge. The underaged girls got all dressed up, including matching tight dresses, their beehives stacked up to the ceiling and bras full of Kleenex and headed downtown. The doorman mistook them for an overdue dance act and rushed them on-stage with Joey Dee and the Starliters. As a lark Ronnie was given the microphone and belted out a version of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" to the enjoyment of everyone. A regular job at the Lounge and an appearance in the movie "Hey, Let's Twist" followed.

The lounge shows brought them to the attention of DJ Murray "the K" Kaufman who booked them to do his Brooklyn Fox shows. They also performed with Clay Cole's Twist-A-Rama tour. By now the girls were the Ronettes. One day Ronnie pushed Estelle into making a phone call to Phil Spector. He arranged to hear them and was quite taken by Ronnie. To sign her he was forced to take the package and signed all of the Ronettes to a contract. They recorded three numbers that were never released under their name but, turned up as "Crystal" songs on "The Crystals Sing Their Greatest Hits." Their next song, written by, Spector, Greenwich and Berry was the couldn't miss "Be My Baby." Released in September 1963, the song rocketed up the Billboard charts to number two in the country. Sadly, by the end of 1964 the Ronettes had their last hit and broke up two years later.

Spector's attraction for Ronnie escalated into possessiveness. When the Ronettes toured England with the Rolling Stones in 1964 he sent a telegram to the Stones forbidding them to talk to Ronnie. When the Ronettes had chances to tour with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars in 1963 and on the Beatles 1966 US tour, Spector replaced her with a cousin for the shows.

Spector’s increasing reclusiveness and a number of recording disappointments with his stable of artists pushed him out of the spotlight and with him the Ronettes. Ronnie and Phil were eventually married but his domination of her led to a tremendous loss of self-esteem and a heightened dependence on alcohol. Ronnie was able to get away from Spector eventually with the help of her Mother, but, it was to be ten years before she finally found love and was able to beat the bottle.

In 1976 Ronnie had the chance to sing backup for Bruce Springsteen at a performance in New York. This led to a recording with the E Street Band penned by Billy Joel titled "Say Goodbye to Hollywood." It sank to obscurity. After several more recordings with limited appeal, Ronnie was approached by Eddie Money to do a song with him. The resulting single, "Take Me home Tonight," reached number 4 on the charts.

Throughout the eighties she toiled on the nostalgia circuit. On December 11, 1990 she was back in the limelight again as she sang "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" on the Grammy Awards show in a special "Grammy Legends" segment.

The Fabulous Ronettes will always have a special place in our hearts.

Bibliography:
Aquila, Richard. That Old Time Rock and Roll, A Chronicle of an Era, 1954-1963. New York: Schirmer Books, 1989
Spector,Ronnie with Vince Waldron. Be My Baby. New York: Harmony Books, 1990
Warner, Jay The Billboard Book of American Singing Groups, A History 1940-1990. New York: Billboard Books, 1992
Gaar, Gillian G. She's A Rebel, The History of women in Rock and Roll Seatle: Seal Press, 1992
Grieg, Charlotte Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Girl Groups from the 50's on... London: VIRAGO PRESS
Szatmary, David A Time To Rock, A Social History of Rock 'N' Roll New York: Schirmer Books, 1996

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