{"id":1213697,"date":"2022-01-13T09:49:21","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1213697"},"modified":"2022-01-13T09:49:26","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T14:49:26","slug":"ronnie-spector-60s-icon-who-sang-be-my-baby-dies-at-78","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ronnie-spector-60s-icon-who-sang-be-my-baby-dies-at-78\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronnie Spector, \u201960s Icon Who Sang \u2018Be My Baby,\u2019 Dies at 78"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fronnie-spector-60s-icon-who-sang-be-my-baby-dies-at-78%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1213697&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock \u2018n\u2019 roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d \u201cBaby I Love You\u201d and \u201cWalking in the Rain\u201d as the leader of the girl group The Ronettes, has died. She was 78.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">Spector died Wednesday after a brief battle with cancer, her family said. \u201cRonnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude,\u201d a statement said. No other details were revealed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-ronnie-spector-darlene-love-b96983f11612f32c460484d4b2fc9619\">Tributes flooded social media<\/a>, from Stevie Van Zandt saying it was an honor to produce her, to Brian Wilson, who wrote on Twitter: \u201cI loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend.\u201d Diane Warren called her \u201cThe voice of a million teenage dreams including mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">The Ronettes\u2019 sexy look and powerful voices \u2014 plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector \u2014 turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">Spector, alongside her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, scored hits with pop masterpieces like \u201cBaby, I Love You,\u201d \u201cWalking in the Rain,\u201d \u201cI Can Hear Music\u201d and \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d which was co-written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">\u201cWe weren\u2019t afraid to be hot. That was our gimmick,\u201d Spector said in her memoir. \u201cWhen we saw The Shirelles walk on stage with their wide party dresses, we went in the opposite direction and squeezed our bodies into the tightest skirts we could find. Then we\u2019d get out on stage and hike them up to show our legs even more.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19470290\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-74296599.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19470290\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-74296599-713x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"713\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>1970: Photo of Ronnie Spector Photo by Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">Spector, born Veronica Bennett, and her multiracial bandmates grew up in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. They began singing and dancing in clubs as Ronnie and the Relatives, becoming noteworthy for their liberal use of eyeliner and mascara.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">\u201cThe louder they applauded, the more mascara we put on the next time,\u201d she wrote in her memoir. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a hit record to grab their attention, so we had to make an impression with our style. None of it was planned out; we just took the look we were born with and extended it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">In March 1963, Estelle Bennett managed to arrange an audition in front of Phil Spector, known for his big, brass-and-drum style dubbed the \u201cwall of sound.\u201d They were signed to Philles Records in 1963. After being signed, they sang backup for other acts until Spector had the group record \u201cBe My Baby\u201d and \u201cBaby I Love You.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">The group\u2019s debut album, \u201cPresenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica,\u201d was released in 1964. Five of its 12 tracks had made it to the U.S. Billboard charts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">\u201cNothing excites me more than just being onstage, having fun and flirting and winking to the guys and stuff like that,\u201d she told People magazine in 2017. \u201cI just have so much fun. It\u2019s just the best feeling when I go out and they say, \u201cLadies and gentlemen\u2026\u201d \u2014my heart stops for a minute\u2014\u201c\u2026Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes!\u201d Then I just go out there and the crowd reacts the way they react and I can go on singing forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">After touring Germany in 1967, the Ronettes broke up. Spector married Ronnie in 1968, then she said he kept her locked in their Beverly Hills mansion. Her 1990 autobiography \u201cBe My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness\u201d tells an unhappy story of abuse. The couple divorced in 1974. Phil Spector was sent to prison in 2009 for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and&nbsp;<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/phil-spector-dead-2845684db91046267039f7d628ce20d4\">died in 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">Ronnie Spector\u2019s influence was felt far and wide. Brian Wilson became obsessed with \u201cBe My Baby\u201d and Billy Joel wrote \u201cSay Goodbye to Hollywood\u201d in Spector\u2019s honor. Amy Winehouse frequently cited Spector as an idol.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19470314\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-632344318.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19470314\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-632344318-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"990\" height=\"660\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Ronnie Spector performs onstage during the 2017 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 21, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant\/Getty Images for NAMM)<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">Martin Scorsese used \u201cBe My Baby\u201d to open his 1973 film \u201cMean Streets\u201d and the song appears in the title sequence of \u201cDirty Dancing\u201d and the closing credits of \u201cBaby Mama.\u201d It also appeared on TV in \u201cMoonlighting\u201d and \u201cThe Wonder Years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">When the Ronettes were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones remembered opening for the trio in England in the mid-1960s. \u201cThey could sing all their way right through a wall of sound,\u201d Richards said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t need anything. They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">After the Ronettes broke up, Spector continued to tour and make music, including \u201cTake Me Home Tonight\u201d with Eddie Money, recording Joel\u2019s \u201cSay Goodbye to Hollywood\u201d with Bruce Springsteen\u2019s E Street Band, and recording the 1999 EP \u201cShe Talks to Rainbows,\u201d which included her first ever recording of \u201cDon\u2019t Worry Baby,\u201d written for her by Brian Wilson.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">In 2006, she released \u201cLast of the Rock Stars,\u201d her first album in 20 years and it featured appearances by the Raconteurs, Keith Richards, Patti Smith and the Raveonettes. In 2010 she released a doo-wop Christmas EP called \u201cRonnie Spector\u2019s Best Christmas Ever\u201d and in 2016 released \u201cEnglish Heart,\u201d her covers of songs from Britain in the \u201960s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Component-root-0-2-55 Component-p-0-2-46\">She is survived her husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and two sons, Jason and Austin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock \u2018n\u2019 roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d \u201cBaby I Love You\u201d and \u201cWalking in the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1213697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1213697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1213697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1213697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1213697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1213697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1213697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}