Last remaining member of historic girl group dies at 80
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Nedra Talley Ross, the last remaining original member of iconic girl group The Ronettes has died at 80. The group formed in New York in 1959 and was fronted by Ronnie Spector, her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Talley. They signed to producer Phil Spector’s label in March 1963 and scored a string of hits, including “Be My Baby,” “Baby, I Love You,” “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up,” and “Walking in the Rain.”
The Ronettes’ Instagram page announced Talley Ross’ death on Sunday. “She was a light to those who knew and loved her,” the page posted in tribute, noting Talley Ross’ “style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music. Her contribution to the group’s story and their defining influence will live forever.” Her daughter, Nedra K. Ross, posted on Facebook that her mother passed on Sunday morning “safe in her own bed at home with her family close, knowing she was loved” and noted she had gone “home to be with the Lord.”
The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Spector’s wall of sound production and their driving harmonies inspired artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse (who also adopted their trademark beehive hairdo), the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Billy Joel, and the Beatles. The Ronettes set a new Billboard record in 2021, when their Christmas hit “Sleigh Ride” saw them return to the Top 10 after a break of 58 years and two months, creating chart history for the longest gap between Top 10 appearances. Estelle Bennett died in 2009 and Ronnie Spector died in 2022.
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Its always a good time to listen to the Ronettes.
Be My Baby
I Can Hear Music
Baby I Love You
As you know, my close friend and client of 40 years, Hal Blaine, played drums on most of the Ronettes' songs, along with thousands of other recordings.
As Bruce Springsteen's drummer, Max Weinberg wrote:
For more about Hal:
For a partial discography of Hal's biggest hit records:
Grew up listening to them via my parents. They had amazing voices.