- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVeronica Yvette Bennett
- Nicknames
- The Bad Girl of Rock 'n' Roll
- The Ronettes
- Ronnie and the Relatives
- Ronnie Spector is an American singer. Spector was the lead singer of the rock/pop vocal girl group The Ronettes, who had a string of hits during the early to mid-1960s such as "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", and "The Best Part of Breakin' Up". Subsequently, Ronnie Spector launched her solo career and has since released five studio albums (Siren in 1980, Unfinished Business in 1987, Something's Gonna Happen in 2003, Last of the Rock Stars in 2006, English Heart in 2016) and one extended play (She Talks to Rainbows in 1999).
In 1986, Ronnie Spector experienced a career resurgence when she was featured on Eddie Money's Grammy nominated pop rock song "Take Me Home Tonight" which reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. She has sung and collaborated with multiple other acts. In 2007, Ronnie and the Ronettes were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2018, Spector appeared in the music documentary; Amy Winehouse: Back to Black (2018), which is based on the late singer Amy Winehouse and her final studio album Back to Black (2006). The album was inspired by 60's girl groups Winehouse gathered inspiration from listening to, such as The Ronettes.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tango Papa
- SpousesJonathan Greenfield(January 16, 1982 - January 12, 2022) (her death, 2 children)Phil Spector(April 14, 1968 - 1974) (divorced, 3 children)
- ChildrenAustin Drew GreenfieldJason Charles Greenfield
- ParentsBeatrice MobleyLouis Albert Bennett
- RelativesEstelle Bennett(Sibling)Nedra Talley(Cousin)Toyin Hunter(Niece or Nephew)
- Mezzo-soprano vocals
- Friend Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys wrote "Don't Worry Baby" specifically for her (1964).
- Ranked #67 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock N Roll,.
- Lead singer of the 1960s rock/pop vocal girl group The Ronettes.
- Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Ronettes, on 3/12.07.
- Resided in Danbury, CT.
- You would have to ask Phil Spector [about the glass coffin in the basement]. He told my mother he had it, but I never went down to the basement. Do you think I'd go down there and look at my own coffin?
- I used to wish I could get my hands on [Amy Winehouse] and show her how to do a proper beehive. She came to one of my shows. I was singing "Back to Black" and there was a tear in her eye.
- I think I was [the godmother of punk]. In the '70s it started, and I'd go to [Manhattan music venue] CBGB and see Blondie and the Ramones, and they were calling me up onstage. I didn't know punk, but they knew me. Everybody knew me, but I didn't know anybody--Patti Smith and all those people who were punkers. I didn't get it. It was like Amy Winehouse, they wanted to be like me.
- Nobody calls me Veronica unless I go to California. A few people there only knew me as Veronica, such as my ex-husband's [Phil Spector] secretary--I was out there [recently] and she left me a card saying, "Hello, Veronica!" But my relatives called me Ronnie. I used to read the Betty and Veronica comics, and Veronica was called Ronnie, so I wanted to be Ronnie, too. It's a cute name.
- The "bad girl" came from when The Ronettes would walk out onstage and we didn't have a hit record yet and all the other groups did--Marvin Gaye, The Crystals. We didn't have a hit record, but we had attitude. When the three Ronettes walked onstage, people went nuts because we were different. We wore tight dresses when everyone else wore those flared dresses, we had long hair when people had short hair; it was like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones wearing suits--that's what made them different. The Stones got the long-hair idea from us, when they supported us on tour in the UK in 1964. I love having attitude onstage, and the "bad girl" thing still runs through my entire show.
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