Pop singer Ronnie Spector dies aged 78

Ronnie Spector, frontman of the 60s girl group the Ronettes, death Wednesday after a short battle with cancer. She is 78 years old.

The Spector family said: “Ronnie lived her life with sparkling eyes, alert demeanor, sense of humor and a smile on her face,” Spector’s family said in a statement. “She was filled with love and gratitude.”

Born Veronica Bennett on August 10, 1943, Spector began producing Ronettes in the late 1950s with his sister, Estelle Bennett, and cousin Nedra Talley. Their debut album – and only -, Presenting Great Ronettes With Veronica, released in 1964. Their hits included “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You,” and they toured England with the Rolling Stones. The Ronettes disbanded in 1967 after a tour in Germany, and Spector went on to release four solo albums.

Spector is known for her love of honeycomb and winged eyeliner. In her memoirs, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and MadnessSpector writes Ronettes “don’t mind the heat. It’s our gimmick.” Amy Winehouse named Spector as one of her idols, and Billy Joel said he wrote “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” with Spector in mind.

In 1968, Spector married producer Phil Spector, and she shared details of their relationship in her memoir. She said he abused her and wouldn’t let her leave their Beverly Hills mansion, frequently threatening her life. She divorced Spector in 1974; he died in 2020 while in prison for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

Ronnie married her manager, Jonathan Greenfield, in 1982. She is survived by Greenfield and their sons, Jason and Austin.