Topline
Ronnie Spector — lead singer of The Ronettes, which created hit singles like “Be My Baby” and “Baby, I Love You” in the 1960s — died Wednesday at the age of 78 after a brief battle with cancer, her family confirmed.
Key Facts
Her family confirmed the news on Spector’s website, saying she “lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face.”
Her family did not specify what kind of cancer she had been diagnosed with, and asked for privacy.
Spector is survived by her husband Jonathan Greenfield and their two sons, Austin and Jason, as well as three sons — Donte, Gary and Louis — she adopted with estranged husband Phil Spector, who died last year.
Key Background
Spector formed The Ronettes with her older sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley in 1957, and the group worked with record producer Phil Spector to produce the album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica and a series of singles including “Be My Baby,” which was famously on the soundtrack of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. The group became iconic, inspiring artists like Amy Winehouse and Billy Joel, and Spector was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She married Phil Spector – who was later convicted in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson – in 1967, then later divorced him in 1978, saying he “was a brilliant producer, but a lousy husband.” She kicked off her solo career with the single “So Young,” and went on to record five solo albums until 2016.
Tangent
Music industry figures took to social media to commemorate the star. Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson tweeted that he was heartbroken by the news, and said her “music and spirit will live forever.” Singer and songwriter Joan Jett said Spector was “the sweetest person you could ever know” and her “mark on rock and roll is indelible.
