Quick Facts

American vocalist Veronica Yvette Bennett was also known as Ronnie Spector in the music industry. She gained notoriety as the lead vocalist of the female group The Ronettes, known as the first “bad girl of rock and roll.” She debuted with “The Ronettes” in 1961, and in 2007, she was admitted to the “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” Together with her older sister Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley, she started a singing quartet in the late 1950s.

They were signed to Phil Spector’s Philles label, and he produced the majority of their recorded music. She rose to stardom in 1986 after appearing on Eddie Money’s song “Take Me Home Tonight.” The memoir “Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, Or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette” was also released by Spector in 1990. A biopic based on Zendaya’s novel “Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness” will star the actress as Ronnie Spector, according to a September 2020 article from “Deadline.”

How much was the net worth of Ronnie Spector?

At the time of her passing, Ronnie Spector was a multitalented woman with a $5 million net worth. She earned a respectable salary as well, at about $500,000. Ronnie’s primary source of income was from her singing career, thus she had amassed a respectable sum of money through her profession. She has not yet done any brand endorsement work.

Early Years: Where was Ronnie Spector from?

Ronnie Spector, full name Veronica Yvette Bennett, was born in Manhattan, New York City, on August 10, 1943. Her mother was black and Cherokee, and her father was Irish, so she was American by nationality and mixed by ancestry. Her race was white, and she practiced Christianity. In 2021, Ronnie finally celebrated her 78th birthday, and according to her birth date, she was a Leo. She was the child of Louis Bennett and Beatrice Bennett (father). Estelle Bennett was the name of her sister (1941-2009).

What was the Professional Career of Ronnie Spector?

The Ronettes, a prominent live group around the greater New York region in the early 1960s, were formed by Ronnie Spector to launch her career. They were initially signed to Colpix Records and produced by Stu Phillips. With their biggest song “Be My Baby” in 1963 and two entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965 with “Born to Be Together” and “Is This What I Get for Loving You?,” their collaboration with Spector helped the trio achieve chart success. “I Can Hear Music” was the Ronettes’ final top-40 hit before disbanding in the early part of 1967, following a performance tour of Europe.

In February 1971, while Phil was working with George Harrison at Abbey Road Studios, Spector recorded the song “Try Some, Buy Some/Tandoori Chicken,” and in April 1971, Apple Records published her debut solo single. Later, in 1973, she reorganized the Ronettes with two new members (Diane Linton and Chip Fields Hurd, the mother of Kim Fields, an actor), but the singles weren’t commercially successful and were instead issued on Buddah Records. She released the song “You’d Be Good For Me” on Tom Cat Records in 1975, and Genya Ravan produced her debut solo album, “Siren,” which she recorded in 1980.

More on Career

As the featured vocalist on Eddie Money’s Top 5 success, “Take Me Home Tonight,” in 1986, as well as the recording of the song “Tonight You’re Mine, Baby,” she also saw a comeback of mainstream radio playing. She featured on the BBC’s “Later… with Jools Holland” and released the EP She Talks to “Rainbows” in 1999. She then contributed backing vocals to the Misfits’ 2003 album “Project 1950” for the tracks “This Magic Moment” and “You Belong to Me,” and High Coin published her album “Last of the Rock Stars” in 2006.

She appeared in the “Jools’ Annual Hootenanny” on New Year’s Eve in 2014, and in 2016 she released “English Heart,” her first album of brand-new music in ten years. Ronnie appeared in the 2018 music documentary “Amy Winehouse: Back to Black,” and in September 2020, “Deadline” claimed that actress Zendaya would play Ronnie Spector in a biopic that was taken from her memoir “Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness.” In December 2021, the Ronettes’ 1963 recording of “Sleigh Ride” brought them back to the Top 10 for the first time in 58 years.

Who was the spouse of Ronnie Spector?

Ronnie Spector has a husband. In 1982, she wed Jonathan Greenfield, her manager. They resided in Danbury, Connecticut, and had two boys. She previously married Phil Spector on April 14, 1968, at Beverly Hills City Hall, and the two went on to have a son in 1969. When Louis and Gary, his adopted twins, arrived for Christmas two years later, Phil shocked her. But by preventing her to perform, Phil tormented her psychologically for years and ruined her career. According to Spector, Phil put a glass-topped, gold casket in the basement and made a pact with her that if she ever left him, he would kill her and exhibit her body.

To get out of the house, she started drinking and going to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Ronnie claimed that Phil had threatened to hire a hitman to kill her, so she sacrificed all future record royalties as part of their 1974 divorce settlement. After their divorce, she said that Phil routinely drew a gun on her and threatened to kill her unless she gave up custody of their kids. She claims that Phil engaged attorneys to stop her from performing her well-known songs and refused to pay her royalties. After a protracted court struggle and a 10-year wait for a trial, Phil was compelled to give Ronnie over $1 million in royalties.

What was Ronnie Spector’s Cause of Death?

The legendary lead vocalist of the Ronettes, an all-girl band from the 1960s, Ronnie Spector, has passed away. With successes like “Be My Baby, Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain,” the pop diva achieved recognition. According to a statement from her family, Spector passed away from cancer on January 12, 2020, at the age of 78, in her Danbury home. The BBC aired the compilation tribute “Ronnie Spector at the BBC” after her passing in January 2022.

Body Stats: What was Ronnie Spector’s height?

Ronnie Spector had a healthy body weight of 123 lbs and stood at an optimum height of 5 ft 1 in. She had dark brown eyes and blonde hair. Ronnie also had a thin physique, measuring 33-36-24 inches in height.

 

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