Only a few artists in history have been capable of defining an entire era in
pop music. Ronnie Spector is one of those artists: the embodiment of the heart,
soul, and passion of female rock and roll in the 1960's. No one has ever
surpassed Spector's powerful trademark vocals, her gutsy attitude, her innocent
but knowing sexuality. A native of New York City, Spector cites Frankie Lyman
as her earliest vocal influence. She cut her first records at age 13 as the
lead singer of the Ronettes. At the Peppermint Lounge, disc jockey Murray "The
K" Kaufman discovered the teenage trio; he promptly hired them as dancers for
his Brooklyn-Fox Theater rock and roll revues.
Beginning in 1963 Spector--as lead singer of the ultimate girl group, The
Ronettes--recorded a long string of classic pop hits: powerful poignant teen
anthems like the Grammy-winning Walking in the Rain, Do I Love You, Baby I Love
You, The Best Part of Breaking Up, I Can Hear Music, and their international
Number One smash Be My Baby. These records are among the best-loved and
most-emulated recordings in the history of rock and roll. As the Number One pop
group in England, Spector and the Ronettes headlined over acts like the Rolling
Stones and Yardbirds. The Beatles personally requested that the Ronettes join
their final American tour.
Spector is the only American vocalist to have been backed by all four Beatles
on her George Harrison-produced single, Try Some, Buy Some in 1970. During the
next few years, she also sang on records by Jimi Hendrix and Alice Cooper. In
1976, Billy Joel wrote Say Goodbye to Hollywood, a tribute to Spector which she
recorded the following year with backing by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street
Band. Her Christmas songs with the Ronettes, Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride,
and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus are holiday classics and an integral part
of every Christmas season. Her 1986 duet with Eddie Money, Take Me Home
Tonight, was a Top Five Grammy-nominated hit across the nation and a heavy
rotation video on MTV.
In 1987, Spector made a celebrated return to recording with her Columbia album,
Unfinished Business. Her supporting cast included Diane Warren, Paul Shaffer,
Desmond Child, Eddie Money, and The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. Over the course of
the next 18 months, Spector was everywhere. She starred in the HBO/Cinemax
special, Legendary Ladies of Rock with Grace Slick and Belinda Carlisle as her
back up singers. She was a presenter on the American Music Awards telecast, and
sang on NBC's Merry Motown Christmas special. She starred in a Christmas
spectacular at Radio City Music Hall and appeared at the New York Music Awards,
where she was inducted into it's Hall of Fame.
Her recordings have been featured in soundtracks for such films as Baby Boom,
The Pickup Artist, Quadrophenia and Goodfellas. Most significantly, Spector's
Be My Baby set the tone for of the box office smash Dirty Dancing. In September
1988, she joined the cast of the Dirty Dancing stage show for a six-week
international tour.
In 1989, Spector took time off to write the story of her remarkable life and
great music. Be My Baby, How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness was an
international bestseller. In June 2000, Spector won a landmark decision after a
fifteen year court battle. Her victory impacts on all other recording artists
and their ability to be properly compensated.
