The Ronettes were a female American rock band from Manhattan’s Washington Heights. The trio included the main vocalist Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), their cousin Nedra Talley, and their older sister Estelle Bennett.
Since they were adolescents, they had performed as “The Darling Sisters,” a group that sang together. They were first signed by Colpix Records in 1961; however, they switched to Phil Spector’s Philles Records in March 1963 and adopted the moniker “The Ronettes.”
Were the Ronettes black or white?
The Ronettes’ interracial makeup was quite uncommon in the 1960s. The Bennetts’ father was European, while their mother was black and Native American. Ronnie Spector admitted in her memoirs that she had wondered if she was black or white.
Nine singles by The Ronettes appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, and six of those made the Top 40. Be My Baby, their lone contemporary top 10 success, “Baby, I Love You,” “(The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up,” and “Walking in the Rain” are among their biggest hits.
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, the group’s lone studio album, was released in 1964.
The Rolling Stones opened for them when they toured the UK in that year. Before disbanding in 1967, the Ronettes, the only girl group to travel with the Beatles, served as the opening act for them on their 1966 US tour. The trio had a brief comeback in the 1970s as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes.
