The Ronettes

History

The Ronettes began as a family act in Washington Heights, Manhattan. According to Nedra Talley, they started singing during childhood visits to their grandmother's home, where Saturday nights were spent entertaining each other. The Bennetts' mother was African American and Cherokee; their father was Irish-American. Talley was African American, Cherokee and Puerto Rican, and the trio had a great-grandfather who was Chinese.

Ronnie Spector later recalled that by age eight she was working up numbers for the family's weekend shows, with Estelle and cousin Elaine joining in three-part harmony. Estelle enrolled at Startime, a popular dancing school, while Ronnie became fascinated with Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Emulating Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, they added male cousin Ira and signed up for an amateur show at the Apollo Theater. The show started as a disaster; when Ira did not sing, Ronnie took over, strutting across the stage and singing loudly until she heard scattered applause.

Awards and recognition

Brian Wilson, Billy Joel, and Bruce Springsteen have cited Ronnie Bennett as an influence, and Amy Winehouse emulated the group's fashion style. Phil Spector, as a member of the Board of Governors, was reported to have prevented the Ronettes from being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, claiming in a letter that apart from Ronnie the group members did not appear on their records. While he awaited trial on a murder charge, the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, inducted by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Ronnie and Nedra performed three songs; Estelle was present but not well enough to perform.