Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the Ronettes, has died at 80, closing a chapter in one of the defining acts of the girl-group era.
Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the Ronettes, the 1960s vocal trio whose look, harmonies and Phil Spector-produced records helped define the girl-group era, has died. She was 80.
Ross died at home on Sunday, according to her daughter, Nedra K. Ross, and the Ronettes’ official Instagram account. “Nedra’s voice, style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music. Her contribution to the group’s story and their defining influence will live forever,” a statement said.
With her cousins Veronica “Ronnie” Bennett and Estelle Bennett, Ross helped give the Ronettes a sound and image that stood out even in a crowded pop moment: soaring harmonies, towering beehive hairdos and records that combined teenage drama with Spector’s dense “wall of sound” production.
The group’s best-known songs included “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain.” Their version of “Sleigh Ride,” recorded for Spector’s holiday album “A Christmas Gift for You,” also became a lasting seasonal favorite.
Born and raised in New York City, Ross joined the Bennett sisters in a group whose recording career was brief but influential. The Ronettes released their only studio album, “Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, Featuring Veronica,” in 1964. Five of its 12 tracks reached the U.S. Billboard charts, according to CBC, and the album was later included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The Ronettes’ ascent began after Estelle Bennett arranged an audition with Spector in March 1963. After signing to Philles Records, the trio initially sang backup before recording “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.” Their run of hits had slowed by the time they split around 1967, but the music kept finding new audiences through film and television placements, including “Mean Streets” and “Dirty Dancing.”
The group’s reach extended beyond the charts. The Ronettes toured England with the Rolling Stones and were associated with the Beatles during the height of 1960s pop. When the trio was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, Keith Richards recalled hearing them in England in the mid-1960s, saying, “They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound.”
Ross later turned to Christian music, including the 1978 album “Full Circle.” She was married to DJ and television personality Scott Ross from 1967 until his death in 2023.
The Ronettes also spent years in a royalties dispute with Spector. A lower-court ruling ordered him to pay $2.6 million in past royalties and interest, but New York State’s highest court overturned that decision in 2002.
Ronnie Spector died in 2022 at 78. Estelle Bennett died in 2009 at 67. Ross is survived by four children.
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