She was 78.
“Our beloved Earth Angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today after a brief battle with cancer,” the family said. “She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan. Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a feisty demeanor, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face.”
Tributes to Spector’s talent began to pour in from royalties.
Born Veronica Bennett in New York City’s Hispanic neighborhood of Harlem, she formed the Ronettes in 1961 with an older sister and a cousin when she was a teenager.
The group only rose to fame two years later after they auditioned for music producer Phil Spector, creator of the ’60s ‘Wall of Sound’ style, who signed them to his label.
Fueled by the overwhelming success of ‘Be My Baby’, their first single for Spector, they toured the country with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars and landed a string of pop hits over the following years, including ‘Baby I Love You’. “Walking in the Rain” and “Do I Love You?”
The group broke up in 1967. Shortly afterwards, Ronnie married Phil Spector, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship. The couple divorced in 1974.
In her memoir, “Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness,” Ronnie Spector described her husband as controlling and emotionally abusive.
Phil Spector was later convicted of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and sentenced to 19 years in prison. He died behind bars.
Her family said Ronnie Spector was “filled with love and gratitude. Her cheerful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her. She is shelter or at the American Indian College Fund. In the future, a celebration will of Ronnie’s life and music are announced. The family respectfully requests privacy at this time.”