The Ronettes' Be My Baby singer has died aged 78

Ronnie Specter, lead singer of the girl band Ronettes from the 1960s, has died. The pop star is know for hits like Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, and Walking in the Rain.  "Ronnie lived his life with a wink, a persistent demeanor, a terrible sense of humor, and a smile on his face," the statement said.

"He was filled with love and gratitude. Her cheerful voice, cheerful nature, and magical presence will live on in everyone who knows, hears, or sees her. Born in Manhattan in 1943 as Veronica Yvette Bennett, she rose to fame when she was 18 when she performed with her older sister and cousin.

With their halal hairstyles and heavy use of mascara, the multiracial group caught the attention of record producers while playing in New York clubs. Under his direction, the band recorded hits such as Be My Baby, Walking In The Rain, and Baby I Love You.

But he is ruthless and offensive. In his memoirs, Spector wrote that Phil kept a coffin in the basement of his home to tell the singer that if he left, he would kill him. In 1972 he ran away from his home barefoot. The Ronet family later sued the producers for the unpaid fees. 

The bad girls from Ronette are credited with paving the way for future female musicians. "We're not afraid to be sexy. That's our trick," Spector wrote in his 2004 memoir, "Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Minipolis, and Madness." When we saw Shirelles performing on stage in baggy ball gowns, we went in the opposite direction and pressed our bodies into the narrowest skirts we could find. Then we went up on stage and pulled them up to our feet to show more.

But it's not just the clothes. Spector's voice - full of longing, tenderness, and firmness - is a revelation with a street spirit that no other girl group has. The great sound of Be My Baby stops other musicians in their tracks.

"I was driving [the 1st time I heard it] and had to get off the pavement — I was blown away," Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys said in 2013. "I felt like trying and doing something as good as this song, but I never did. I stopped trying. It's the most extensive record ever set. Nobody's going to beat this one.

The band's only album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, was released by Phillies Records in 1964. That includes standards like Chapel of Love, I Wonder, and the cover of What'd I Say by Ray Charles; and five of his 12 songs reached the US Billboard charts.