The Ronettes Lead Singer Ronnie Married—and Sued—Phil Spector!
The Ronettes were a ’60s American girl group from Harlem, New York City.
Originally signed to Coolpix Records in 1961 as The Darling Sisters, they moved to Phil Spector’s Phillies Records in 1963 and became The Ronettes.
That same year, they released Be My Baby, a song so successful it allowed them to tour the world without needing another major hit. One of the tour highlights was opening for The Beatles during the American leg of their 1966 world tour.
However, Ronnie’s growing friendship with the Fab Four reportedly infuriated Phil Spector so much that he pulled her off the tour and replaced her with her cousin Elaine.
The group’s career ended in 1967. Lead singer Ronnie Bennett married Phil Spector, who later kept her isolated in his 23-room mansion. They divorced in 1972.
In the late ’70s, The Ronettes briefly reunited for a series of successful tours before Ronnie Spector launched her solo career.
In 1988, the group sued Phil Spector for unpaid royalties. After a long legal battle, they were awarded $2.6 million in 2000. Following an appeal, they ultimately received $1.5 million in 2002.
Before the payout, Be My Baby was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Despite this, it was reported that Spector, in his role as a Board of Governors member, repeatedly blocked The Ronettes from being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
None of this would have happened without that one iconic tune—Be My Baby.
The Ronettes Tunes | Related Pages
Be My Baby | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Be My Baby by The Ronettes using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, a backing track, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| E | E | F#m | B7 |
The night we met I knew I, needed you so…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Be My Baby – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | Chords + TAB
Learn to play I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by The Ronettes using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart and the original recording.
| A | A | C#m | F#m |
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (The Ronettes) Guitar Lesson with TAB.