Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the 1960s bee-hived pop
trio the Ronettes, dies
[April 28, 2026]
By MARK KENNEDY
NEW YORK (AP) — Nedra Talley Ross, the last surviving member of the
1960s bee-hived pop band the Ronettes, who sang the enduring hits “Be My
Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” alongside her
cousins, has died. She was 80.
Ross died at home Sunday, according to the singer's 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 read.
The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices — plus songwriting and
producing help from Phil Spector — turned them into one of the premier
acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and
befriending the Beatles.
“Show business is a thing that can be great, but it can be bad, too,”
Ross said during her acceptance speech to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
in 2007. “For us, we had a family that gave us a core to help stabilize
us in a very difficult crazy world. It was a fun time. I thank God truly
for it.”
Ross, born and raised in New York City, together with sisters Veronica
“Ronnie” and Estelle Bennett, released their debut album in 1964,
“Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, Featuring Veronica.” Five of its 12
tracks had made it to the U.S. Billboard charts, and it was listed in
Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. It was the only studio
album for the trio.
They also did a memorable version of “Sleigh Ride” that appeared on
Spector’s “A Christmas Gift for You” album and was recently highlighted
in the “Roofman” soundtrack and on “The Bear.” But their string of hits
had tailed off by the time they split around 1967.
In March 1963, Estelle Bennett managed to arrange an audition in front
of Phil Spector, known for his big, brass-and-drum style dubbed the
“wall of sound.” They were signed to Philles Records in 1963. After
being signed, they sang backup for other acts until Spector had the
group record “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.”
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Nedra Talley Ross appears in the press room after the induction of
The Ronettes into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in New York on March
12, 2007. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)
 Martin Scorsese used “Be My Baby” to
open his 1973 film “Mean Streets,” and the song appears in the title
sequence of “Dirty Dancing” and the closing credits of “Baby Mama.”
It also appeared on TV in everything from “Moonlighting” and “The
Wonder Years” to “How I Met Your Mother” and “Money Heist.”
When the Ronettes were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,
Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones remembered opening for the trio
in England in the mid-1960s. “They could sing all their way right
through a wall of sound,” Richards said. “They didn’t need anything.
They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still.”
After the Ronettes disbanded, Ross turned to Christian music,
including the album “Full Circle” in 1978. Ross was married to DJ
and television personality Scott Ross from 1967 until his death in
2023.
For nearly 15 years, the women waged a lengthy, and ultimately
unsuccessful, court battle with Spector over royalties. A judge
ordered Spector to pay $2.6 million in past royalties and interest,
but New York State’s highest court threw out that ruling on appeal
in 2002.
Ronnie Spector died at 78 in 2022. Bennett died at 67 in 2009. Ross
is survived by four children.
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