Ronnie Spector, Who Fronted Girl Group "The Ronettes", Died at 78 After Fight With Cancer

The leader of the girl group "The Ronettes," Ronnie Spector, has died at 78 after her fight with cancer. The pop singer was known for singing 1960s hits as "Be My Baby."

Her family announced Spector's death on Wednesday, releasing a statement but not revealing any further details regarding her death, according to a Los Angeles Times report. The family's statement noted that the singer has lived her life with a "twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor," as well as a smile on her face.

Spector, with her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, had made hits with pop masterpieces such as "Baby I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain," among others.

Spector said in her memoir that their group was not afraid to be hot, adding that it was their "gimmick."

Spector noted that when they saw The Shirelles walk on stage with their wide party dresses, they decided to go in the opposite direction and squeezed their bodies into the tightest skirt that they could find.

Their top hit "Be My Baby" was used in the opening sequence of films Dirty Dancing and Martin Scorsese's 1973 Mean Streets, according to a BBC News report.

Ronnie Spector Behind the Curtains

Spector was born as Veronica Bennett in New York in 1943, with her heritage being African American, Native America, and Irish American, according to The Guardian report.

In 2019, she told the news outlet that when someone does not look like everyone else, they automatically have a problem in school. Spector recounted that her peers would beat her up because she was "different-looking."

Spector, with her groupmates in Ronettes, toured the U.S. in 1966 as a support act to the Beatles.

Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones supported them on a Ronettes tour of the U.K.

Spector then started a solo career, marking the split of The Ronettes in 1967. However, she did not reach the chart highs of her former group and tried to reform the Ronettes with new members.

The plan failed in the early 1970s. Spector continued to release music throughout her life.

She released "English Heart" in 2016, containing covers of songs from Britain in the '60s, according to an ABC News Go report.

Spector started her romantic relationship with Phil Spector in 1963. It began as an affair while Phil was married, then divorced his wife in 1965 and married Spector in 1968.

He was reported to become controlling, paranoid, and abusive during their relationship. Some of the alleged behavior that Phil had during his marriage with Spector was making the singer drive with a life-size dummy of Phil with her.

Phil had also kept her imprisoned in their house and threatened her with murder.

In 1972, she eventually escaped in bare feet as Phil refused to let her own shoes.

Spector married again in 1982. This time it was with her manager Jonathan Greenfield, and their marriage lasted until her death. They had two sons, Jason and Austin.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Ronnie Spector, leader of girl group the Ronnettes and former wife of Phil Spector, dies - from ABC7