The group's career:
Sisters Estelle (born 1941) and Veronica Bennett (born 1943), and their cousin Nedra Talley (born 1946), began singing together as teenagers in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Encouraged by their grandmother, they entered and won a talent show at the Apollo Theatre in 1959, as The Darling Sisters. Phillip Halikus saw their potential, became their manager, and promoted their early appearances at hops and charity shows.
In 1961, while standing in line at the Peppermint Lounge, they were mistaken for a singing trio that had not arrived and were ushered on stage. After performing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", they were signed to appear regularly there and in Miami. Later that year, they danced in shows staged by disc jockey Murray the K, but, contrary to many sources, did not appear in the 1961 film Twist Around the Clock. They did get a record deal with the Colpix label, and, as Ronnie & the Relatives, released their first single "I Want a Boy". They also worked as backing singers for Bobby Rydell, Del Shannon, and Joey Dee & The Starliters. Renamed as The Ronettes, they issued several more singles with Colpix and recorded an album, unissued at the time, but had little early commercial success.
In 1963 they came to the attention of producer Phil Spector, who was looking for a new girl group to assume The Crystals' mantle. He was taken with Ronnie's voice and style, and signed The Ronettes to his Philles label. As Spector's new protégées, they were given a strong image as "bad girls", with beehive hairdos, heavy eyeliner, and tight skirts. Their first Philles single was "Be My Baby", co-written by Spector with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and arranged and produced by Spector. It became a worldwide hit, reaching # 2 on the U.S. pop chart, # 4 on the R&B chart, and # 4 on the UK chart. The follow-up, "Baby, I Love You", had an even denser arrangement, featuring Leon Russell on piano, and backing vocals from Darlene Love and Cher, among others. It was slightly less successful, reaching # 24 in the United States and # 11 in the United Kingdom. The Ronettes also featured on Spector's album "A Christmas Gift for You".
Early in 1964 The Ronettes toured England with The Rolling Stones and met The Beatles. They continued to have hits with "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up" (# 39 U.S., # 43 UK), "Do I Love You?" (# 34 U.S., # 35 UK), and "Walking in the Rain" (# 24 U.S.), which won a Grammy for Best Sound Effects, the only one Spector ever received. However, their LP, "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica", only reached # 96 and other singles were less successful; musical tastes had moved beyond the girl group sound, and the Ronettes were unable to maintain their relevance. After criss-crossing the United States and Canada as one of the opening acts for the final concert tour of The Beatles, they disbanded at the end of 1966.
Later events:
Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley each married and, in 1968, Ronnie Bennett married Phil Spector and retired from performance for several years. In 1971, under Spector's direction, Ronnie recorded "Try Some, Buy Some" for the Beatles' Apple label. This was her last charting record, reaching # 77 in the spring of 1971.
In 1973, as she and Spector were about to divorce, she returned to performing at Richard Nader's "Rock and Roll Revival" show at Madison Square Garden. Her new version of The Ronettes at that time included Denise Edwards and Chip Fields, and they issued two singles on the Buddah label.
In 1988, the original Ronettes sued Spector for nonpayment of royalties. In 2001, a New York court announced a verdict in favor of the Ronettes, ordering Spector to pay nearly three million dollars in back royalties; however, the judgment was later overturned on appeal. On February 11, 2009 Estelle Bennett was found dead at her home in Englewood, New Jersey. She was 67.
Awards and recognition:
The Ronettes were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
It was believed that Phil Spector, in his capacity as a member of the Board of Governors, deliberately prevented the Ronettes (and Darlene Love) from being nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although they had been eligible for a considerable period. The alleged reasons included the acrimonious divorce of Ronnie and Spector, in addition to the group having (unsuccessfully) sued Spector for back royalties. While Spector was awaiting trial on a murder charge and out on $1 million bail, the Ronettes were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the March 12, 2007, induction ceremony held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Keith Richards, a self-confessed longtime fan, inducted the trio. Ronnie Bennett (Spector) and Nedra Talley performed "Baby, I Love You," "Walking In the Rain" and "Be My Baby." Estelle Bennett was present to accept her award but did not perform.
Born To Be Together
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart knew it was forever
You touched me
And I swear I vowed then and there that I'd never
No I'd never want somebody else to hold me
Let another's arms enfold me
Never ever
Want nobody but you
And then you kissed me and whispered tenderly
Darling I love you, I love you, I love you
And I knew we were born to be together
We were born to be together
Baby, we were born to be together
I never said a word, but I know you heard me sighin'
You held me to your heart
And I almost started cryin'
Almost cryin'
Baby, I'm so glad you found me
Keep your lovin' arms around me
Say you want me just the way I want you
And then please kiss me and softly answer me
Darling I love you, I love you, I love you
I know we were born to be together
We were born to be together
Baby, we were born to be together
Baby, we were born to be together
Baby, we were born
To be together
The Ronettes' "Born To Be Together" is a heartfelt declaration of love, capturing the moment when the singer meets their soulmate. The first verse sets the scene, as the singer recounts the moment they first saw their beloved and knew they would be together forever. The second verse adds detail to the story, as the beloved whispers their love and the singer is nearly moved to tears. The chorus reinforces the certainty underlying the song: "We were born to be together", a phrase that's repeated to emphasize the singer's conviction.
Beyond the straightforward lyrics, there's a sense of urgency and passion to the song. The melody is upbeat and catchy, with the Ronettes' signature harmonies and a driving beat. The instrumentation is simple but effective, with a tambourine providing extra percussion and a piano adding a touch of romance to the mix. All of these elements combine to make "Born To Be Together" a classic love song that captures the joy and excitement of falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
The moment I saw you,
From the instant I laid my eyes on you
My heart knew it was forever
My heart knew we were destined to be together forever
You touched me
Your touch awakened something special in me
And I swear I vowed then and there that I'd never
I made a promise to myself in that moment
No I'd never want somebody else to hold me
I know that I only want to be held by you
Let another's arms enfold me
I don't want anyone else to hold me in their arms
Never ever
Not now, not ever
Want nobody but you
You're the only one I want
And then you kissed me and whispered tenderly
Your gentle kiss and tender whispers left me enraptured
Darling I love you, I love you, I love you
You declared your love for me
And I knew we were born to be together
I just knew that we are meant to be together
We were born to be together
Our love is fated and inevitable
Baby, we were born to be together
We were definitely born to be together
I never said a word, but I know you heard me sighin'
I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even speak
You held me to your heart
You wrapped me in a loving embrace
And I almost started cryin'
I was so emotional I almost broke down in tears
Almost cryin'
Emotionally overwhelmed but holding back tears
Baby, I'm so glad you found me
I feel incredibly lucky that we found each other
Keep your lovin' arms around me
Continue to hold me in your loving embrace
Say you want me just the way I want you
Tell me that you want me the same way I want you
And then please kiss me and softly answer me
Please kiss me and respond to me in a gentle manner
I know we were born to be together
I'm confident that we truly belong together
We were born to be together
Our love is divinely intended
Baby, we were born to be together
We were always meant to be together
Baby, we were born
Our love story began at our birth
To be together
Meant to spend our lives together as partners
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL, PHIL SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
anna ch
Estelle... my favourite. Such a classy group but like everyone knows it, her class and grace was unmatchable..✨✨✨
Bob
The Ronettes had great stage presence. Their act was as much visual as vocal: three beautiful women who were dancers as well as singers.
San2507
Of course. The ronettes were more elegant but more confident with the dressing.
jennifersenn
Estelle could have been a real star on her own after the group broke up if she could have signed with Motown or some other big record producer. She deserved sooo much more than she got in the end.
3viño1
I really love Ronnie's voice.
Andraste Reminiec
Ronnie's voice sends chills down my spine!
harryl5
same as
Tommy Truth
It is one of a kind. Pure talent.
Allen Kracalik
Saw her in person at a Chicago club AND THEN SHE KISSED ME--if you get a chance to see her, stay down front where she can get her hands on you. More than a few spinal chills guaranteed.
San2507
She has a very beautiful voice. Sadly she had a awful life with Phil.