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Nedra Talley Ross, the last living member of the 1960s girl group The Ronettes and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 80. The group shared the news on its Facebook page Sunday evening. A cause of death was not announced.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Nedra Talley Ross,” the post said. “She was a light to all who knew and loved her. As a founding member of the Ronettes, Nedra, along with her beloved cousins Ronnie and Estelle, helped shape a sound with her voice, style and energy that would change the world of music. Her contribution to the group’s history and her defining influence will last forever. Rest in peace, dear Nedra. Thank you for the magic.”
Talley Ross was born Nedra Yvonne Talley on January 27, 1946, in New York City and grew up there. She had grown up with her cousins Veronica “Ronnie” Bennett and Estelle Bennett, who performed at local events as The Darling Sisters.
Rise with Phil Spector
In 1963 the three met with producer Phil Spector and from then on called themselves The Ronettes. Their debut album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, was released the following year and contained several hits such as “Be My Baby” and “Walking in the Rain.” The Rolling Stones played on the UK tour as the opening act for the Ronettes, and later the Ronettes opened the Beatles’ US tour in 1966. Together with Spector, the trio became known for pioneering the so-called “wall of sound” technique, which still shapes modern pop music today.
“When I was 17 – and I was the youngest in the group – we had our first mega hit on Phillies Records, for Phil Spector,” Talley Ross recalled. “That catapulted us to a whole different level: from a girl group from New York City, up the East Coast, across the United States, and then all over the world. So when I was 17, I went to Europe – I celebrated my 18th birthday in England, in the middle of a tour. There was this side of living a life that most teenagers could never imagine. I was performing on the weekends and going back to school on Mondays. And yet it all just fell into my lap.”
She added: “We were just ourselves. It was multicultural – you weren’t white, you weren’t black. The Ronettes were different. A lot of young girls looked to us. We were a role model for a lot of girls for the look they wanted to have.”
Hall of Fame and solo career
The group broke up in 1967; Talley Ross married and subsequently released Christian-inspired music. She released several albums with Christian content, including 1978’s “Full Circle.” In 2007, The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group reunited for the induction ceremony and performed “Be My Baby.”
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones delivered the eulogy for the Ronettes, recalling hearing them rehearse in a “damp and dark” British theater during their 1964 tour.
“I got a private showing all to myself,” Richards said. “And I realized: No matter what Jack Nitzsche had arranged – these women could sing their way through any wall of sound. They didn’t need anyone. They touched my heart back then, and they still do.”
Last remaining Ronette
“I thank God I’m here tonight,” Talley Ross said as the band accepted their induction. “And for us as the Ronettes to be recognized for what we gave. But I had no idea what we actually gave back then. I was very, very young and didn’t know that we were setting the standard for girls. Thank you to every fan who has kept us in their hearts and minds all these years. Thank you for passing the music on to your children and your children’s children.”
Estelle died in 2009 at age 67, with Ronnie following her in 2022 at age 78. When Ronnie died, Talley Ross wrote, “Ronnie and I were so close growing up that I called her ‘my breath.’ And further: “We got through the best and the hardest times together and made history. As the last remaining Ronette, I will keep her memory and the music alive.”
