Nedra Talley, a member of the classic early-'60s girl group the Ronettes, has passed away. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Talley's daughter said that she died at home in bed earlier that morning. The Ronettes' Instagram also shared the news. Talley, who changed her name to Nedra Tally-Ross after marrying her late husband Scott Ross in 1967, was the last surviving member of the original Ronettes. (Estelle Bennett died in 2009, while group leader Ronnie Spector passed in 2022.) No cause of death has been reported. Talley was 80.
Nedra Yvonne Talley grew up in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, and she formed the Ronettes with her cousins Ronnie and Estelle Bennett in the late '50s. The three of them learned to sing together while performing for family on visits to their grandmother's house. They performed at local events in New York and released a pair of singles under the name Ronnie And The Relatives on Colpix Records in 1961 and 1962. Shortly afterwards, they became dancers at New York's hugely popular Peppermint Lounge club, the epicenter of the twist craze. They changed their name to the Ronettes and developed their signature look, with beehive hairdos and heavy eye makeup.
After the early Ronettes singles failed to chart, Colpix brought the group to Phil Spector, the genius pop producer who would later marry Ronnie Bennett, abuse her terribly, and die in prison after being convicted of murder. Spector stole them away from Colpix and signed them to his own Phillies label. In 1963, the Ronettes released the Spector-produced "Be My Baby," one of the greatest pop songs in history. "Be My Baby" was a #2 pop hit, and the Ronettes followed its success with more classics like "Baby, I Love You," "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up," and "Walking In The Rain." They were heavily featured on the classic 1963 holiday album A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. Because of the group's hectic touring schedule, Nedra Talley didn't actually sing on some of those records.
Later Ronettes records were less successful, even after the group toured the US with mutual admirers the Beatles in 1966. Phil Spector's dark relationship with Ronnie interfered with the group's ability to function. Because Phil refused to allow Ronnie to tour, Nedra Talley and Estelle Bennett would sing lead vocals live. The Ronettes broke up in 1967.
After Ronnie Spector divorced Phil in 1974, she reformed the Ronettes, but Nedra Talley and Estelle Bennett didn't take part. In 1988, the original Ronettes sued Phil Spector for unpaid royalties, eventually winning millions. The original members reunited to perform when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
After her time in the Ronettes, Nedra Talley became a born-again Christian, and she released a solo album of religious music in 1978.
