Before The Supremes found enormous success on the Motown label, another trio of talented female singers were showing they had the talent to climb up pop record charts. Combining their vocal abilities with the prowess of iconic record producer, Phil Spector and his legendary “Wall of Sound” production techniques, The Ronettes quickly proved they were a force to be reckoned with in the world of pop music.

Long before the world would know her as Ronnie Spector, she was just a young New York City girl named Veronica Bennett. With a nudge from their grandmother, Veronica and her sister Estelle decided to form a singing group with their cousin, Nedra Talley. Known as The Darling Sisters, they entered and won a talent contest at the iconic Apollo Theater in 1959. Two years later, they were standing in line at the famous Peppermint Lounge, when they were mistaken for a singing trio that hadn’t yet arrived and ushered to the stage. That little mix-up led to them being signed as regular performers at the New York venue, as well as a sister club in Miami. Legendary DJ, Murrey the K, took notice and included the trio in his music shows, know known as Ronnie and the Relatives. Soon they were signed to a contract and working as backup singers for artists such as Del Shannon and Bobby Rydell.

Then, in 1963, they caught the attention of record producer Phil Spector and things would never be the same. Given a “bad-girl” image that included tight miniskirts, beehives, and plenty of eyeliner, they became his new protégées and released their first hit, “Be My Baby.” It quickly rose to #2 on the pop charts and found similar success in England. (Years later, it would make #22 on the Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.)

They followed up with the single, “Baby, I Love You” (with Leon Russell on piano, and and a young vocalist named Cher singing backup alongside Darlene Love) and it reached #24 on the charts. Spector would also include them on his holiday offering, A Christmas Gift For You. By 1964, they were touring with acts such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and continuing to release hit after hit, such as “The Best Part of Breaking Up,” “Do I Love You” and an emotional ballad, “Walking in the Rain.” (Its liberal use of rain effects throughout the song would later earn “Walking in the Rain” a Grammy Award.)

By 1965, the trio was appearing regularly on such shows as Hullabaloo and It’s What’s Happening, Baby when Ronnie Spector decided to enter into another contract with Spector, one of marriage. Within a year, the group decided to disband after releasing a final single, “I Can Hear the Music.” It would be five years before Ronnie would release another single, this time as a solo artist on Apple Records (owned by The Beatles) with the song “Try Some, Buy Some.” It would make it to #77.

In 1973, Ronnie reformed the Ronettes, this time with two new backup singers, for the “Rock and Roll Revival” held at Madison Square Garden. The new version of the band would release a couple of singles but none managed to travel up the charts. Around this time, Ronnie was also doing background vocalist work for Bruce Springsteen and had finally ended her turbulent marriage with Phil Spector, the story of which she later told in a scathing autobiography that painted a picture of a dominating villian that controlled ever aspect of her career and personal life. She would later sue him for $3 million in unpaid royalties. She won the case but it was overturned on appeal.

It wasn’t until 1987 that Ronnie Spector finally made it back to the charts, ironically with a song that paid homage to her first major hit. She paired up with Eddie Money for the duet “Take Me Home Tonight” and the chorus featured Ronnie once again singing the line “Be My Baby.” The song made it to #4 and once again gave Ronnie a chance to remind fans everywhere of the magic voice that made The Ronettes one of the most exciting female groups from the 60s.