Who was the leader singer of The Ronettes?
The Ronettes
The Ronettes () were an American girl group from New York City. One of the most popular groups from the 1960s, they placed nine songs on the "Billboard" Hot 100, five of which became Top 40 hits. The trio from Spanish Harlem, New York, consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. Among the Ronettes' most famous songs are "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up", and "Walking in the Rain", all of which charted on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "Walking in the Rain" won a Grammy Award in 1965, and "Be My Baby" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Rockets (band)
Rockets were a French space rock band that formed in Paris in 1974 and relocated in Italy in 1978. Some of the former members had played together since 1970 in a local band called Crystal. In their most successful era (1977–1982) the line-up comprised vocalist Christian Le Bartz, bassist and vocalist "Little" Gérard L'Her, guitarist and keyboardist Alain Maratrat, drummer and percussionist Alain Groetzinger, and keyboardist Fabrice Quagliotti. The band went through a number of name changes, being known as the Rocket Men and Rok-Etz, among others. In the year 2000, Fabrice Quagliotti decided to reform the band (initially with the name Rockets N.D.P.), but with a totally different line-up. This brought to an anomalous situation, as far as none of the former members agreed to hold a reunion. In fact, the last former member to leave the band was Alain Maratrat, in 1992.
Martina Sorbara
Martina Sorbara (born November 13, 1978) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and frontwoman of the band Dragonette.
Richie Barrett
Barrett sang lead for the Valentines from 1954 to 1957. Ronnie Bright, who later joined the Cadillacs and the Coasters, sang bass. Barrett co-wrote two songs with Carl Hogan (also from the Valentines). One was "Be Sure My Love," which was recorded by the Dubs on Gone Records in 1958; and another, "So Much," was recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials on End Records in 1958, and also recorded by the Attributes. On the Chantels' single "Maybe" (1958), Barrett played piano, bass, and drums. Barrett produced several of the Chantels' records.
The Ronettes
Some recorded yet unreleased songs include: "Paradise", "Everything Under the Sun", and "I Wish I Never Saw the Sun Shine". All three have since been covered by among others, the Shangri-Las, the Supremes, and Ike & Tina Turner. Regrettably, Spector’s choice was to not release the Spector/ Jeff Barry/ Ellie Greenwich song "Chapel of Love", initially recorded by the Ronettes in early 1964. By the time their version finally was released, The Dixie Cups had already achieved notoriety for it. "We thought it was such a great record that we practically begged [Phil Spector] to put it out," Ronnie Spector later wrote. "Then the Dixie Cups' version came out, and it was a smash! It was so depressing."
Dreamgirls (film)
In 1962 Detroit, Michigan, young car salesman Curtis Taylor Jr. meets a black girl group known as "The Dreamettes", which consists of lead singer Effie White and backup singers Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, at an R&B amateur talent show at the Detroit Theatre. Curtis presents himself as The Dreamettes' new manager and arranges for the girls to become backup singers for chitlin' circuit R&B star Jimmy "Thunder" Early.
Dolores O'Riordan
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan (; 6 September 1971 – 15 January 2018) was an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She was the vocalist for rock band The Cranberries from 1990 until their break-up in 2003, later reuniting with her band in 2009, which she led until her death in 2018.
The Chordettes
The longest living member of the Chordettes who has sung on all the Chordettes' recordings, both on acappella and Cadence recordings, is Carol Buschmann. Lynn Evans Mand sang on all the Chordettes' Cadence Recordings. In 2004, Mand appeared on a PBS television special "Magic Moments: The Best of 50s Pop", with other 1950s pop icons, singing "Lollipop". Buschmann, Mand and Margie Needham Latzko, are the surviving singers who recorded "Mr. Sandman". Janet Ertel Bleyer, the other singer on that recording, died in 1988.
The Ronettes
When the women returned home from their British tour, they went right back into the studio to record "Keep on Dancing" and "Girls Can Tell", two songs written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. The group's recording of "Keep on Dancing" is notable because it features Ronnie and Nedra singing in unison, but Spector refused to release the single. Around this time, The Crystals also recorded a version of "Girls Can Tell", which also went unreleased.
Ron Lauback
After The Saint and the Sinners folded Ron and George Day briefly worked with The Monterays before forming Airborne (1969). This group featured a female lead singer (Karen Franklin) and was even more soul based, but Ron inexplicably left music a year later to devote more time to his family and career.
Airborne did record a number of demos that were remastered and given limited release on the 3 Records label in 2000.
The Motorettes
The Motorettes were a band from the North East England coastal town of Tynemouth. The band comprised Jack Laidlaw, Jed Laidlaw and Robin Howe. They were signed to Kitchenware Records with Editors. They released their debut single "Super Heartbeats" on 23 January 2006. "Super Heartbeats" was the Xfm single of the week. The Motorettes extensively toured the UK throughout 2006. This included joint-headline dates in July with Kubichek!. In June 2007, drummer Jed Laidlaw left the Motorettes, and was replaced by Daniel Rose-Troup, who then subsequently left shortly after. The Motorettes played the Freevolution Festival in Newcastle on May Day 2007.
Dean Parrish
The Peppermint Lounge was New York's premier nightclub in the very early 1960s. Anastasi frequented the establishment and would eventually appeared on the bill. On the advice of The Ronettes lead singer Ronnie Spector, he changed his name to Dean Parrish, and began his own recording career in 1964.
The Fortunes
The Fortunes were formed as a vocal trio (Rod Allen, Glen Dale and Barry Pritchard) - all three had been the Merrie Men backing Robbie Hood (A.K.A Mike West, previously co-singer with Fred Heath in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates). The Fortunes were originally backed by an instrumental group known as the Cliftones, and the band placed an instrumental track on a compilation album, "Brumbeat", issued by the local Dial record label. "Cygnet Twitch" was a working of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake", and they subsequently signed to British Decca in 1963. Their first single, "Summertime, Summertime", was credited to the Fortunes and the Cliftones. However, the vocalists picked up guitars, jettisoned the Cliftones, and added Andy Brown on drums, and Dave Carr on keyboards. The follow-up disc "Caroline", co-written by the singer-songwriter and future Ivy League member Perry Ford and songwriter Tony Hiller, is still in use as the signature tune for the pirate radio station, Radio Caroline.
Constantine &quot;Vision&quot; Walker
Constantine "Vision" Walker, also known as "Vision" or "Dream" (born Constantine Anthony Walker, Jr., 19 October 1951, Jamaica), is a singer songwriter and musician. He was an original member of reggae group The Soulettes, with his cousin Rita Anderson (Marley) and Marlene "Precious" Gifford in the early 1960s, and was briefly a member of The Wailers along with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. He is engaged in the California-based group The Rastafarians.
Col Loughnan
The Soulmates were a house band at the Coogee Bay Hotel, owned by Mrs. Munro, a widow who was known to have a favourite saying: "It's permanent, you know!". By October 1967, Loughnan had joined the band, not as a vocalist, but as a saxophonist. In his book "Behind the Rock and Beyond", Leon Isackson describes the band's reaction: "everybody remembered [Loughnan] as the lead singer [of] the Delltones ... [and] here he was blowing us all away with the saxophone!" At that time, The Soulmates were led by guitarist, Jimmy Doyle along with Les Young on bass, Brian Myers on piano, Loughnan, and, shortly thereafter they were joined by drummer, Isackson. Loughnan and Doyle were to become lifelong friends, as well as working together from time to time over several decades.
The Rockets (band)
The Rockets were formed in 1972 by former Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels members Johnny "Bee" Badanjek and Jim McCarty. Vocals and drums were handled by Badanjek, McCarty was on lead guitar, John Fraga was on bass guitar and Marc Marcano was on keyboards. Johnny Bee was the driving force and primary songwriter for the Rockets.
The Ronettes
The Ronettes began as a family act where the girls grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan. According to Nedra Talley, they started singing during childhood visits to their grandmother's home. "Estelle and Veronica are sisters," she said in a later interview. "I'm their cousin. Our mothers are sisters. We came out of a family that, on Saturday nights, home for us was at our grandmother's, entertaining each other." The Bennetts' mother was African-American and Cherokee; their father was Irish-American. Their cousin, Talley, is African-American, Cherokee and Puerto Rican. The trio also had a great-grandfather who was Chinese."By the time I was eight, I was already working up whole numbers for our family's little weekend shows," Ronnie Spector later recalled. "Then Estelle would get up onstage and do a song, or she'd join Nedra or my cousin Elaine and me in a number we'd worked out in three-part harmony."
The Maisonettes
The Maisonettes were a 'one hit wonder' English pop band formed by Laurence "Lol" Mason (formerly of City Boy) and Mark Tibenham, best known for their hit single "Heartache Avenue".
Dennis Robbins
Dennis Anthony Robbins (born in Hazelwood, North Carolina) is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band The Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording two major-label albums and several singles of his own, in addition to writing hit singles for Shenandoah and Garth Brooks.
The Ronettes
The album was released on the day President Kennedy was assassinated. It was not a success upon its initial release but has since become considerably more popular. It was re-released by Apple Records in 1972 and reached No. 6 on "Billboard"′s list of Christmas Albums that year.
King Cotton (performer)
King Cotton is the stage name of Dicky Sony, a Texas blues singer born in 1945 in Navasota, Texas. He was the lead vocalist and founding member of the blues/rock band Navasota in 1969. 
King Cotton achieved particular notoriety in the past two decades due to his appearance with John Cusack and Tim Robbins in the 1988 film "Tapeheads". Most notable about his role as Roscoe (the "Chicken and Waffles" king) is his end-titles song "Roscoe's Rap", which has become a cult favorite on YouTube.com. He also appeared in the 1989 film "Blaze" starring Paul Newman as Louisiana Governor Earl Long.
Ray Pohlman
With Sam CookeWith The Ronettes
The Ronettes discography
During the Summer of 1964, the Ronettes spent a lot of time hanging out at Odine's, an exclusive East Side club on Fifty-Ninth Street in Manhattan. According to Ronnie, that is where the Ronettes were first introduced to Jimi Hendrix, who was an unknown guitarist there at the time. Ronnie used to get up and sing along with Hendrix as he played guitar. After running into Hendrix again at a party in 1969, Estelle and Ronnie were invited into the studio to do backing vocals on Hendrix's "Earth Blues" song. Their work on the backing vocals earned The Ronettes a credit on Hendrix's posthumously released LP "Rainbow Bridge", released in October 1971.
Baby, I Love You
However, a problem arose when the Ronettes were booked to appear on Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour across the country.
Ron Dante
In 1969, Dante recorded an album under the group name of The Cuff Links for his old Detergents songwriter-producers Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss. Providing both lead and background vocals through overdubbing, as he did with most of the male Archies vocals, Dante hit the U.S. Top Ten with the single "Tracy," at the same time that "Sugar, Sugar" occupied the top of the chart. Dante was anonymous on both tracks. Contrary to popular belief, the lead verses of another Archies single, "Jingle Jangle" (portrayed as being sung by either Betty or Veronica), were not sung by a female vocalist, but rather by Dante using falsetto vocals.
The Chantels
In 1957 the Chantels, then in high school, had been singing as a group for several years. Unlike some black groups whose influences were based in gospel, the quintet was influenced by classical music and Latin hymns. Lead singer Arlene Smith had received classical training and performed at Carnegie Hall at age 12. She provided both lyrics and music. The girls were discovered by Richard Barrett, lead singer of The Valentines, and by the summer of 1957 they were signed to End Records, owned by George Goldner. Their first single was "He's Gone" (Pop #71) in August 1957, written by Arlene Smith. Released in December 1957, their second single, "Maybe," was a hit (#15 "Billboard" Hot 100; #2 R & B chart) in January 1958. It sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc. The following releases were less successful but End did release an album originally titled "We Are the Chantels". The original cover had a photo of the group. That album was soon withdrawn and repackaged with a picture of two white teenagers picking out a song; the title was shortened to "The Chantels".
Ronnie Bright
Bright has been the bass singer for doo wop groups The Valentines, The Cadillacs, The Deep River Boys, and The Coasters. He has done session work for artists such as Barry Mann, Jackie Wilson, Peter Gabriel, and Johnny Cymbal. His most recognizable vocals are from Johnny Cymbal's 1963 hit song "Mr. Bass Man." He sang with The Valentines (the group was previously called The Dreamers) from 1954 to 1957, briefly with The Cadillacs in 1960, and The Deep River Boys in the late 1960s. In 1965, Bright released a record for Coed Records as Ronnie and The Schoolmates. He joined The Coasters in April 1968, replacing Will "Dub" Jones, and left the group in 2009. He died on November 26, 2015 at the age of 77.
Nedra Talley
Nedra Talley, now known as Nedra Talley-Ross (born January 27, 1946), is an American singer best known as a former member of the girl group The Ronettes, in which she performed with her cousins Ronnie and Estelle Bennett. She is of African American, Native American and Puerto Rican descent. In 2007, the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Triolettes
The Triolettes was a band that played in the Buffalo, New York area for several years in the early 1930s. The band consisted of Marjorie Sullivan, Eunice Miller and Loretta Clemens. They were a smooth singing trio who did their own arrangements. Marjorie and Loretta were staff members of AM radio station WBEN. Loretta Clemens was a staff pianist for WBEN. One of the announcers at the station heard her voice and told her that she would be a good singer. She did not believe him. However, one day while she was practicing some new songs on the piano, she was singing along to the music. The station manager had told the operator of the control room to turn on the microphone if she ever started to sing. When the station manager heard her sing, her old contract was torn up and a new contract was written that required her to sing.
The Tremeloes
All members shared vocals, though most of the songs featured either Hawkes or drummer Dave Munden as the lead singer. Guitarist Rick Westwood sang falsetto co-lead vocal with Hawkes' lower range vocal and group harmonies also featured on "Silence Is Golden". Their regular hits were accompanied by frequent appearances on BBC's "Top of the Pops" TV programme. Their songs were popular with younger music fans and parents rather than rock music fans, although their albums and 'B' sides included more rock-styled tracks such as band compositions "Try Me" and the instrumental "Instant Whip". Their more commercial songs, such as "Even The Bad Times Are Good" (UK no. 4, 1967), "Helule Helule" (UK no. 14, 1967), "Suddenly You Love Me" and "My Little Lady" (both UK no. 8 in 1968), proved to be more popular than the falsetto-led "Be Mine" sung by Rick Westwood, which stalled in the lower top 40, or a string accompanied cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" (UK no. 29, 1969), but the more ambitious group-composed "(Call Me) Number One" reached no. 2 in the UK in 1969. Altogether, without Poole the group had nine UK Top 20 hits.
Norma Jean Wright
Wright sang in the female trio, the Topettes, and toured for a short time with The Spinners. In 1977, she joined Chic, a soul, R&B and disco band.
Roni Griffith (album)
Roni Griffith is the debut album by Hi-NRG/disco/pop music singer Roni Griffith, recorded and released in 1982 on Vanguard Records. Her first album includes backing singers, Wendell Morrison and his wife Marian Rolle and Leanora Logan, who were with The Salsoul Orchestra at that time on their last album, "Heat It Up"; plus Connie Harvey, who was the disco bands, Dazzle and Poussez!, and Janet Wright who was with the disco/soul band, Inner Life on the Prelude Records album, "I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)". It was produced by Bobby Orlando, who played all of the instruments on her album. This album features a few cuts, "Desire", "Love Is The Drug" and the cover of The Ronettes tune, "(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up". After that, she left Vanguard Records to focus more on Christian life and pursue her career as a Contemporary Christian artist.
The Barberettes
Shinae An Wheeler, the group's creator, producer, leader, guitarist, main composer and writer was born July 30, 1986 in Seongnam. She graduated from the Seoul Institute of the Arts and started her professional music career at age fifteen as a backing vocalist for some of the S.M. Entertainment artists, including BoA and Fly to the Sky, and as a lyricist, including "Romance" on BoA's Hurricane Venus. She is listed as a vocal participant on 110 released records registered in the Federation of Korean Music Performers (FKMP), since 2002; and started vocal training in 2006. Between 2009 - 2012, she was a radio panelist, introducing Korean indie bands, on English language program "K-popular" on TBSeFM. She teaches at Kwangwoon Conservatory of Music and has taught free music classes and worked with charities for disadvantaged teenagers in Seoul. As one of the group's vocalists, she trades out vocal harmonies with the other two members, sometimes singing lead.
The Ronettes
After the overnight success of their first Phil Spector single, Spector was eager to do a follow-up with the Ronettes. He wrote "Baby, I Love You", again with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and urged the Ronettes to leave New York for California to record the song at Spector's Gold Star Studios. A problem arose when the Ronettes were scheduled to leave for Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour across the United States. In lieu of having the Ronettes skip the Dick Clark tour, Spector decided Estelle and Nedra would do the tour with cousin Elaine, a former member of the group. Ronnie left for California to record "Baby, I Love You" with Darlene Love, Cher, and Sonny Bono subbing for Estelle and Nedra on back-up vocals. "Baby, I Love You" had an even denser arrangement, featuring Leon Russell on piano. The song was recorded in the early fall of 1963 and released in November that year. It was slightly less successful than "Be My Baby" on the charts, reaching number 24 Pop, number 6 R&B in the United States and number 11 in the United Kingdom.
The Raelettes
Reformed by Ray Charles from the all-girl singing group The Cookies, The Raelettes were officially established in 1958. Like Ray Charles, they were signed by Atlantic Records, who released a few singles with them, and hired them as backing vocals for other acts (in the studio and live). Ray 'discovered' The Cookies in 1956, in Philadelphia. That night he went out to a concert by the Lionel Hampton Band. Chuck Willis opened the show, and he was accompanied by the girls. Ray, as he later stated, was immediately hooked on their way of singing. He had already recorded "Drown In My Own Tears" with Mary Ann Fisher (who also toured with the band as a featured solo singer between 1956 and 1958), supported by two other girls, but now he wanted to make this kind of female backing vocals part of his sound, permanently.
He first invited The Cookies for a recording session in New York City, in August 1956, where they taped "Lonely Avenue", "I Want To Know" and "Leave My Woman Alone". Margie Hendrix, Dorothy Jones, and Darlene McCrea formed the first line-up. In 1958 The Cookies were re-baptized as The Raelettes (Raeletts, Raelets, etc.), and started touring with The Genius.
Margie Hendrix explained the name change from "Cookies" to "Raelet(t)(te)s" in an October 1961 interview in the French jazz magazine Jazz Hot: "Since we became an integrated part of Ray Charles' orchestra, it would have been perfectly stupid to continue using the 'Cookies' name. On a nice morning Ray tackled the problem, and came to the conclusion that only two names were possible: the 'Silver Bells' or the 'Raelets'. I immediately rejected the 'Silver Bells' - that name appeared ridiculous to me. And that's how we called ourselves the Raelets. We've never been [called] the 'Raylettes': that name would be an error. In American [English] Ray is [a name] for men, and Rae is for the ladies."
Estelle Bennett
Bennett married the group's road manager, Joe Dong, and they had a daughter, Toyin. She was frequently romantically associated with a number of contemporary singers, including Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Johnny Mathis and George Hamilton. Her mental health deteriorated in the following years. It was reported that, during a visit to fellow former Ronette Nedra Talley, she slept through her own baby daughter's crying. She was reported to have had periods of homelessness, during which she would approach strangers in the streets of New York, telling people that she would be singing with the Ronettes in a jazz club.
Ronnie Spector
In the early to mid-1970s, Spector briefly reformed the Ronettes (as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes) with two new members (Chip Fields Hurd, the mother of actress Kim Fields, and Diane Linton). In her book, Spector recounted several abortive attempts to recapture mainstream success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, during which time she was widely perceived as an oldies act.
Toni Willé
Toni Willé (full name Antonia Johanna Cornelia Kowalczyk; born 26 June 1953) is a Dutch country pop artist who was lead vocalist of the band, Pussycat.
Be My Baby
"Be My Baby" was the first Ronettes song produced by Phil Spector released on his label, Philles Records. The group had already recorded a track by Greenwich and Barry called "Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love", but this was held back in favor of "Be My Baby". The song reached #2 on the U.S. "Billboard" Pop Singles Chart (kept from the top spot by The Fireballs' "Sugar Shack") and #4 on the UK's "Record Retailer". It also peaked at number four on the R&B chart. The single sold more than two million copies in 1963. In her autobiography, lead vocalist Ronnie Spector relates that she was on tour with Joey Dee and the Starlighters when "Be My Baby" was introduced by Dick Clark on American Bandstand as the "Record of the Century."
Nancy Overton
In the early 1990s, The Chordettes regrouped with Overton, Doris Alberti, and original members Lynn Evans and Jean Swain, doing shows ranging from a doo wop concert to touring with Eddy Arnold. A live cassette of a concert in Branson, Missouri was recorded.
The Ronettes
In August 1966, the Ronettes teamed up with the Beatles for a 14-city tour across America. Phil Spector became so enraged when Ronnie expressed a desire to accompany Estelle and Nedra on the tour that Ronnie was forced to remain in California with him while the girls' cousin Elaine, who had previously been in the group, filled her slot on the tour, while Nedra or Estelle assumed the lead vocals on stage. A picture published in the November 1966 issue of "Ebony Magazine" showed Nedra Talley singing lead, while Estelle and Elaine stood behind her singing harmony.
Laredo, Texas
From 1959 to 1972, the six-member singing group, The Rondels dominated the musical scene in Laredo. Carlos Saenz Landin, the lead singer, left the group to work for the Dallas Independent School District but years later returned to Laredo. Lead guitarist Humberto Donovan served in the United States Marine Corps. The late Roberto Alonzo played the bass guitar. Sammy Ibarra, played the keyboard and composed the song, “Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You).” He subsequently became a pastor. Singer Noe Adolfo Esparza pursued a college career and became a supervisor for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. As of 2017, he was still performing with the oldies group, Los Fabulosos in Laredo. Joe Lee Vera served in the United States Navy and played drums for The Rondels. Several of Vera's brothers were drummers too. The Rondels packed the Laredo Civic Center Auditorium. Two other songs characteristic of the group are “Ya-Ya” and “All Night Worker.” With their disbanding, Juan Cisneros of Laredo recalls The Rondels "left a large void that will never be forgotten."
The Ronettes
There were internal problems within the group as well. "You also have to remember that Nedra and Estelle stood in the background while I got to bask in the spotlight," Ronnie later wrote. "I was the one who flew out to California and sang lead on all our records. I was the one deejays wanted to talk to. And I was the one our producer was in love with, which meant I get the preferential treatment in all kinds of other ways which [quite understandably] drove them crazy." "I hated the 'dog-eat-dog' side of show-business," Nedra Talley later commented. "I hated pushing for the next record and the feeling of failure if we didn't get it. There was a continual demand on us to produce that I thought was unfair. My personality didn't like that." Nedra's disdain for show business fueled her choice to marry Scott Ross.
Ron Elliott (musician)
Ronald Charles "Ron" Elliott (born October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S. top 20 hits "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little." In addition to reuniting with the Beau Brummels on occasion over the years, Elliott released a solo album in 1970, and has played on and produced albums by a number of other artists.
The Royalettes
The Royalettes (also credited as Sheila Ross and her Royalettes) were a four-girl group from Baltimore, Maryland who exemplified the "sweet soul" style of the mid-60s.
The Raelettes
In these early years Margie Hendrix was the Raelette's foremost member. Ray Charles said about her, "Aretha, Gladys, Etta James — these gals are all bad, but on any given night, Margie will scare you to death." 
The first line-up that backed Ray during live performances consisted of Margie Hendrix, Pat Lyles, and Gwen Berry. The second known line-up was Margie Hendrix , Patricia Lyles, Gwen Berry, and Darlene McCrea. From the early years until the end the group always consisted out of 4 or 5 singers. Rita Graham recorded the album "Vibrations", produced by Ray Charles for his Tangerine label, "before" she briefly sub'ed as Raelette in the summer of 1968. For several other girls Ray Charles also produced and released one or more solo singles: Margie Hendrix, Clydie King, Alex Brown, Dorothy Berry, and Madelyn Quebec (Ray frequently backing them on piano). In 1973 Margie Hendrix Died of a Drug Overdose
The Triolettes
In the early 1930s The Triolettes played on local stations CFRB and WBEN (in Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Their debut performance included the songs “Without that Man,” words and music by Walter Donaldson, published in 1932, “I Need Lovin’,” composed by Henry Creamer and Jimmy Johnson, published in 1926 by Jerome H. Remick & Co., and “Now That You’re Gone” composed by Gus Kahn and Ted Fiorito, published in 1931 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. The Triolettes harmonized, sang and played piano and banjos. They first played on a weekly radio program called The Banjo Twins, which included Jack Clemens, Loretta’s brother. Jack Clemens died in 1970.
Kenickie
Du Santiago and Montrose went on to form a new band called Rosita, and released two singles before splitting up. Du Santiago - as Marie Nixon - is now a member of The Cornshed Sisters and former head of communications for the Northern region of the Arts Council. In Autumn 2012, she took up position as Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland Students' Union. Johnny X went on to record under the name J Xaverre. He toured with Peter Brewis of Field Music's new project 'The Week That Was' and later played in Frankie & The Heartstrings. Montrose completed a PhD in sociology in 2010 at Goldsmiths University. After some time as a research fellow in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow, she returned to Goldsmiths in January 2015 as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology
The band's one-time touring keyboard player Tony O'Neill (known in the band as Elvis Wesley) is now an author, living in the United States. 
Lauren Laverne released one solo EP, and sang on the 2000 Mint Royale single, "Don't Falter", which reached No. 15 in the UK chart. Laverne also was an uncredited vocalist on The Divine Comedy's 2004 single "Come Home Billy Bird" which reached No. 25 in the same chart. Since then she has presented various radio shows on radio station Xfm, most notably the breakfast show, before quitting in April 2007. She has also moved into television, originally as a guest on early episodes of music quiz "Never Mind the Buzzcocks". She earned her own weekly spot on Channel 4 music show "Planet Pop" and became presenter, with Myleene Klass, of ITV music programme in 2005, and hosted Channel 4's music show "Transmission" with Steve Jones in 2006 and 2007. She is currently lead host of BBC 2's "The Culture Show" and has her own daily radio show on BBC 6 Music, as well as occasionally deputising for holidaying presenters on BBC Radio 2. She co-hosted Channel 4 show, "10 O'Clock Live", with David Mitchell, Jimmy Carr and Charlie Brooker. As of 2018, she is also a temporary host of BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs".
The Ronettes
On their first night in the UK, the women attended a party at Tony Hall's house where they met the Beatles. After meeting Ronnie and John Lennon became fast friends, remaining so until Lennon's death. Estelle and George Harrison also spent time together. But for Ronnie, one of the biggest thrills was meeting Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who were the opening act for the Ronettes on their UK tour. The feeling was mutually shared by Richards, who wrote of his relationship with Ronnie: "The first time I ever went to heaven was when I awoke with Ronnie (later Spector!) Bennett asleep with a smile on her face. We were kids. It doesn't get any better than that."
The Ronettes
After the success of "Walking in the Rain", the Ronettes' popularity had clearly begun to wane. In February 1965, Philles Records released the group's next single, "Born to Be Together", which only reached number 52 on the "Billboard" 100. Over the course of the next year, the Ronettes recorded a song catalog which, once completed, Phil Spector refused to release. Many attribute this to his insecurities and growing love for Ronnie. As the popularity of the group rose, their relationship grew deeper, and soon they were living together. Spector allegedly did not want the Ronettes to become too popular, in fear they would one day outshine him, perhaps explaining why he did not release recordings the Ronettes were contractually obligated to make. This allowed for the Motown group the Supremes to eclipse them to become the most popular female group of the time.
The Ronettes
After "Is This What I Get for Loving You?" was released in June 1965, over a year passed before the Ronettes' next single was released. "I Can Hear Music", written by Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich and produced by Barry, was issued in October 1966, barely making it into the "Billboard" 100 by peaking at number 100 for exactly one week before it fell off the charts. The song was covered by the Beach Boys in 1969 with much greater success.
Gladys Horton
Gladys Catherine Horton (May 30, 1945 – January 26, 2011) (various sources cite her year of birth as 1944) was an American R&B and pop singer, famous for being the founder and lead singer of the popular Motown all-female vocal group The Marvelettes.
Gladys Horton
Formerly calling themselves "The Casinyets (can't sing yet)", the group eventually auditioned for Motown after a talent contest, and while the audition was successful, the group was requested to return to Hitsville with an original song. After member Georgia Dobbins co-created the song "Please Mr. Postman", Dobbins suddenly left the group after her father forbade her to be in nightclubs. Dobbins, who was also the group's original lead singer, gave Horton the spotlight to be the lead vocalist, a spot Horton was not comfortable with in the beginning. The group changed their name to the Marvelettes shortly after Motown signed the act and released "Please Mr. Postman" in the summer of 1961 when Horton was reportedly just fifteen years old.
Ron Dante
Ron Dante (born Carmine John Granito, August 22, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, session vocalist, and record producer. Dante is best known as the lead singer of the fictional cartoon band The Archies; he was also the voice of The Cuff Links and co-produced Barry Manilow's first nine albums.
Do I Love You? (The Ronettes song)
"Do I Love You?" is a song written by Phil Spector, Pete Andreoli and Vini Poncia. It was recorded by American girl group The Ronettes in 1964 and released on their debut album "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes".
The Ronettes
All three Ronettes, along with every other artist who was signed with Phil Spector in 1963, were featured on the Christmas LP "A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector". For this album, the Ronettes recorded three songs: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Frosty the Snowman", and "Sleigh Ride". All artists sang on the album's finale, "Silent Night", which opened with a spoken message from Phil Spector, wishing a Merry Christmas and thanking everyone for supporting the cooperative artists.
The Ronettes
After "Be My Baby", the Ronettes became headliners at several Murray the K Holiday Shows in NYC and did package tours in the US and England. By late 1965, even without a recent hit, the group continued to make appearances at popular night clubs and on television shows, grace the covers of music magazines, and be featured on "The Big TNT Show", produced by Phil Spector as a concert, and filmed and released as a TV movie.
René Angélil
Angélil started out in 1961 as a pop singer in Montréal. He formed a pop rock group, Les Baronets (), with childhood friends Pierre Labelle and Jean Beaulne. Les Baronets had some hits during the 1960s, mostly translations of English-language pop hits from the United Kingdom or the United States, such as ""C'est fou, mais c'est tout"" in 1964 (a translation of The Beatles' song "Hold Me Tight"). After the dissolution of the group in 1972, Angélil and best friend Guy Cloutier began managing artists.
Ron Dante
The Archies single “Sugar, Sugar,” written and composed by producer Jeff Barry with Andy Kim, was the number-one selling record of 1969 in the United States. Four years earlier, Dante had been a member of the parody group The Detergents, who recorded a novelty song called "Leader of the Laundromat." Concurrent with his work on the Archies project, Dante was also employed as a session singer and performed many television and commercial jingles.
The Rockettes
The Rockettes have long been represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists. In 1967, they won a month-long strike for better working conditions, which was led by AGVA salaried officer Penny Singleton. In August 2002, contract negotiations for the troupe's veteran members resulted in a buyout by the owners of The Radio City Music Hall. Roughly a fourth of the veteran Rockettes were offered retirement options, while the remaining dancers were offered the opportunity to re-audition.
After All (The Miracles song)
"After All" is a 1960 song written by Smokey Robinson and originally recorded and released by The Miracles on the Tamla label. It was later covered as an unreleased single by The Supremes for Tamla; it was canceled in favor of the single "Buttered Popcorn", and their cover wasn't released until it appeared on the 2000 box set, "The Supremes". The song is noted for both groups' unusual choices for leads. For the Miracles' version it serves as a rare lead for Claudette Rogers Robinson, instead of the group’s main lead, Claudette's husband, Smokey Robinson. In the Supremes' case it is their only single to feature Barbara Martin singing on lead vocals (although she does have a spoken line during the song "(He's) Seventeen"). Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross sing verses, and Martin sings the bridge (usually Ballard or Ross was given the lead on the group's recordings at that time). "After All" was also later covered by The Marvelettes, in the early 1970s, with group member Wanda Young Rogers as lead. (There's a connection to the two previous groups in that Wanda Young was the wife of Miracles member Bobby Rogers, and she was the only member of The Marvelettes on the song—as with the late-1960s singles of The Supremes, The Andantes served as background singers.) Their version appears on the album "The Return of the Marvelettes", and later became the group's belated final single (it failed to chart).
You (George Harrison song)
George Harrison's admiration for American soul/R&B acts dated back to the early 1960s, to singles by Doris Troy, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and others. A similar influence on him and his fellow Beatles was that era's girl group sound, as reflected in the band's choice of cover versions during 1962–63. In 1969, while producing Billy Preston's debut album on Apple Records, Harrison worked with Doris Troy in London and signed her to the label as a recording artist, songwriter and producer. Another of his favourite female vocalists was Ronnie Spector – formerly known as Veronica Bennett, lead singer of girl group the Ronettes until 1967, and latterly married to American producer Phil Spector. After co-producing Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" triple album in 1970, following the break-up of the Beatles, Spector was granted an unofficial role as head of A&R for Apple Records, and had previously insisted that his wife record for the label. That year, Harrison wrote the soul-inspired "You" as what he later termed "a Ronettes sort of song", specifically for Ronnie Spector.
The Chordettes
The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The original members of the group were Janet Ertel, Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel (replaced by Carol Buschmann, her sister-in-law, in 1947), Dorothy "Dottie" (Hummitzsch) Schwartz, and Jinny Osborn/Lockard (April 25, 1927 – May 19, 2003). In 1952 Lynn Evans replaced Schwartz and in 1953, Margie Needham replaced Osborn (who was having a baby), though Osborn later returned to the group. Nancy Overton also was a member of the group at a later time. Originally they sang folk music in the style of The Weavers, but eventually changed to a harmonizing style of the type known as barbershop harmony or close harmony. Part of this change seems to be influenced by Osborn's father.
The Ronettes
According to her accounts, Phil Spector kept Ronnie a near-prisoner in their 23-room mansion in California. He brought her into the studio only once during their marriage. During this session, which took place in early 1969 at A&M Records, she recorded "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered!" The song was released in March 1969, failing to make an impact on radio stations, which were now playing music in the style of Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. Later in 1969, Ronnie and Estelle were invited into the studio by Jimi Hendrix to record backing vocals on "Earth Blues". Their work on the song earned the Ronettes a credit on the LP "Rainbow Bridge."
The Ronettes
Furthering their interest in show business, Estelle was enrolled at Startime, a popular dancing school in the 1950s, while Ronnie became fascinated with Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. In 1957, Ronnie formed the group which would later become known as the Ronettes. Composed of Ronnie, her sister Estelle, and their cousins Nedra, Diane, and Elaine, the five girls learned how to perfect their harmonies first at their grandmother's house, and they became proficient in songs such as “Goodnight Sweetheart” and “Red Red Robin”. Emulating Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the girls added their male cousin Ira to the group and signed up for a Wednesday night amateur show at the Apollo Theatre run by a friend of Ronnie and Estelle's mother. The show started out as a disaster; when the house band started playing Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", Ira did not sing a word, so Ronnie took over. "I strutted out across the stage, singing as loud as I could," Ronnie later recalled. "When I finally heard a few hands of scattered applause, I sang even louder. That brought a little more applause, which was all I needed."
Tiny Tim (musician)
Tiny Tim appeared in Jack Smith's "Normal Love" (1963), as well as the independent feature film "You Are What You Eat" (1968) in which he sang the Ronettes song "Be My Baby" in his falsetto range; also featured was a rendition of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe", with Tim singing the Cher parts in his falsetto voice, along with Eleanor Barooshian singing Sonny Bono's baritone part. These tracks were recorded with musicians who went on to be in The Band. The "I Got You Babe" performance led to a booking on the "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In", an American television comedy-variety show. Co-host Dan Rowan announced that "Laugh-In" believed in showcasing new talent, and introduced Tiny Tim. The singer entered carrying a shopping bag, pulled his Martin soprano ukulele from it, and sang a medley of "A Tisket A Tasket" and "On The Good Ship Lollipop" as an apparently dumbfounded co-host Dick Martin watched. For his third number on "Laugh-In", Tiny Tim entered blowing kisses, preceded by an elaborate procession of the cast and, after a short interview, he sang "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".
Ronnie Browne
Ronnie Browne ("The Voice") (born Ronald Grant Browne, 20 August 1937 in Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland), is a Scottish folk musician and songwriter, who is a founding member of The Corries.
Browne was born in Edinburgh to John Albert 'Bertie' Browne, a transporter of Bourbon war rationed chocolates and Anne 'Nancy' Browne. He was raised around Scotland, namely Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Aside from singing, Browne's other abilities are painting and rugby, having once played as a winger for Boroughmuir. He met Roy Williamson on the rugby field, as Williamson had played as a winger also for Boroughmuir's rivals Edinburgh Wanderers.
The Ronettes
As the British Invasion took full force on the American music scene in 1964, the Ronettes were one of the few groups that were able to maintain their relevance. When they toured the UK in January 1964, they had been asked by John Lennon to accompany the Beatles on their flight to America on February 7, 1964, but Spector denied them the opportunity to do so. Instead, throughout 1964, the group appeared on numerous television shows such as "Shindig!", "American Bandstand", "Hullabaloo", and British TV show "Ready, Steady, Go!" As the popularity of other groups such as The Crystals, The Marvelettes, and The Angels began to wane, that of the Ronettes continued to grow.
The Ronettes
It was reported that Phil Spector, in his capacity as a member of the Board of Governors, resisted the Ronettes (and Darlene Love) being nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although they had been eligible for a considerable time. The alleged reasons included the acrimonious divorce of Ronnie and Spector, in addition to the group's having successfully sued Spector for back royalties. Spector claimed that, apart from Ronnie, the other group members did not appear on their records, and that they did not make the contribution required for induction. 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 on March 12, 2007, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Keith Richards, a 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 was not well enough to perform, so Tricia Scotti (a regular backup singer with Ronnie) took her place behind the microphone.
Ronnie Spector
The Ronettes were a popular live attraction around the greater New York area in the early 1960s. Looking for a recording contract, they initially were signed to Colpix Records and produced by Stu Phillips. 
After releasing a few singles on Colpix without success, they were signed by Phil Spector to Philles Records. Their relationship with Spector brought chart success with "Be My Baby", "Baby, I Love You", "The Best Part of Breakin' Up", "Do I Love You?", and "Walking in the Rain". The group had two top 100 hits in 1965: "Born to Be Together" and "Is This What I Get for Loving You?" The group broke up in early 1967, following a European concert tour that included their appearance at the Moonlight Lounge, in Gelnhausen, Germany, where they entertained American military personnel. The Ronettes were never to reunite until their 2007 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Playboy (The Marvelettes song)
"Playboy" is a song composed by Brian Holland, Robert Bateman, Mickey Stevenson and singer Gladys Horton, lead vocalist of the Motown singing group The Marvelettes, who recorded the song and released it as a single on Motown's Tamla imprint in 1962. The single, led by Horton, is about a man who fools around with a lot of women and the woman who narrates the story warns him to stay away from her due to the stories she heard of him "running around with every woman in town". Horton is helped out in the song by her Marvelettes cohorts Wanda Young, Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson & Juanita Cowart. This was released as the third single by the Marvelettes and was their second top ten pop hit reaching number seven on the charts while reaching number four on the R&B chart.
Ronnie &amp; the Hi-Lites
The group originally called the Cascades, initially consisted of tenors Sonny Caldwell and John Whitney, bass singer Kenny Overby and baritone Stanley Brown. Adding 12-year-old Ronnie Goodson as their lead singer, they were soon introduced to songwriter/producer team Marion & Hal Weiss, who offered them "I Wish That We Were Married", a-side to "Twistin' and Kissin'".
The Ronettes
Ronnie and the Relatives soon became “The Ronettes”. Colpix issued the first two singles credited to the Ronettes, "Silhouettes" and a re-issue of "I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead", on its May label in April and June 1962, respectively. Both singles disappointingly failed to chart. Later that year, they were flown to Miami to open a Florida branch of The Peppermint Lounge. After their performance at the Miami gala, radio host Murray the K came backstage and introduced himself to them. He asked the women to begin appearing at his shows at The Brooklyn Fox in New York. They agreed, taking the Fox stage in 1962 and completing a transition from Murray the K's "Dancing Girls", to back-up singing for other acts, to performing as the Ronettes before year's end. It was during this time that the women evolved their iconic look, wearing ever more exaggerated eye make-up while teasing their hair to impossible proportions. "We'd look pretty wild by the time we got out onstage," Ronnie later recalled, "and the kids loved it." Colpix's May label issued a final single by the Ronettes in March 1963. When "Good Girls" failed to chart, the women decided to look elsewhere for studio work.
Estelle Bennett
The first incarnation of what was to become the Ronettes appeared in when Bennett was 14. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, the trio reinvented themselves as the Ronettes. Signed up by a then 23-year-old Phil Spector, Ronnie was made lead, with Estelle and Nedra as backing. After the Ronettes' 1966 break-up, Bennett recorded a single for Laurie Records, "The Year 2000/The Naked Boy". She then quit the music business and was rarely seen afterwards. In 2007, when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it was decided that she was too fragile to perform with them, and she spoke only a brief two sentences during her acceptance speech, "I would just like to say, thank you very much for giving us this award. I'm Estelle of the Ronettes, thank you." She did, however, come back out on stage for a final bow with the rest of the Ronettes after the performance of "Be My Baby".
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica is the debut album of American girl group the Ronettes, released in 1964. Comprising numerous singles produced by Phil Spector since the previous year, it was at #96 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. Issued singles included "Be My Baby" (US #2), "Walking in the Rain" (US #23), "Baby, I Love You" (US #24), "Do I Love You?" (US #34), and "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up" (US #39). The track "So Young" had been released as a single credited to Veronica, although the other Ronettes, Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley, appear on the record.
The Marvelettes
Wanda Rogers, who had suffered from a number of personal problems for some time, became unreliable and difficult to work with. Concert scheduling was difficult as she sometimes failed to turn up for performances. In 1970, Rogers recorded songs for a solo album, produced by Smokey Robinson and including covers of earlier Motown recordings, which Motown decided to market as "The Return of The Marvelettes". As this album featured no other Marvelettes, original member Katherine Anderson refused to participate in appearing on the cover of the album due to what she felt was Motown's disrespect towards her and the group. The album was only a modest hit, reaching #50 on the R&B album charts and featured no charted hit singles. Following this, the group disbanded with Katherine Anderson settling briefly as a staff writer for Motown. After Motown moved to Los Angeles in 1972, Anderson and Rogers left the business altogether returning to Michigan with Anderson settling in her hometown of Inkster while Rogers moved to Southfield, Michigan. Meanwhile, Gladys Horton had moved to Los Angeles where she raised her three sons.
Phil Spector
His second marriage was to Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector. Bennett was the lead singer of the girl group the Ronettes (another group Spector managed and produced). Their marriage lasted from 1968 to 1974. They adopted three children, Donté Phillip Spector (born March 23, 1969), Louis Phillip Spector, and Gary Phillip Spector (twins, born May 12, 1966). In later years, Bennett stated that Spector had kept her imprisoned in their California mansion and subjected her to verbal abuse. She left the home in 1972. Later, Gary and Donte stated that their father kept them captive as children and were forced to simulate sex acts with his girlfriend.
Ron Lauback
In 1980, old friend (and fellow ex-Sinner) Dave Machan persuaded Ron to perform again, along with vocalist Kathy Monaco this time in a folk based group called Trinity (Ron played bass for this group). Trinity recorded an albums' worth of material at Dayson Studios (owned by George Day and also home to much of the work done by Ron Wray for the History of Syracuse Music releases) which still remains unreleased. Though Trinity was successful on the nightclub scene, Ron wanted to return to the rock music that was his first love, and tried to re-form The Saint and the Sinners which soon changed their name to East Side Story (later East Side). East Side specialized in classic oldies and seventies hard rock. This band lasted (with virtually the same line-up) for fifteen years before folding in 2000. Some of the members of East Side were Graham Daniels (1984–2000), Larry Brennan (1984–2000), Tom DiRenzo (1988–2000), John Mirra (1991–1993; 1997–2000), Earl "the Pearl" Hamilton (formerly of The New York Flyers now with Redline (1994–1997), Dave Machan (1984–1987) and Barry Glisker (1984–1989).
The Donays
The lead singer of The Donays was Yvonne Vernee Allen. A decade later, Motown group The Elgins (which broke up in 1967) reunited to tour Britain in 1971 after it enjoyed two unexpected UK Top 20 hits. Yvonne, previously a session vocalist, took the place of former lead vocalist Saundra Mallett Edwards. The reunion sputtered. Yvonne continued singing into the 1990s, working for Ian Levine's Motor City label.
Ronnie Gilbert
Ruth Alice "Ronnie" Gilbert (September 7, 1926 – June 6, 2015) was an American folk singer, songwriter, actress and political activist. She was one of the original members of the music quartet the Weavers, as a contralto with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Fred Hellerman.
The Ronettes
In June 1965, the Ronettes' next single, "Is This What I Get For Loving You?", was released, becoming a minor hit, reaching only number 75 on the "Billboard" 100. However, the song proved popular for TV appearances on "Hullabaloo", "Hollywood A Go-Go", and "Shivaree". The Ronettes failed to achieve another Top 10 hit, while the Supremes scored their fifth consecutive number-one song with "Back in My Arms Again". Some have attributed the decline of their popularity partially to Phil Spector’s unenthusiastic promotions of the Ronettes, possibly from insecurities stemming from his intimate relationship with Ronnie.
The Ikettes
In 1960, when Art Lassiter didn't show up for a recording session, Ike Turner took Lassiter's backup singers, the Artettes — Robbie Montgomery, Frances Hodges, and Sandra Harding — and had them accompany Tina Turner on her first recording, "A Fool in Love". The hit single propelled Ike to form the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, but with a new group of backup singers: Delores Johnson, Eloise Hester, and Jo Armstead. (Montgomery was pregnant and unable to tour.)
The Chipettes
The Chipettes are a fictional group of three female anthropomorphic chipmunk singers—Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor—first appearing on the cartoon series "Alvin and the Chipmunks" in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes. The title of the show was changed from "Alvin and the Chipmunks" to simply "The Chipmunks" in 1988 to reflect this. In the cartoon series and the accompanying feature films, all of the Chipettes were voiced by their creator, Janice Karman, the wife of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. (son of Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., the creator of The Chipmunks). Karman also wrote and voiced the Chipettes' dialogue on their studio albums, while studio singers such as Susan Boyd, Shelby Daniel, and Katherine Coon provided their singing voices. In "Alvin and the Chipmunks", Eleanor is voiced by Vanessa Chambers, the daughter of Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman and wife of Brian Chambers.
So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star
The Swedish pop group Roxette included the song in their 1993 "MTV Unplugged" show. Ronnie Wood also covered "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" on his 2001 solo album, "Not for Beginners".
The Ronettes discography
This article is a discography for American singing group The Ronettes. The Ronettes began recording with Colpix Records in 1961 and recorded eleven songs for Colpix. In March 1963, the group moved to Phil Spector's Philles Records, where they achieved their biggest success.
Jennifer Jones (Rockette)
When Jones crossed the color barrier in 1987, she abolished a longstanding Radio City Music Hall policy against hiring African Americans for its Rockettes’ chorus line so as not to distract from its hallmark of perfectly-synchronized precision and rigid color uniformity. The rule was set-down in 1925 by Russell E. Markert when he founded the Rockettes dance company in St. Louis with its chorus line modeled on the precision dance style inspired by early 20th century dance troupes such as the Ziegfeld Follies and the Folies Bergère.
The Ronettes
"Be My Baby" is also notable for being the first recording by Cher, who performed back-up vocals with Estelle, Nedra, and Sonny Bono. As the girlfriend of Bono, who was working for Phil Spector at the time, Cher was asked to join the back-up singers when one was a no-show. "'Be My Baby' was the first record I ever sang on," Cher later wrote. "... I went out and stood in front of this big speaker and sang 'be my, be my baby' with the Ronettes and all these other singers." After "Be My Baby", Cher became a permanent back-up singer on recordings by the Ronettes, as well as other songs Phil Spector produced until "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".
The Ronettes
While both singles failed to chart on the "Billboard" Top 100, fate intervened in advancing the group's success. A fortuitous case of mistaken identity led to Ronnie and the Relatives making their debut – as dancers rather than a singing act – at New York City's hip The Peppermint Lounge in 1961. It was the height of the Twist craze, and under-aged Nedra and Ronnie disguised themselves to get in. The girls' mothers showed them how to put on make-up and fix their hair to make them look at least 23. When they arrived outside the club, its manager mistook Ronnie, Estelle, and Nedra for the trio supposed to dance behind house band Joey Dee and the Starliters for the evening. He led them in and put them onstage to perform in their place. During the show, Starliter David Brigati even handed the mic over to Ronnie when she started to sing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say". Soon afterward, Ronnie and the Relatives became a permanent act at The Peppermint Lounge, each earning $10 per night to dance The Twist and usually sing a song at some point in the show.
Johnny Gioeli
Re-locating to Hollywood, Killerhit hooked up with bandmate and guitarist Christopher Paul's friend Poison's Bret Michaels. The singer gave them his former publicist Debra Rosner's number who instantly became the band's manager. Realizing the need for a front man, Johnny vacated the drum stool for center stage, Las Vegas native Darek Thomas Cava taking his place behind the drum kit. Soon after, the band realized there was not a single blonde among them, and changed their name to the more appropriate Brunette. The band broke The Doors and Van Halen's single-weekend attendance records on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood CA. Their sensation soon brought attention and admiration to the recording industry. They were courted by top record executives for months. The band had built a loyal worldwide fan base. Differences began to develop in the Brunette camp before a recording deal could be secured, and the band decided to call it quits in 1991. Gioeli then started working with his brother Joey on songs for an album they were going to call Brothers. However, Neal Schon, Journey's guitarist (who was dating their sister at the time) met with them and asked if he could play with them, and they agreed. Then, in 1992, they released their first effort, entitled "Double Eclipse", and called themselves Hardline, which was moderately successful but not enough to get into the mainstream, especially considering its post-Nirvana release. After this they began writing songs for a second album but once again called it quits while recording the songs due to troubles with their manager and Neal Schon. Johnny had all but disappeared from the music scene until, in 1998, German guitarist Axel Rudi Pell found himself in need of a vocalist after the departure of Jeff Scott Soto. Axel had admired Johnny for a long time, stating he always thought Johnny's vocals would go well with his music. Axel eventually found means of contacting Johnny and flew him to Germany to record vocals for his "Oceans of Time" CD, which up to date has been considered as one of the best Axel Rudi Pell albums. He is now the permanent lead vocalist of the band and shows no signs of leaving.
Twistin' Postman
"Twistin' Postman" is a song recorded by Motown singing group The Marvelettes, who released it in 1961, and was the follow-up to their smash debut single, "Please Mr. Postman". Much like that song, it is led by original Marvelette Gladys Horton, and is partially based on the then-current Twist dance move. The song's subject is a sequel of the original "Postman" single and this time the narrator is finally happy that the postman has delivered a letter from the narrator's boyfriend. The song became a modest hit for the group reaching number thirteen on the R&B charts and number thirty-four on the pop singles chart in early 1962. A third single, "Playboy", would return the group to the top ten of the pop and R&B charts later that year.
Ron Rinehart
Ron Rinehart (born January 25, 1965) is an American thrash metal vocalist. He is the lead singer for the American thrash metal band Dark Angel. His stints were from 1987 (after the departure of previous vocalist Don Doty) until the band's dissolution in 1992, and again from 2002 to 2005, when they were reunited. In October 2013, Dark Angel announced another reunion, which also features Rinehart.
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child recorded R&B songs with styles that encompasses urban, contemporary, and dance-pop. In the group's original line-up, Knowles was the lead vocalist, Rowland was the second lead vocalist, Luckett was on soprano, and Roberson was on alto. Knowles remained as the lead vocalist in the group's final line-up as a trio, however, Rowland and Williams also took turns in singing lead for the majority of their songs. Destiny's Child cited R&B singer Janet Jackson as one of their influences. Ann Powers of "The New York Times" described Destiny's Child music as "fresh and emotional ... these ladies have the best mixes, the savviest samples and especially the most happening beats." In the same publication, Jon Pareles noted that the sound that defines Destiny's Child, aside from Knowles' voice, "is the way its melodies jump in and out of double-time. Above brittle, syncopated rhythm tracks, quickly articulated verses alternate with smoother choruses." The group usually harmonize their vocals in their songs, especially on the ballads. In most instances of their songs, each member sings one verse and chimes in at the chorus. In their third album "Survivor" (2001), each member sings lead in the majority of the songs. Knowles said, "... everybody is a part of the music ... Everybody is singing lead on every song, and it's so great—because now Destiny's Child is at the point vocally and mentally that it should be at." Knowles, however, completely led songs like "Brown Eyes" and "Dangerously in Love". The group explored their lyrics to man-to-woman relationship, sisterhood and female empowerment anthems.
The Marvelettes
In mid-1965, Wanda Rogers took over as lead vocalist, as Motown producers felt Rogers' voice was more suitable for this role than Horton's. With Rogers as lead, the group had a hit with "I'll Keep Holding On", which reached #34 while "Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead" settled for a #61 showing but was #11 on the R&B chart. Later in 1965, the group released the Smokey Robinson composition, "Don't Mess with Bill", which brought the group back to the top ten reaching #7 and becoming their second single to sell over a million copies. From then on, with Robinson mainly in charge, most of the Marvelettes singles would feature Rogers on lead. In 1966, they had a modest success with "You're the One" and by the end of that year, they reached the top 20 with "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game", which Smokey had to fight to get released. In 1967, the group recorded the Van McCoy composition, "When You're Young and in Love", which had been originally recorded by Ruby & the Romantics. The song reached #23 in the U.S. and peaked at #13 in the UK, becoming their only British hit.
Walking in the Rain (The Ronettes song)
The Ronettes were the first to release "Walking in the Rain". Their single reached number 23 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 Chart in 1964. The song also reached number three on the R&B Singles Chart in 1965. The single contains sound effects of thunder and lightning, which earned Larry Levine a Grammy nomination. Phil Spector produced the record.
Sarah Reed
Beginning as a drummer, Sarah Reed formed The Bonnot Gang in Olympia, Washington, with two employees of Kill Rock Stars (Sadie Shaw and Maggie Vail), along with the lead singer of Blood Sausage, Dale Shaw. The Bonnot Gang was named after a French criminal anarchist group. They released one song on a Lookout! / Kill Rock Stars split Slice of Lemon and a 7" record on Decomposition.
The Rubettes
The band were to abandon glammy nostalgia to enter more serious territory. "Under One Roof" (1976) was a portrayal of a gay man disowned and later murdered by his father; along with Rod Stewart's "The Killing of Georgie" (1976), it was one of the few songs that tackled the topic of homophobia. Their most successful self-composed hit was the country rock styled ballad "Baby I Know", which reached number 10 in the UK and Germany in 1977. The band became a quintet in early 1975 with the departure of Arnesen, and later became a quartet in mid-1976 when Hurd departed the band; to this day the original band (and Alan Williams' successor) has never expanded its line-up beyond four members. Whilst the band continued as a four-piece; Hurd joined Suzi Quatro's band, touring and playing on a number of worldwide hits, which included the Top 20 success "She's in Love with You" in 1979, before re-joining the Rubettes in 1982.
The Velvelettes
Motown released two additional singles, "Lonely Lonely Girl Am I" and "A Bird In The Hand" on their V.I.P. imprint. Both singles did not reach the same chart levels as their predecessors. The Velvelettes continued to record new material until September 1967, with the Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson song "Bring Back The Sunshine", which was retitled "Dark Side Of The World" when Diana Ross later released a version of the song. The final Velvelettes single release (after an internal label change to Motown's Soul subsidiary) was "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You", which made #43 on the US R&B Charts.
Carolyn Gill began dating Richard Street, lead singer of The Monitors, who would later join The Temptations. Sandra Tilley joined Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, replacing Rosalind Ashford. Carolyn married Street in November 1969 and he dissuaded her from continuing with the Velvelettes (preferring that his wife care for the home) so Gill decided to break up the group and it disbanded.
Ronnie Romero
Ronald Romero, (born 20 november 1981) is a Chilean singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands Lords of Black,CoreLeoni and Rainbow.
Rocky Burnette
Rocky Burnette (born Jonathan Burnette, 12 June 1953) is an American rock and roll singer/musician and the son of rock and roll musician Johnny Burnette. He is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line" which he co-wrote with Ron Coleman, who formerly wrote, recorded and performed with the Brothers Grim and The Everly Brothers.
The Ronettes
Following the successful release of "Walking in the Rain", Philles Records released the group's first studio album, "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica", in late 1964. The album proved to be slightly successful, peaking at number 96 on the "Billboard" charts, but it is notable for being the first evidence of Phil Spector publicly promoting lead singer Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett over Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley. Every Ronettes single after this referred to the group as "The Ronettes featuring Veronica" on the record labels.
Georgeanna Tillman
In 1962, original member Juanita Cowart sang for the Marvelettes until the end of 1963. Continuing on as a quartet, Tillman soon began to have health problems and by 1963 was diagnosed with lupus, she also had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia during childhood. The constant rehearsals, a stringent touring schedule and recording sessions became too much by the beginning of 1965. On the advice of her doctor after she began suffering health issues during performances, Tillman told band mates she was retiring from performing and recording. She officially left the Marvelettes that January with the rest of the group carrying on as a trio. Prior to this Tillman had married Billy Gordon of the popular Motown vocal group The Contours on August 12, 1963, becoming the first of the Marvelettes to marry. They have a son, Darrin Darnell.