{"id":17758,"date":"2017-11-17T07:12:57","date_gmt":"2017-11-17T14:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=17758"},"modified":"2017-11-17T12:20:52","modified_gmt":"2017-11-17T19:20:52","slug":"videoexclusive-interview-ronnie-spector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2017\/11\/videoexclusive-interview-ronnie-spector\/","title":{"rendered":"Video+Exclusive Interview RONNIE SPECTOR"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17775\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-17-RS53-Photo-credit-Debra-Greenfield.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Spector-17 - RS53 - Photo credit Debra Greenfield\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-17-RS53-Photo-credit-Debra-Greenfield.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-17-RS53-Photo-credit-Debra-Greenfield-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview<br \/>\nMusician:\u00a0 <strong>RONNIE SPECTOR<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h1>Video:\u00a0 \u201cBe My Baby\u201d<\/h1>\n<h3><strong>Iconic singer and Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Spector solidifies her status as the Rosetta Stone for female rock performers of today. Christmas tour is set to kick-off.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jrVbawRPO7I\" width=\"660\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Critical respect is at its peak, and Ronnie Spector continues to thrill\u2014inspiring and empowering a new generation of fans as an enduring, transcendent figure, who has overcome adversity to build a career that is nothing short of remarkable<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Ronnie Spector\u2019s Best Christmas Party Ever!<\/em> is a raucous, rocking, and intoxicating blend of her Christmas classics. Ronettes\u2019 hits including \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d recently named by <em>Billboard <\/em>magazine as the #1 Greatest Girl Group Song of All Time, \u201cWalking in the Rain,\u201d \u201cBaby I Love You,\u201d cult gems from her back catalog, a splash of doo\u2013wop, and plenty of Spector\u2019s inimitable off\u2013the\u2013cuff commentary. As an added treat for the upcoming Holiday shows, Spector will perform as \u2018Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes\u2019 for the first time since the 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>At Spector\u2019s December 11, 2017 concert in Austin, she\u2019ll be joined by special guest Wanda Jackson, \u2018Queen of Rockabilly.\u2019 For three decades, Spector\u2019s Christmas show has been a cherished holiday tradition, with a song list that includes her renditions of \u201cFrosty the Snowman,\u201d \u201cSleigh Ride,\u201d and \u201cI Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.\u201d Her definitive versions of \u201cFrosty\u201d and \u201cSleigh Ride\u201d dominate the airwaves at Christmas time and are perennials on ASCAP\u2019s list of the Top 20 Most\u2013Played Holiday Songs for the past decade. Spector\u2019s Christmas tracks have also been heard in hit movies such as <em>Goodfellas<\/em>, <em>Joy<\/em> and <em>Jingle All the Way<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17773\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-1-Photo-credit-Ruven-Afanador-CPI-Syndication.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Spector\" width=\"660\" height=\"870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-1-Photo-credit-Ruven-Afanador-CPI-Syndication.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-1-Photo-credit-Ruven-Afanador-CPI-Syndication-227x300.jpg 227w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-1-Photo-credit-Ruven-Afanador-CPI-Syndication-300x395.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For Ronnie Spector, her upcoming holiday shows are the latest highlight in a current stretch described by <em>People <\/em>magazine as a \u201cvictory lap\u201d for \u201cThe Original Rock Queen.\u201d Spector\u2019s busy 2017 has included the release of \u201cLove Power,\u201d her first single recorded with The Ronettes in decades, a commanding performance at Lincoln Center, her first tour dates as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes since the 1970s, an appearance on Fox-TV\u2019s <em>Good Day New York<\/em>, a main stage performance at SF Pride and more.<\/p>\n<p>NPR included Spector\u2019s 1964 debut at #20 on their \u201c150 Greatest Albums of the Rock Era, Made by Female Artists,\u201d and Spector was presented with the Legend Award by The Women\u2019s International Music Network at their She Rocks Awards ceremony. In addition to being named the #1 Girl Group Song of All Time, \u201cBe My Baby\u201d has been added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, preserved as a work of historical and cultural significance, and is also now an official addition to the Grammy Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p>As a seminal force in sixties rock, Spector\u2019s swagger, moxie and trademark voice, still instantly recognizable from the first note, defined an era. Now in her sixth decade as a performer, Spector has reached a new level of cultural significance. Critical respect is at its peak, and she continues to thrill\u2014inspiring and empowering a new generation of fans as an enduring, transcendent figure, who has overcome adversity to build a career that is nothing short of remarkable. Much as B.B. King came to embody the blues, or Chuck Berry was to early rock \u2019n\u2019 roll, Ronnie Spector has solidified her status as the Rosetta Stone for female rock performers of today.<\/p>\n<p>We talked with Ronnie Spector about her passion for music, her unique look and trademark voice, and the love of music that still keeps her on stage.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17772\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-4-RS-14.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Spector-4 - RS 14\" width=\"660\" height=\"757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-4-RS-14.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-4-RS-14-261x300.jpg 261w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-4-RS-14-300x344.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>RONNIE SPECTOR <\/strong>Web-Exclusive Interview<br \/>\nwith\u00a0<strong><em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>magazine publisher,<strong> Merlin David\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Why do you think \u201cBe My Baby\u201d still resonates with such a wide audience?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cBe My Baby\u201d is two minutes that changed the world. Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry wrote it for me, and that helped my performance\u2014it was real natural. It\u2019s because of its honesty and the arrangement. When it came out, there wasn\u2019t any other recording that sounded similar. A big thing for me always was\u2014not better, just different. And I think \u201cBe My Baby\u201d was that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve been fortunate to play with some amazing musicians.<\/strong><br \/>\nI had Earl Palmer, Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell\u2014I had the best musicians. For years now another one, Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel\u2019s former drummer, plays with me. But last year at the NAMM show outside Los Angeles in Anaheim, Hal Blaine came to play on \u201cBe My Baby\u201d\u2014and it blew me away. He was amazing, and still is. When he started \u201cBe My Baby\u201d with the bump-da-bump, the audience went crazy, and I did too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us more about the amazing drummer Hal Blaine.<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen we first recorded \u201cBe My Baby\u201d\u2014once I heard that \u201cbump-da-bump\u201d that Hal Blaine played, I immediately came in with (<em>sings<\/em>) \u201cThe night we met\u201d\u2014and it blew his mind. Hal stopped playing because he heard my voice and went nuts. All the other musicians did too. My voice wasn\u2019t better than most groups, it was just different. Even when we did the Dick Clark show, he thought we were Native Americans. He said, \u201cSit still. We\u2019ll show you one of our artists. They\u2019re very interesting. They\u2019re unusual because they make what is, I guess, Native American music. You\u2019ll see in a moment. It\u2019s one of the popular sellers of the day. Ladies and gentlemen, the Ronettes.\u201d (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I said\u2014Native Americans? We\u2019re from Spanish Harlem. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17771\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-5.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Spector-5\" width=\"660\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-5.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-5-280x300.jpg 280w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-5-300x320.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>At that time, being from Spanish Harlem must have been unique.<\/strong><br \/>\nWe\u2019d been to so many places, and people thought we were\u2014not better, just different\u2014because we had a different look, and the swish up the side. And we sang and danced. In those days, girl groups didn\u2019t dance\u2014they gave you hand motions. We didn\u2019t do that. We went out one by one. First my sister [Estelle Bennett] would go out, then my cousin Nedra [Talley], and then me. We\u2019d rip it up. It was so great\u2014and it still is.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How does it feel to be performing with the Ronettes after all these decades?<\/strong><br \/>\nI have had a long career in this business. I started making records in 1961, and I\u2019m still making them now. I\u2019ve had some highpoints along the way. But no matter what happens in my career, what I do or where I go, nothing compares to those magical times between 1963 and 1966. There was an innocence about the music and the times, and I miss that. Way before all the craziness, the lawsuits, the rip offs\u2014it was so much fun. So performing as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes I get closer to that vibe, when it was all about the fun. It feels great getting the reaction from the crowd when I get up there with the girls\u2014doing our thing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s different about these new live shows?<\/strong><br \/>\nI have two new Ronettes. I was so used to my sister and my cousin. But when we were in Glastonbury, and Adele was on the show, I looked over at the girls and I was having <em>so much<\/em> fun. It reminded me of the sixties with the original Ronettes. I thought\u2014I\u2019ve got to keep these girls and continue with the Ronettes\u2014like it was in the sixties. I\u2019ve never stopped thinking about that moment. Every time I get on stage\u2014it\u2019s good. They have their own little routine. I leave the stage, and they do this thing with a Sam &amp; Dave routine. And I come back out. I love it <em>so <\/em>much.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you take care of your instantly recognizable, iconic voice?<\/strong><br \/>\nI don\u2019t go out to parties and really don\u2019t use my voice much except on stage. I still drink my coffee in the morning. There are no routines, just no real excess. I\u2019m very lucky. I still sing my classic hits in the same key I recorded them in. It\u2019s mostly in my genes I guess.<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17770\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-7.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Spector-7\" width=\"660\" height=\"583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-7.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-7-300x265.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Your shows are intense. What do you do to relax afterwards?<\/strong><br \/>\nI simply go back to my room. I don\u2019t drink\u2014I hate drinking. I still smoke\u2014cigarettes, that is. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) Even though we got known in a club, I don\u2019t go to clubs. The Peppermint Lounge was the first place we performed. But I would be thinking\u2014oh, I\u2019ve got school in the morning. Am I going to be able to do my homework tonight? It\u2019s so late. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment when you thought \u201c<em>Wow, this is really happening to me<\/em>\u201d?<\/strong><br \/>\nNever. Being on stage is where I belong, never a problem. Off the stage, I am a shy person, and it\u2019s not always easy. There might have been a moment where I pinched myself because of who was in the audience\u2014like the President, but never on stage. I am always having fun on stage.<\/p>\n<p>When I was in high school, at night, the Ronettes would perform at the Peppermint Lounge before we ever had a hit record. The Pepp was the hottest club in the country, everyone wanted to get in there. I remember twisting on the rails and looking out and seeing people like Jackie Kennedy, Jayne Mansfield, Judy Garland\u2014and thinking about homework.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It must have been an exciting scene.<\/strong><br \/>\nWe\u2019d see people like Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe. Even though we were on stage, we were star struck\u2014singing to these superstars. I was only 18. I could hardly sleep at night. I remember taking Sominex, so I could get up in time for school the next day. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) That was until I had a hit record, and then I graduated from high school. But we were star struck. 50 years ago, for a girl like me\u201418 years old, seeing Jackie O doing the twist! It was incredible. All clubs back then were about dancing, and everyone came there and danced.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us about one of those clubs.<\/strong><br \/>\nIn London, John Lennon had taken me to a club called the Crazy Elephant. Judy Garland was dancing, and I was dancing with John. Paul [McCartney] was sitting there with his girlfriend, Jane Asher. Girls in the 60s wore spiked heels, and all of a sudden Judy rammed into my foot. I almost had a heart attack. But I was in awe that it was Judy Garland. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I couldn\u2019t yell at her. So I walked off limping, and sat down. John kept saying, \u201cAre you OK?\u201d (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17768\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17768\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17768\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-11-Debbie-Harry-Ronnie-Spector-photo-by-Derek-Storm.jpeg\" alt=\"Debbie Harry-Ronnie Spector photo by Derek Storm\" width=\"660\" height=\"997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-11-Debbie-Harry-Ronnie-Spector-photo-by-Derek-Storm.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-11-Debbie-Harry-Ronnie-Spector-photo-by-Derek-Storm-198x300.jpeg 198w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-11-Debbie-Harry-Ronnie-Spector-photo-by-Derek-Storm-300x453.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17768\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Debbie Harry-Ronnie Spector photo by Derek Storm<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>These days, it\u2019s all about your live shows?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes, my live shows. I never think about recording. The main thing is my live shows. If something comes up, like <em>English Heart<\/em> in 2016, I\u2019ll do it. I really love that album because we did songs of when I was at my peak and all the guy groups were traveling with <em>us<\/em>. The Ronettes were the headliners, and the Rolling Stones were our opening act. The Beatles hadn\u2019t come to America yet, but they came to our record company party in England. So many people worked with us\u2014the Kinks, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds. I could go on and on. And that\u2019s why I did that album. I even did a Beatles song because it reminded me of a time when we were at our peak.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Did you stay in touch with them?<\/strong><br \/>\nAll those guys came to America about three weeks after we left. We were the only group the Beatles knew when they got to America. They called, \u201cHey Ronnie, we don\u2019t know a person here.\u201d I went to them, and snuck them out and took them to Harlem. We went to this barbeque place, and they loved it because nobody asked for their autograph. They fit in with us and our Spanish neighborhood because our guys too didn\u2019t get haircuts for a long time. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>What that a popular BBQ joint?<\/strong><br \/>\nWe took them to Sherman\u2019s BBQ at 151<sup>st<\/sup> Street and Amsterdam Ave\u2014which is where my father used to take my mother. They had a jukebox in there, and those guys loved it. They could go up to the jukebox, have it play songs, and sit down and eat. They loved it. And no one knew who they were.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which songwriters inspired you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was lucky to have great songwriters in the 60s\u2014Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann and Harry Nilsson. I got spoiled by having songs written just for <em>me<\/em>. Most of the time that wasn\u2019t the case back then. Then in the 80s, a few writers wrote songs for me\u2014Desmond Child with Diane Warren, and also Narada Michael Walden. Those were easily the best recordings I made in that decade.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songs inspired you at an early age?<\/strong><br \/>\nI grew up listening to rock \u2019n\u2019 roll in the 50s, so doo wop was the big thing. Growing up in Spanish Harlem, you had groups singing on the stoop and on the street corners. We\u2019d go to the Palladium to dance to Tito Puente and Jimmy Castor\u2014we watched them perform.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17767\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17767\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17767\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-12-Ronettesinwhitedresses.jpg\" alt=\"Ronettes in white dresses\" width=\"660\" height=\"832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-12-Ronettesinwhitedresses.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-12-Ronettesinwhitedresses-237x300.jpg 237w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-12-Ronettesinwhitedresses-300x378.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ronettes in white dresses<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Who was your biggest inspiration?<\/strong><br \/>\nFrankie Lymon\u2014he was my inspiration and the reason I do what I do. For a female vocal group, there was Arlene Smith and the Chantels singing \u201cMaybe.\u201d I still get goose bumps when I hear that song. And the same guy who produced Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers also produced the Chantels\u2014and Richie Barrett, who sang \u201cSome Other Guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was the street scene like what we see in those old movies?<\/strong><br \/>\nThat\u2019s what it was really like. We had a grandmother, and there were a lot of girls in my family\u2014first cousins and others. My grandmother wouldn\u2019t let us go out to see those groups. We lived on the top floor\u2014the seventh floor, and we could see for miles. The neighborhood had a lot of Spanish, and a lot of black. You\u2019d see those groups just waiting to get a chance. And their parents would say\u2014go outside and sing. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) Even my grandmother would say, \u201cGirls, if you want to sing\u2014go downstairs to the lobby, and I\u2019ll cook dinner for you.\u201d But she would never let us go outside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where did you go to sing?<\/strong><br \/>\nI had all these cousins singing background for me. Then, we\u2019d go up on the roof, and that was the greatest thing because we could see everything. We could see Jersey\u2014Palisades Park, and at night everything glittered. In the summer, we could see the Cyclone roller coasters and all the rides there. It was a beautiful sight to see Jersey from my grandmother\u2019s roof.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your description gives more meaning to the song \u201cUp on the Roof.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nOh. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) Doesn\u2019t it? I didn\u2019t think about that until you said it. I think about that song, and that Ben E. King song \u201cSpanish Harlem\u201d that Jerry Leiber wrote with my ex-husband. I heard that song and I thought\u2014my goodness, he\u2019s talking about me. All of those things back then were so real. You listen to those voices in the late 50s and early 60s\u2014oh, you couldn\u2019t beat Frankie Lymon\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17766\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17766\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17766\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-13-Ronnie-Photo-credit-Kevin-Dilworth.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie - Photo credit Kevin Dilworth\" width=\"660\" height=\"931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-13-Ronnie-Photo-credit-Kevin-Dilworth.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-13-Ronnie-Photo-credit-Kevin-Dilworth-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-13-Ronnie-Photo-credit-Kevin-Dilworth-300x423.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17766\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ronnie &#8211; Photo credit Kevin Dilworth<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Lymon had an integrated group with African Americans and Puerto Ricans\u2014with the hit \u201cWhy Do Fools Fall in Love\u201d by Frankie Lymon &amp; the Teenagers.<\/strong><br \/>\nThat\u2019s where we got our idea. Nedra was one of my mother\u2019s sister\u2019s children. Her father was Spanish. And my father was Irish. My mother is half Cherokee and black\u2014and Puerto Rican. That\u2019s what made us look so different.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you remember the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio?<\/strong><br \/>\nActually there were two times that stand out in my mind. The first was in Wildwood, New Jersey\u2014when the Ronettes were touring as part of the Joey Dee Revue. The three of us, Estelle, Nedra and I\u2014were at the motel lying in bed watching Dick Clark\u2019s <em>American Bandstand <\/em>on TV. Dick Clark introduces the next record \u201cThis next recording is going to be the song of the century\u201d and then I hear those drums. I sat up. He plays \u201cBe My Baby.\u201d We freak out, start screaming \u201cGirls, girls\u2014it\u2019s us!\u201d We\u2019re hugging each other. I was in shock.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was the other time?<\/strong><br \/>\nOn WINS, you used to be able to request a song on the radio. So I called up to request \u201cBaby I Love You\u201d\u2014the new Ronettes record. And the DJ says, \u201cHi Ronnie, what\u2019s up? Why are you calling the station?\u201d\u2014and I didn\u2019t know what to say. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I still get excited every time I hear one of my songs\u2014if I am shopping, at the movies or on the radio. It\u2019s sort of like your kids\u2014you put a lot of work into them, and then you might not see them for a while. But when you do see them, it\u2019s great. I hope I never lose that feeling.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17765\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17765\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17765\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-14-Ronnie-Live-in-London-2016-Credit-Laurie-Lewis.jpg\" alt=\"Ronnie Live in London 2016 Credit Laurie Lewis\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-14-Ronnie-Live-in-London-2016-Credit-Laurie-Lewis.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-14-Ronnie-Live-in-London-2016-Credit-Laurie-Lewis-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17765\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ronnie Live in London 2016 Credit Laurie Lewis<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Top 5 Musicians\u00a0who inspired you to become a singer?<\/strong><br \/>\nFrankie Lymon has to be number one. Then, Hank Williams\u2014because the first song I ever sang when I was three years old was a Hank Williams song. His style on that song was like a yodel, it helped me create my woah-oh-ohs. Arlene Smith inspired me. My Mom worked as a waitress at King\u2019s Donuts next door to the Apollo Theater, and I would go over after school and hang out in the employees\u2019 lounge\u2014waiting for my mom to finish her shift. When James Brown performed there, he had lines around the block. I said\u2014that\u2019s what I want to do. He didn\u2019t influence me musically, but he did make me want to get into show business. And Jimi Hendrix didn\u2019t influence me because he came after, but I had a blast on stage with him when he was the house band leader at Ondine\u2019s. It was great. That type of talent makes you come alive. We had chemistry.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top 5 favorite albums?<\/strong><br \/>\nThere was only one album that I wore out\u2014Frankie Lymon <em>At the London Palladium<\/em>. Before that album came out, I wore out every one of his singles. Plus the radio was always on in our apartment, and Nedra and I hung out at the Luncheonette next to City College near my grandma\u2019s apartment. They had a jukebox, and we\u2019d play Little Richard\u2019s \u201cRip It Up,\u201d and some Chuck Berry songs\u2014anything fast. And we\u2019d dance. The college kids loved watching us.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So many singers have fashioned their voice and style after you. Please name a few singers now who have caught your attention.<\/strong><br \/>\nI do love Adele. I like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and Elle King. When Elle King did \u201cEx\u2019s &amp; Oh\u2019s\u201d and did my woah-oh-ohs\u2014I took that as a huge compliment. I invited her on stage at the Glastonbury Festival, and we had a ball. She\u2019s a bad girl, and I like that. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) It\u2019s about the singer <em>and<\/em> the song. Honestly I would rather make music than listen to it.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17764\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17764\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17764\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-20-RS-x-2.jpg\" alt=\"RONETTES US vocal trio fin 1965 From left Nedra Talley, , Estelle Bennett, Ronnie Spector. Photo Tony Gale. Image shot 1965. Exact date unknown.\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-20-RS-x-2.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-20-RS-x-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17764\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">RONETTES US vocal trio fin 1965 From left Nedra Talley, , Estelle Bennett, Ronnie Spector. Photo Tony Gale. Image shot 1965. Exact date unknown.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Best advice someone gave you about a career in music?<\/strong><br \/>\nWell, I am still waiting on that. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best advice you\u2019d like to give upcoming musicians.<\/strong><br \/>\nMy advice to young musicians and singers is\u2014do not get into this business unless you love it. It can be heartbreaking. For me, I have no choice, it\u2019s like a disease, and the only cure is to get on stage and rock. I need it for my sanity. If you need it, then do it, but find a really smart, artist-friendly attorney who believes in you. Be calm. Don\u2019t take drugs. Relax. And just know that you\u2019re going to have someone bigger than you come up after you. For us, the Supremes came\u2014with bigger hits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is there an album or EP in the near future?<\/strong><br \/>\nI have been around too long to assume anything in the recording business. It keeps changing. But I just recorded \u201cLove Power,\u201d and maybe another single. And if there is a reason to go back into the studio, I will consider it. Of course, I would love to have a reason to make another album, but you have to find that reason.<\/p>\n<p><strong>After this, we\u2019d love to spotlight your \u201cLove Power\u201d video.<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019d love that. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 50<sup>th<\/sup> Anniversary of the 1967 Summer of Love.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s next?<\/strong><br \/>\nI want to continue being creative and performing. For me, it\u2019s about creating something that no one else does. Like I said\u2014not better, just different. Good things happen when you are doing what you love and making people happy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can your new fans stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.RonnieSpector.com\">www.RonnieSpector.com<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17763\" style=\"width: 670px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-18-RS57-Photo-credit-Debra-GReenfield.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17763\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17763\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-18-RS57-Photo-credit-Debra-GReenfield.jpg\" alt=\"Photo credit Debra GReenfield\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-18-RS57-Photo-credit-Debra-GReenfield.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ronnie-Spector-18-RS57-Photo-credit-Debra-GReenfield-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-17763\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit Debra GReenfield<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:\u00a0 RONNIE SPECTOR Video:\u00a0 \u201cBe My Baby\u201d Iconic singer and Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Spector solidifies her status as the Rosetta Stone for female rock performers of today. Christmas tour is set to kick-off. Critical respect is at its peak, and Ronnie Spector continues to thrill\u2014inspiring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[10065,10066,2391,10067,10068,10069,10070,10071,6271,5334,8752,10072,24,2382,8500,5407,5672,10073,5736,10074,5731,10075,10076,10077,7400,8132,10078,10079,10080,3308,10081,7226,10082,1060,10083,10084,10085,10086,7222,10087,10088,2709,10089,10090,10091,10092,4338,5320,1421,10093,10094,3823,10095,10096,7225,310,10097,10098,10099,1271,10100,3677,10101,10102,10103,10104,7272,5732,10105,10106,10161,7566,8264,3010,7978,6811,10107,10108,10109,8811,10110,10111,10112,10113,10114,1673,10115,2680,9013,10116,10117,10118,10119,10120,10121,10122,10123,10124,10125,10126,10127,10128,10129,10130,10131,10132,10133,10134,10135,10136,10137,3818,10138,10139,5656,10140,10141,10142,10143,10144,10145,10146,5085,10147,10148,10149,10151,10152,10150,10153,2408,10154,10155,7982],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17758"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17778,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17758\/revisions\/17778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}