I read today, that yesterday, Ronnie Spector—born Veronica Yvette Bennett—died of “a brief battle with cancer.” So now, I’m reflecting on her most notable song; “Be My Baby,” which Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame once estimated he’d listened to over 1000 times. He also said, “I felt like I wanted to try to do something as good as that song and I never did […] I’ve stopped trying […] It’s the greatest record ever produced. No one will ever top that one.” Sometime after Pet Sounds, Wilson was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and mild manic depression, likely exacerbated by his LSD usage. He was treated with high dosages of lithium and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In 1971, he composed “A Day in the Life of a Tree,” which might be the saddest song ever written. This, I believe, occurred during period of time that Wilson remained in bed for 2 or 3 years, occasionally going downstairs to sit at his piano—which allegedly, was placed in a sandbox.
As for the other Ronettes, Estelle Bennett struggled with anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia, and homelessness after the group disbanded. In 2009, she died of colon cancer. Prior to her death, she spoke in Cleveland, Ohio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the The Ronettes were inducted alongside R.E.M., Patti Smith, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Estelle said, “I would just like to say, thank you very much for giving us this award. I’m Estelle of the Ronettes. Thank you.” The New York Times notes that she was too fragile for a live performance of “Be My Baby” at the induction ceremony. Nedra Talley, the last surviving Ronette, married and became a born-again Christian in 1967. Today, she is a businesswoman working in real estate.
Prison Architect 