Nedra Talley Ross, a founding member of the 1960s pop group the Ronettes, has died. The band’s official social media accounts confirmed the news on Sunday, April 26. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Nedra Talley Ross’ passing,” the post read. She was a light to those who knew and loved her.” Ross was 80 years old.
Talley Ross was the last surviving member of the Ronnettes, which she formed with her cousins, sisters Estelle Bennett and Ronnie Spector. She began performing covers with them as a teenager, earning a residency at a local club as well as a record deal, though early singles failed to find success. In 1963, they auditioned for producer Phil Spector, who helped make the group’s breakthrough single, ‘Be My Baby’, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released just one album, 1964’s Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes, but landed more hits like ‘Baby I Love You’, ‘Do I Love You’, and ‘Walking in the Rain’. They disbanded in 1967, having just supported the Beatles on their final US tour.
“I hated the ‘dog-eat-dog’ side of show-business,” Talley Ross once said. “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.” She also said she left the band out of a desire to make Christian music, and put out her first contemporary Christian record, Full Circle, in 1978. She was married to Scott Ross, a DJ and television personality, from 1967 until his death in 2023.
Ross was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Ronettes in 2007. Though she had previously turned down being part of a short-lived 1973 Ronettes reunion, she performed with Ronnie Spector at the induction ceremony.
“As a founding member of The Ronettes, along with her beloved cousins Ronnie and Estelle, Nedra’s voice, style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music,” the social media statement continued. “Her contribution to the group’s story and their defining influence will live forever.”
