(FreedomBeacon.com)- Ronnie Spector, one of the legends of the 1960s music scene, has passed away at the age of 78.
Spector was behind some of the decade’s biggest hits, including “Be My Baby,” “Walking in the Rain,” and “Baby I Love You.” She was the face of the popular girl band “The Ronettes” and was well-known and loved by some of the industry’s greatest names.
The singer passed away following a short battle with cancer on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by her family.
“Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face,” the statement said. “She was filled with love and gratitude.”
Billy Joel published a statement on his Twitter expressing his sadness at Spector’s passing.
“The great Ronnie Spector has died. So many faces in and out of my life…We mourn her passing,” he wrote.
The great Ronnie Spector has died.
So many faces in and out of my life….
We mourn her passing
— Billy Joel📷: Tom Sheehan pic.twitter.com/kbgIB1ESCw
— Billy Joel (@billyjoel) January 13, 2022
Music magazine Pitchfork described her voice as “inimitable.”
Ronnie Spector, the inimitable vocalist who rose to fame as the leader of 1960s girl group the Ronettes, has died https://t.co/8KrXpe7tdZ
— Pitchfork (@pitchfork) January 12, 2022
Brian Wilson said that he “loved her voice so much” and that she was a “very special person and a dear friend.”
Spector was one of the first female singers to embrace a more modern style of singing and modern fashions. Later in her life, she would compare her early work in the 1960s to mid-2000s singer Amy Winehouse, who embraced a similar style, and said that seeing Winehouse’s success made her feel like her work really mattered.
