Bennett's brother-in-law, Jonathan Greenfield, said police found her dead in her apartment on Wednesday after relatives had been unable to contact her. The time and cause of death have not yet been determined. Greenfield is the manager and husband of Bennett's sister, Ronettes lead singer Ronnie Spector.
The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007; its website hails the group as “the premier act of the girl group era." Among their admirers were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones; their exotic hairstyles and makeup are aped by Amy Winehouse.
The Ronettes sisters Veronica “Ronnie" and Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley signed with Spector's Philles Records in 1963. Their recording of Be My Baby hit No. 2 on Billboard magazine's pop music chart that year. Among their other hits were Walkin' in the Rain and Baby I Love You.
They also did a memorable version of Sleigh Ride that appeared on Spector's A Christmas Gift for You album. Their last Philles single was I Can Hear Music in 1966. The songs feature Spector's elaborate arrangements that blend many instruments into a smooth, pulsating “wall."
“They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound," Keith Richards of the Stones said as the Ronettes were inducted into the rock hall. “They didn't need anything. They touched my heart right there and then and they touch it still."
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