Rare performance video of Ronettes Be My Baby Bandstand 28-09-1963

[theboyfromxtown]

[RobertZ]

A beauty - my girls! Thanks. It's interesting that there's such an obsession with Florence Ballard's exit compensation/royalties [[which, really, were standard for the time), but no one seems to "shiv a git" about someone like Estelle Bennett. Thanks for the years, Miss Estelle! We did you wrong and I'm sorry.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

[QUOTE=theboyfromxtown;281866]
Ooh, yeah! The Ronettes were HOT! I remember their first performance on American Bandstand in August 1963. They were lip-synching and introducing "Be My Baby" for the first time, and Dick Clark was introducing The Ronettes for the first time ever -- complete with a build-up that they were Phil Spector's latest proteges on his Philles label! I would sure love to see a video of that first performance again.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

A beauty - my girls! Thanks. It's interesting that there's such an obsession with Florence Ballard's exit compensation/royalties [[which, really, were standard for the time), but no one seems to "shiv a git" about someone like Estelle Bennett. Thanks for the years, Miss Estelle! We did you wrong and I'm sorry.

Robert, I own and I've read nearly every book ever written about Phil Spector and Philles Records, yet I've never seen a single word written about Ronnie's sister Estelle being ousted from the group nor about financial shenanigans involving her. I know that Estelle died within the past few years, but what are you referring to when you say that "we did her wrong"? Did I miss something along the way?

[RobertZ]

Robert, I own and I've read nearly every book ever written about Phil Spector and Philles Records, yet I've never seen a single word written about Ronnie's sister Estelle being ousted from the group nor about financial shenanigans involving her. I know that Estelle died within the past few years, but what are you referring to when you say that "we did her wrong"? Did I miss something along the way?

Estelle Bennett lived as a homeless person for decades. You can look up her name on the NY Times search for one story. Much like Cindy Birdsong being ill and fundless right now, fans of classic music seem to prefer their sad story subjects dead rather than attempting to help those still living.

[RobertZ]

Here's a link to the 501[[c)[[3) charity "Society of Singers" which, since 1984, has been "dedicated to maintaining and restoring the personal dignity, health, and welfare of professional vocalists nationwide. ":
http://www.singers.org/

[antceleb12]

Estelle Bennett lived as a homeless person for decades. You can look up her name on the NY Times search for one story. Much like Cindy Birdsong being ill and fundless right now, fans of classic music seem to prefer their sad story subjects dead rather than attempting to help those still living.

Robert, by the time she became homeless, nobody knew who she was. It wasn't like Mary Wells or Dionne Warwick where their plight was made public [[both of which, by the way, have been helped by many people). Hell, the Ronettes were basically out of the public's memory not long after their breakup. This isn't a case of people keeping her story sad or whatever. How could it be when nobody except Ronettes fans knew what happened? And even most of those who are fans didn't even know until many years later. This is a case of a woman with severe mental instability whose family chose to keep the situation private.

[marv2]

Estelle Bennett lived as a homeless person for decades. You can look up her name on the NY Times search for one story. Much like Cindy Birdsong being ill and fundless right now, fans of classic music seem to prefer their sad story subjects dead rather than attempting to help those still living.

That is a sick comment in my opinion. No one feels that way.

[marv2]

Here is our tribute to Estelle Bennett at the time of her death in 2009:

http://faac.us/adf/messages/188095/1...tml?1234526308

[soulballad]

Thanks for posting this! This ladies were always so cool and suave. The originals were the absolute best. I did not know until recently that Kim Field's mom Chip [[ who played Janet Jackson's mother on Good times was a Ronette too. Here she is on the left with Donna Lynton, center [[who sang the theme for Charlie's's Angels) along with Ronnie