Image of "Master and Dog" by Seymour Chwast, 1972
Last Wednesday, Estelle Bennett of the Ronettes passed away from colon cancer. Seen as a supporting player to sister Ronnie Spector by many, Estelle was an important part of the Ronettes. For one thing, she had attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and played a large part in crafting the visual style that the Ronettes became known for, including their famous beehive hairstyles. She had the reputation of being the sophisticated intellectual of the group and had many male admirers. However, when they broke up the group in 1966, Bennett had trouble filling the void that was left. She struggled with mental illness in the years that followed and was homeless for some periods.
In 2007, the Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Some believe that Phil Spector had personally gone to great lengths to prevent them from being inducted in previous years because the Ronettes had sued him for nonpayment of royalties. Estelle Bennett did not perform at the induction ceremony, but she gave the following brief acceptance speech: "I would just like to say, thank you very much for giving us this award. I'm Estelle of the Ronettes, thank you." She was 67 when she passed away.
"Is This What I Get for Loving You?" may be my favorite Ronettes song. The wall-of-sound introduction has a stomping, almost industrial sound to it, and the lead-up to the big chorus is quite lovely as all the instruments drop away except for some distant congas. It was one of the Ronette's last singles prior to their split and reached #75 on the pop charts.
"Is This What I Get for Loving You?" by the Ronettes
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