Ronnie Spector, ’60s Icon Behind ‘Be My Baby,’ dead at 78

The original bad girl of rock'n'roll, Ronnie Spector, died Wednesday following a brief battle with cancer.

Spector, whose signature reach-for-the-ceiling beehive hairdo and sultry vocals propelled her to pop icon status in the 1960s as the lead singer of the chart-topping girl group The Ronettes, was 78.

"Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today," read a statement posted by her family on the singer's website confirming her passing. "She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan. Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her."

Born Veronica Yvette Bennett in Spanish Harlem. Spector, who was of Black and Cherokee descent on her mother’s side and Irish on her father’s, formed The Darling Sisters while she was a teenager with her older sister Estelle and their cousin Nedra Talley.

The group was signed to Colpix Records in 1961. It was not until two years later, however, when it moved to Phil Spector's Philles Records that its music started to take off, and the girls began to blaze their own path in a market crowded with ready-built acts targeted for teen consumption.

Under Spector, known as “the first tycoon of teen" for his adeptness at the market, the group changed its name to The Ronettes and had a string of 60s hits, such as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain.”

The Ronettes 

In 1968 the creative marriage between Phil Spector, who produced and wrote many of The Ronettes hits,
became a real one. In 1974 Spector’s abuse and refusal to allow his wife to perform led to a divorce, as detailed by Ronnie in her memoir “Be My Baby: The Autobiography of Ronnie Spector."

Photo Credit: Chris Hall

“I knew that if I didn’t leave I was going to die there,” Ronnie, whose touring for a time was confined to psychiatric wards, told Vanity Fair, adding that when the judge ordered support of $1,300 per month, Phil had a Brink’s truck deliver the first payment to her lawyer’s office—in nickels. The court put a stop to that, so Phil switched to checks stamped with “f—k off” on the back.

Following the divorce, Ronnie struggled to reestablish her career releasing four solo albums from 1980 to 2016 to middling success. She made a brief return to the limelight in 1986 thanks to a memorable solo in Eddie Money's 1986 hit "Take Me Home Tonight."

The Ronettes, who headlined for rock heavyweights The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The Beatles during their career, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

James Mtume, Jazz and R&B Legend, Dies at 76

Courtesy Photo

James Mtume, a legendary jazz musician and R&B artist whose hit 1983 single “Juicy Fruit” provided the
musical foundation for the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 rap classic “Juicy,” died Sunday at the age of 76.

No cause of death was given. Lisa Lucas, the daughter of Mtume’s deceased creative partner guitarist Reggie Lucas, was the first to share the news, which was confirmed by his publicist, Angelo Ellerbee.

"So much loss. So much grief. Rest in power to Uncle Mtume," she wrote on Twitter. "My late father’s partner in crime, the co-creator of the songs of my life (and about my birth!). He was essential part of the life of the man who made me, therefore me too. Gone now. He will be dearly, eternally missed."

So much loss. So much grief. Rest in power to Uncle Mtume. My late fathers partner in crime, the co-creator of the songs of my life (and about my birth!). He was essential part of the life of the man who made me, therefore me too. Gone now. He will be dearly, eternally missed. https://t.co/juDFpQBkMb

— Lisa Lucas (@likaluca) January 9, 2022

The Philadelphia native, born James Heath, was a musical legacy. The son of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, he was raised by his stepfather, James Forman, a jazz pianist. In college he adopted the Swahili word for messenger as his stage name.

The percussionist's career had exploded by the 1970s, thanks in part to his collaborations with jazz legends Miles Davis and McCoy Tyner. From 1971-1975 he manned the drums on electronic jazz classics like “On the Corner” and “Pangea.”

A renaissance man Mtume, along with his musical partner Lucas, produced songs and albums for Stephanie Mills, Phyllis Hyman, Lou Rawls and The Spinners in the early 80s.

Their collaboration led to a string of hits including Mills’ Grammy-winning “Never Knew Love Like This Before” in 1981 and Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s 1978 million-selling hit “The Closer I Get to You.”

Rest In Power to the great James Mtume. The South Philly native & prodigal son, Jazz ROYALTY (the son of the great Jimmy Heath) and music trailblazer & pioneer. His passing is truly a monumental loss. Let's look at some of Mtume's music and legacy through the years, as a THREAD: pic.twitter.com/CQyJZLzwMs

— COSMO BAKER (@CosmoBaker) January 9, 2022

In 1978 he started leading his eponymous New York-based group Mtume. The group struck gold on its third album release with 1983’s “Juicy Fruit.” The funk-fueled, bass-heavy track earned the No. 1 stop on the Billboard R&B chart and began a legacy that would transcend the artist.

When Notorious B.I.G. sampled the song in his 1994 hit "Juicy,” it served as a powerful platform to propel the artist into eventual rap superstardom over one of the most famous bass and drum samples in history.

It’s really not doing justice listing accomplishments. Right now. Thank you James Mtume for all the wisdom & love & respect you’ve shown me & my brothers over the years. #JamesMtume https://t.co/aRpmWSFpiH

— Certified ?uestlover (@questlove) January 10, 2022

According to reporting from NPR, Mtume was flattered by his work being used as the basis for the track.

"Oh, I dug it," remembered Mtume about "Juicy." "They actually wanted me to be in [the music video]. I was asked and I said, 'No, you ain't doing that man. What? You want me to jump around the corner in some high shoes and plaid pants?' They fell out laughing. 'It's your generation, you all do what you do.' "

His work would go on to be sampled by a multitude of other hip-hop artists. Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim and Common are just a few of the luminaries who have sampled Mtume.

In addition to his significant contributions to jazz, besides Davis and Tyner, he contributed to recordings from many of the arts greatest legends including Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie; Mtume co-produced Mary J. Blige’s 1997 hit album” Share My World.” He also served as a music supervisor for television’s “New York Undercover” and scored the 1986 film “Native Son.” An activist at heart, he also co-hosted a community talk series called “Open Line” on New York’s WBLS-FM for 18 years.

Calvin Simon, Parliament-Funkadelic Co-Founder, Dead at 79

©Facebook

Calvin Simon, a founding member of the psychedelic funk-collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton known as Parliament-Funkadelic, has died.

The news of Simon’s passing at age 79 Thursday, was broken by former bandmates Clinton and Bootsy
Collins, who both posted moving tributes to the vocalist on their social media Friday — and confirmed Saturday by a post on Simon's official Facebook page.

"[Thanks] everyone for the wonderful memories... we will so miss you Calvin... but love the thought that heaven just got a bit funkier," the post reads.

Simon, whose cause of death had not been reported at press time, drew high praise from Clinton and Collins, two of the most visible members of Parliament and musicians whose influence has reached far beyond funk.

"Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother Mr. Calvin Simon," Clinton wrote on Facebook. "Longtime Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist. Fly on Calvin!"

Collins added on Instagram, "We lost another Original member of Parliament/Funkadelic. A friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy, Mr. Calvin Simon was a former member of Parliament/Funkadelic. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen members of P-Funk!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William "Bootsy" Collins (@bootsy_collins)

A West Virginia native, Simon was born in 1942 and as a youth sang in his church choir for weekly radio broadcasts. The family relocated to New Jersey when he was a teen, where he eventually found work as a barber before joining fellow barbers Clinton and Grady Thomas, and customers Ray Davis and Fuzzy Haskins in the doo-wop quintet originally known as the Parliaments.

The group scored a record contract and a hit single in 1967’s “(I Wanna) Testify," but that same year Simon was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. After completing two years of service, he returned to the group which had morphed into the collective known as Parliament-Funkadelic, by combining two groups led by the charismatic Clinton.

The group scored massive hits with chart-toppers like “Flash Light” and "Give Up the Funk.” In 1997, Simon and the rest of the group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for their contributions to music, including 13 top-10 hits on the American R&B music charts between 1967 and 1983. The group received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 2019.

Simon, who left the group in 1978, released several gospel albums on his own label, Simon Sayz, in the years following his departure. The first release, 2004’s “Share the News,” coincided with his diagnosis and battle with thyroid cancer. His last release was 2018’s “I Believe.”