BE MY BABY

Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest rock memoirs of all time, BE MY BABY is the true story of how Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Spector carved out a space for herself against tremendous odds amid the chaos of the 1960s music scene and beyond. BE MY BABY reveals Ronnie's dreamlike rise from the streets of Spanish Harlem to the pinnacle of rock stardom as lead singer of The Ronettes, her nightmare descent into madness as the wife of Phil Spector, and her subsequent escape and struggle to reclaim her voice.

Ronnie Spector's first collaboration with producer Phil Spector, “Be My Baby,” stunned the world and shot girl group the Ronettes to stardom. No one could sing as clearly, as emotively as Ronnie. But her voice was soon drowned out in Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, and lost in Ronnie and Phil's ensuing romance and marriage.

Ronnie had to fight tooth and nail to wrest back control of her life, her music, and her legacy. And while she regained her footing, Ronnie found herself recording with Stevie Van Zandt, partying with David Bowie, and touring with Bruce Springsteen.

Smart, humorous, and self-possessed, BE MY BABY is a whirlwind account of the twists and turns in the life of an artist. More than anything, BE MY BABY is a testament to the fact that it is possible to stand up to a powerful abuser and start on a second—or third, or fifth—act. In fact, almost six decades into her career Ronnie Spector is still touring.

Ronnie Spector became an icon when she rose to fame as lead singer of the Ronettes, the influential girl group responsible for a string of hits that included “Walking in the Rain,” “Baby I Love You,” and “Be My Baby,” Which Brian Wilson has called “the greatest record ever made.” The embodiment of the heart, soul, and passion of rock and roll, Ronnie Spector was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008.

Rolling Stone: 50 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time (#14)
NME: 20 Rock Memoirs That Don't Hold Back (#10)
Far Out Magazine (UK): 10 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time (#8)

“An entertaining, gossipy, whirlwind ride through the 1960s.”
—Wendy Leigh, London Sunday Times

“Funny and observant, consistently engaging . . . sprinkled with deadpan humor.”
—Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times

“Entertaining, often disturbing . . . well told and . . . quite moving. Be My Baby . . . marks the passage of Ronnie Spector from victim to survivor.”
—Alan Light, Rolling Stone

“If you're looking for self-pity, you'll be disappointed, because her book, like her voice, is full of cocky, smart, self-aware humor. And, yes, in case you were wondering, it totally sucked to be married to Phil Spector.”
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone

“Arguably one of the most potent voices of rock ‘n' roll's early moments, Ronnie Spector was the lynchpin of The Ronettes and the ultimate 1960s powerhouse performer. . . . She is strong, bolshy and sharp as a tack.”
—Far Out (UK)

“An enthralling and moving Dante-esque descent through the rock 'n'roll inferno. One of the three greatest rock 'n' roll memoirs.”
—Jon Wilde, Blitz (London)

“Not only does this book give a revealing look at what it takes to be in one of the greatest girl groups of all time, it also casts a sinister light on Ronnie's former husband and Wall of Sound svengali, Phil Spector.”
—Emily Barker, NME

“Despite all the hard times, Ronnie comes across here as a survivor, and the book maintains a surprisingly jaunty tone.”
—Ilene Cooper, Booklist

“A lively, illuminating read . . . Spector's portrait of the energy of the early Sixties music scene is fascinating.”
—Kirkus Reviews