Be My Baby

Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, Or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette (also published as Be My Baby: The Autobiography of Ronnie Spector) is a memoir by Ronnie Spector co-written with Vince Waldron, which recounts her roller-coaster career as lead singer of the Ronettes and her emotionally abusive marriage to Phil Spector. A film adaptation starring Zendaya as Ronnie was announced in 2021. Publication The book was published on September 1, 1990 by Harmony. An updated edition titled Be My Baby: A Memoir, featuring a new postscript by Spector describing her life after 1990 and a new introduction by Keith Richards, was completed shortly before Spector's death in January 2022. The book was published by Henry Holt & Co. the following May. Content Be My Baby recounts Spector's roller-coaster career as lead singer of the Ronettes and her emotionally abusive marriage to Phil Spector. Born in Spanish Harlem, Veronica Bennett always loved to sing. As teens, she, her sister, and her cousin met an agent who introduced them to a producer, and they made a record. Soon they started performing at the Brooklyn Fox rock-and-roll revue alongside The Shirelles, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and others. In 1963, Phil Spector signed them and Ronnie fell in love with him. "Be My Baby" became their first and biggest hit. The group toured England, where The Rolling Stones were their opening act and they became friends with The Beatles. Phil was fiercely possessive and became very controlling. He convinced her not to open for the Beatles. He became increasingly reclusive and violent after they married. Ronnie was imprisoned in their home and forbidden to perform. Finally, she left him and tried to relaunch her career.