Nedra
Talley Ross

Nedra Yvonne Talley Ross was an American singer whose voice, style and quiet steadiness helped shape one of the most beloved sounds of the 1960s. As a founding member of The Ronettes, alongside her cousins Ronnie and Estelle Bennett, she stood at the heart of a group that turned the longing of teenage life into pop history — and in doing so, helped break racial barriers in an era when three young women of Black, Native American, Irish and Puerto Rican descent on a pop stage was still a rarity.

Born in Manhattan and raised in Spanish Harlem and Washington Heights, Nedra began singing with her cousins as a girl. By her teens the trio were dancers at New York's Peppermint Lounge, the epicentre of the twist, before signing to Colpix Records in 1961 as the Darling Sisters. In 1963 they auditioned for producer Phil Spector and became The Ronettes. Their first single together, "Be My Baby" — built on Spector's "Wall of Sound" and Ronnie's unforgettable lead — became one of the defining records of the rock and roll era. "Baby, I Love You," "Walking in the Rain," "(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up" and "I Can Hear Music" followed in quick succession.

The Ronettes toured England with the Rolling Stones in 1964 and opened for The Beatles on their final U.S. tour in 1966. Behind Ronnie's lead and Spector's dense production, Nedra's harmonies, beehive and graceful stage presence helped make the group an icon — adored by millions and admired by the artists they shared the stage with, from Brian Jones to Keith Richards, who would later induct them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1967, the year the original group came to an end, Nedra married radio and television personality Scott Ross and embraced the Christian faith that would shape the rest of her life. She turned away from rock and roll, recorded Christian music with guitarist Phil Keaggy on the 1977 album The Courts of the King and her 1978 solo album Full Circle, and devoted herself to her family. She and Scott raised four children together and remained married until his death in 2023.

In 2007, The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Keith Richards giving the induction speech. Standing on stage to sing "Be My Baby" with Ronnie one last time, Nedra spoke gently of the "dream" three girls from New York had once shared, and thanked the fans who had carried their music to their children, and to their children's children.

In her later years, she worked in real estate and lived quietly with her family in coastal Virginia. Following the deaths of Estelle Bennett in 2009 and Ronnie Spector in 2022, Nedra was the last surviving founding member of The Ronettes. She passed away peacefully at her home in Chesapeake, Virginia on the morning of 26 April 2026, at the age of 80, surrounded by her family.

"As a founding member of The Ronettes, along with her beloved cousins Ronnie and Estelle, Nedra's voice, style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music. Her contribution to the group's story and their defining influence will live forever. Rest peacefully dear Nedra. Thanks for the magic."