Nedra Talley Ross, Last Surviving Ronette, Dies at 80

Nedra Talley Ross died on the night of April 26, 2026, at age 80, announced on the group’s official Facebook page. She was the last surviving member of the iconic girl group that rose to prominence in the early 1960s. No cause of death was disclosed. The post described her as a light to those who knew and loved her, and noted that Nedra's voice, style and spirit helped define a sound that would change music.

Talley and her cousins Veronica Bennett (Ronnie Spector) and Estelle Bennett formed The Ronettes after growing up in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Signed to Phil Spector's Philles Records in 1963, they released the studio album Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica in 1964. Their biggest hit, Be My Baby, arrived in 1963, and other classics included Baby, I Love You and Walking in the Rain. Be My Baby was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Disbanding in 1967, Nedra later married Scott Ross and became a born-again Christian. She focused on family life and later pursued Christian music. The deaths of Estelle Bennett in 2009 and Ronnie Spector in 2022 are noted as background to the group's enduring legacy. Fans and fellow musicians have paid tribute to a performer whose work helped shape the sound of a generation, and whose influence continues to echo in pop music today. Rest peacefully, Nedra Talley Ross.

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