Died On This Date (August 26, 2009) Ellie Greenwich / Wrote Many Hits In The ’60s

Ellie Greenwich
October 23, 1940 – August 26, 2009

ellieEllie Greenwich was a prolific songwriter, writing or co-writing some of the most enduring pop songs of the ’60s and ’70s.  Either on her own or with such songwriting partners as her one-time husband, Jeff Barry, Greenwich penned such gems as “Be My Baby” (The Ronettes), “Then He Kissed Me” (The Crystals), “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (Darlene Love), “Hanky Panky” (Tommy James & The Shondells), “River Deep, Mountain High” (Ike & Tina Turner), and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (Manfred Mann).  In later years, Greenwich co-formed Tallyrand Music to publish her recent discovery, Neil Diamond.  Ellie Greenwich died of a heart attack on August 26, 2009.  She was 68 years old.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist



Died On This Date (February 11, 2009) Estelle Bennett / The Ronettes

Estelle Bennett
July 22, 1941 – February 11, 2009

Ronnie Spector, Nedra Talley, Estelle Bennett
L-R: Ronnie Spector, Nedra Talley, Estelle Bennett

Estelle Bennett was a member of famed girl-group, the Ronettes.  She, her sister Veronica (later Ronnie Spector), and Nedra Talley formed the group while still teenagers back in 1959.  Over the next several years, they released a string of singles that defined the era as well as the “girl group sound.”  That list includes “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You,” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”  And they were the  only female group that ever toured with the Beatles.  The group broke up in 1966 after which Bennett released just one record, “The Year 2000,” and retired from the music business.  She resurfaced in 2007 for the group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Estelle Bennett died of colon cancer on February 11, 2009.  She was 67.

What You Should Own

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Be My Baby: The Very Best of The Ronettes - The Ronettes