New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Singer Ronnie Spector Wraps International Tour, as People and Billboard Feature the Icon's New Song with Elle King
Perennial Christmas
Smash 'Sleigh Ride' Hits #21 on Hot 100 Chart
Iconic singer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Spector kicks off the new decade riding an extended wave of accomplishments and national press attention. Her new Christmas single with Elle King, 'Under the Mistletoe,' was exclusively premiered by People Magazine, covered by Billboard, embraced by critics and fans alike, and featured on multiple Spotify playlists. Spector's perennial smash 'Sleigh Ride' reached #21 on the 1/4/2020 Billboard Hot 100 Chart, and for the first time ever, she took her annual 'Best Christmas Party Ever!' tour overseas to Ireland, Scotland and England. In addition, Spector was invited to perform and light the Christmas tree as part of the Winter's Eve celebration adjacent to Lincoln Center (watch the ABC7-TV News interview with
Sandy Kenyon below). Spector also returned to Bravo-TV's 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' for the third year in a row. Key coverage from recent weeks:
People Magazine Exclusive Song Premiere/article for 'Under the Mistletoe':
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-elle-king-under-the-mistletoe-christmas-song/
Billboard Magazine print interview feature with Spector on the ongoing popularity of her Christmas music:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/holiday/8546032/ronnie-spector-christmas-interview
Bravo TV - Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (excerpt):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DawxlkVJHSE&feature=youtu.be
Billboard article about 'Under the Mistletoe' with Elle King:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8544998/elle-king-ronnie-spector-under-the-mistletoe
The Guardian UK interview in conjunction with international Holiday tour:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/12/ronnie-spector-i-love-metoo-and-times-up-because-mens-time-is-up
Rolling Stone includes 'Frosty the Snowman' among 'Greatest Rock and Roll Christmas songs:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/greatest-rock-roll-christmas-songs-holiday-songs-10714/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-73899/
WABC7-TV Interview Segment with
Sandy Kenyon:
https://abc7ny.com/5724143/
More about Ronnie Spector:
Spector's current high-profile stretch was described by People Magazine as a "
Victory Lap" for "The Original Rock Queen". Billboard Magazine named 'Be My Baby' as the #1 Greatest Girl Group Song of All Time, NPR included Spector's 1964 debut at #20 on their 150 Greatest Albums of the Rock Era, Made by Female Artist, and recent years included the release of 'LOVE POWER', her first single recorded with The
Ronettes in decades, a commanding performance at Lincoln Center, an appearance on FOX-TV's Good Day New York, a Main Stage performance at SF Pride and more. The acclaimed singer was also presented with the Legend Award by The Woman's International
Music Network at their "She Rocks Award" ceremony. She was featured in the BBC's 2018 documentary about Amy Winehouse. Spector was honored with a Lifetime
Spirit Award by LSA Family Health Services, in her native East Harlem. In addition, 'Be My Baby' has been added to the
National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, preserved as a work of historical and cultural significance, and is also now an official addition to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
As a seminal force in Sixties Rock, Spector's swagger, moxie and trademark voice (still instantly recognizable from the first note,) defined an era. As the Number One pop group in England, Ronnie Spector and the
Ronettes headlined over acts including The Rolling Stones,
Eric Clapton and The Yardbirds. In the years since, Spector has had songs written for her by
George Harrison as well as by Bruce Springsteen, and has recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Springsteen & The E Street Band, members of The
Beatles and more.
Billy Joel wrote the smash 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood' as a tribute to Ronnie, and the late Eddie Money's 'Take Me Home Tonight' celebrated her trademark Be My Baby vocals, with the duet reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Now in her sixth decade as a performer and a style icon, Spector has reached a new level of cultural significance. Critical respect is at its peak, and she continues to thrill -- inspiring and empowering a new generation of fans as an enduring, transcendent figure, who has overcome adversity to build a career that is nothing short of remarkable. Much as B.B. King came to embody the blues, or
Chuck Berry was to early Rock 'n Roll, Spector has solidified her status as the Rosetta Stone for female rock performers of today.
Additional press highlights include:
In a Billboard Magazine full-page print interview, Spector's role as a
Style Icon for six decades was highlighted.
How Ronnie Spector's Beehive Hairdo Inspired
Ariana Grande,
Janelle Monae and Other Looks -
By Brooke Mazurek, 5/10/19
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8510769/ronnie-spector-interview-beehive-hairdo-ariana-grande-janelle-monae
People Magazine featured Spector twice, first in a Star Tracks column, and then in a feature article (with an exclusive quote from the artist). Both placements were timed to a spontaneous 2019 on-stage reunion between Ronnie and original Ronette Nedra Ross: Ronnie Spector Reunites with Original
Ronettes Bandmate Nedra Ross Onstage at Virginia Concert -- By Jordan Runtagh 5/15/19
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-reunites-with-original-ronettes-bandmate-nedra-ross/
https://people.com/celebrity/star-tracks-monday-may-13-2019/#ronettes-reunion
In a Wall Street Journal print feature, Spector shared a tale of 'Two Ronnies', and how "having a happy family life at home gives her the energy to keep her stage career going." It was a revealing, engaging and utterly charming look behind the curtain at one of the music industry's most enduring and beloved female performers. A trailblazer for six decades, her 2019 international tour has earned raves and her cultural relevance is more prominent than ever. Link to a viewable PDF of the full WSJ article is here:
https://www.ronniespector.com/s/A-Suburban-Tale-of-Two-Ronnies-WSJ.pdf
Throughout her acclaimed 2019 tour stops in Ireland, the UK and U.S. (including a co-headlining event with The
B-52s in Nashville,) Spector has delivered shows that transcended the music. The UK Daily Telegraph noted, "Spector allowed us to see who she has become: a proud and wildly capable woman…"
In December 2018, Ronnie Spector and The
Ronettes returned to the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in over 52 years, as their smash 'Sleigh Ride' re-entered the charts during the Holidays. The following week, the song jumped to #26, giving Spector her first Top 40 hit in nearly six decades. An extraordinary feat by an iconic artist. Billboard wrote about the chart action, here: The
Ronettes 'Ride' Back After 52 Years & More Hot 100 Chart Moves
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8491032/andy-williams-the-ronettes-hot-100-chart-moves
The themes evoked in Spector's four-page People Magazine print interview, 'My Song of Survival', showcase her role as an enduring inspiration for women in difficult or dangerous situations. Some have described her as an embodiment of the #metoo movement, and Spector embraces her resilience: "my past made me strong," she comments in the exclusive People interview, here: People Magazine Ronnie Spector's
Journey from '60s Pop Icon to Rock 'n' Roll
Survivor By Jordan Runtagh, 11/28/18
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-everything-to-know-rock-survivor/
Other high profile placements include visits to Bravo-TV's 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen', an inclusion in The Wall Street Journal (in addition to the feature article, above,) print and online coverage in Time Out NY and more. Get a sense of Spector's appearances on Bravo-TV, here: https://youtu.be/2CexRgyXfb0
and https://youtu.be/xZ4zbEti5sM
Magnet Magazine's article about 'Try Some, Buy Some' is here:
https://magnetmagazine.com/2019/01/29/the-basement-vapes-volume-five-from-beatle-to-bowie-bad-boy-to-bad-girl-wont-you-try-some-buy-some/
In addition to the People Magazine print interview feature referenced above, multiple stand-alone web-based articles followed the print release, and a sampling of those supplemental stories may be found here:
People previewed Spector's Christmas tour here:
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-the-ronettes-best-christmas-party-ever/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article
Ronnie Spector on her relationship with John Lennon:
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-john-lennon-friendship/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article
How Ronnie Spector earned success on her own terms:
https://people.com/music/ronnie-spector-tumultuous-past-earned-success-own-terms/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article
Spector was featured in the Summer
Double issue of AARP Magazine, the #1 print outlet in America, with readership exceeding 47 million. AARP MAGAZINE -'Sandwich of Love': https://bit.ly/RonnieAARP
NPR
Music praised Ronnie Spector as a rock trailblazer:
It's Time To Recognize The
Ronettes As Rock And Roll Pioneers By Hilarie Ashton March 12, 2018
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/12/590891692/its-time-to-recognize-the-ronettes-as-rock-and-roll-pioneers
For tour updates and ticket details, visit: https://www.ronniespector.com/shows/
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