Nedra Talley, Last Original Ronettes Member, Passes Away at 80

Nedra Talley-Ross (1946–2026), the final surviving original member of the iconic 1960s girl group The Ronettes, passed away on April 26, 2026, at age 80. Her daughter confirmed that Talley-Ross died peacefully at home surrounded by family. As a founding member alongside her cousins Ronnie Spector and Estelle Bennett, Talley-Ross helped define the ‘Wall of Sound’ era with timeless hits like ‘Be My Baby,’ ‘Baby, I Love You,’ and ‘Walking in the Rain.’ The Ronettes were trailblazers, breaking racial barriers as young women of Puerto Rican and Black heritage performing on mainstream television, and they were the only girl group to tour with The Beatles in their final 1966 U.S. tour. After leaving the group in 1967, Talley-Ross became a born-again Christian and released the contemporary Christian album ‘Full Circle’ in 1978. Later in life, she pursued a career in real estate in Virginia Beach. Her passing closes a chapter in music history, following the earlier deaths of Estelle Bennett in 2009 and Ronnie Spector in 2022, marking the end of an era for fans of 1960s pop and girl group music.