If you’re looking for a memoir that reads like fiction, this is the one for you. Ronnie Spector lived quite an extraordinary life. From her humble beginnings in Spanish Harlem to being held captive in a mansion in Hollywood to her last happily ever after days in Connecticut, Ronnie had nine lives and comeback after comeback. I loved the many stories of all the famous people she spent time with and especially the additional girl power epilogue she wrote in 2021. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC!

Amazing. I love reading about the life of Ronnie Spector - outside of her husband, who has been in the news for years. She was a powerhouse and had such an exciting life.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have always been a fan of the Ronettes since I was a young girl. When I saw that Ronnie Spector had a book coming out I was really excited to read her story. She has some story to tell. What a strong and amazing life that she has lead. She has had a lot of highs and lows in her life, but is really honest about her story.. I really liked this book.

I would have enjoyed this as an audiobook as well, so I am sure at some point I will read it again.

Ronnie became a star as one of the Ronettes, along with her sister Estelle and cousin Nedra. As a girl group in the 60's, the Ronettes broke barriers and raised eyebrows. When Ronnie was introduced to Phil Spector, Ronnie soon lost control of herself and her livelihood to a man who was so threatened by her success that he went through great lengths to take her down.

From substance abuse to crippling feelings of self doubt, Ronnie takes the reader through her personal journey. With a career many decades long, Ronnie Spector has evolved and changed with the times. This memoir takes the song that made her famous and gives readers a look into her gritty past.

Overall, Be My Baby is a good look into the life of the famous singer. That being said, it is a bit disorganized in places. The author has had personal relationships with many famous and recognizable people, which is interesting, but the book is written in a way that the name dropping comes off as disingenuous. Readers who are interested in singers of the 60's might enjoy reading Be My Baby.

As an aside, I was interested in listening to the audio version, so I checked it out from my local library. Honestly, I would recommend the printed version, as the audio was narrated by Rosie Perez. With the distinctive voice of Rosie Perez shining through, the memoir lost Ronnie Spector.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This was a fascinating book about the life of Rock and Roll legend, Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the Ronettes. The word "survivor" comes to mind when I think about Ms. Spector. She had many obstacles in her life, and yet she persevered through them all. This is a story that is truly worth reading. I highly recommend it to other readers of memoirs.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a fan of most genres of music, but not knowing much about The Ronettes, I was very interested in reading more about women in the industry at the time. Ronnie's memoir was even more than that.

I will be honest in saying that I did not know much about The Ronettes outside of the single "Be My Baby" nor did I know anything about Ronnie Spector's life but I was very aware of her name. In her memoir she makes sure you get to know her and not just the comfortable happiness people love to hear but the darkness of what life was like for her in early 20s, 30s. This is not just a memoir speaking about a group girl from the 60s but Ronnie telling her life story.

The story starts as most memoirs do with Ronnie telling us where she grew up, her love of music and making her cousin and sister sing with her in the living room. Luckily, the group they formed and the dream they had came to fruition. The Ronettes played shows with such big artists - namely one of them being James Brown. These three ladies really made it and it was clear throughout this memoir the effect of losing such admiration, but mostly the opportunity to do what she loves for so long, took a major toll on Ronnie for decades.

The music producer for the Ronettes was Phil Spector whom Ronnie later married. It seems that that is when things really went downhill for the group and the successes became few and far between. It was absolutely gut-wrenching to read the accounts of abuse that Ronnie went through living with this man for so long, even after was an absolute nightmare. It was hard to read for a lot of reasons and a good chunk of the book talked about her abusive marriage to Phil. I applaud her for telling her truth and being willing to talk so candidly about such awful experiences. I can only imagine it was cathartic to finally get it out.

Luckily, her life did have a lot of ups as well and you get to read all about them later on in the memoir. Mrs. Greenfield (yes, she did re-marry) lived a hell of a life and survived it as well. I was saddened to find out that Mrs. Greenfield passed away in January of 2022, hence the book being re-released. Ronnie Spector (as was her stage name and what she is most well-known by) is a hell of a woman and I genuinely recommend people get to know her.

Ronnie Spector doesn't hold anything back in this memoir. I'd long been a fan of the Ronettes, but had no idea of the personal things she dealt with behind the music. From her whirlwind rise to fame to her tumultuous marriage to Phil Spector, she gets honest with the reader in a way that most celebrities don't. I'm grateful she shared her story with the world.

What a raw, raucous ride of a story by a superstar singer whose private life was partially a hell of her own making and partially a reaction to an abusive relationship. Loved the many name-dropping stories and her triumph over alcoholism and abuse. A fast read.Thanks to #NetGalley and #BeMyBaby for this advanced digital copy.

I did not realize that this was a reissue of a previous edition! If you have any interest in music history you will enjoy reading about Ronnie's life and experiences in the 60's music scene, the Ronnettes experience with Phil Spector, as well as her own issues with addiction.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read the original edition published in 1990. I own that original book and thoroughly enjoyed it when it first came out. I enjoyed reading it again but was somewhat disappointed that only a short postscript has been added to the original book. I was hoping for more details about the past thirty years of her life. Sadly, Ronnie Spector died on January 12, 2022, just as this book was completed. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for a review copy.

The world lost a great artist in January of 2022 when Ronnie Spector passed away. I was so glad to have the opportunity to read her memoir which was recently reissued and is quite a compelling read. She had quite a rough road as an artist, a woman, a mother yet in the end she found happiness and was able to fulfill all three of those identities. One of the sayings that came to mind as I was reading was "Don't meet your heroes" - in this case Frankie Lymon and Phil Spector - they only end up disappointing you. There has been a lot written about Phil Spector's erratic and abusive behavior and what surprised me is how much she loved and admired him and it took awhile for her to see him as the abuser and manipulator he was. Some of my favorite passages were moments like her mom in the kitchen making scrambled eggs for the Rolling Stones in her kitchen, hanging with David Bowie and John Lennon or her moments with true friends and later with her husband and children. This book is a memoir and also highlights the exploitation of women in music (she had to sue later to get paid back royalties for her songs). She is also candid about her alcoholism throughout as a way to cope with depression and pain. I am really glad I read this book -- because it is a testament of a survivor who did live happily ever after. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing a preview copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is simply, a very good, full circle memoir on the life of Ronnie Spector. She writes directly to and for the reader. It’s as I if she is sitting down and conversing with a friend. There are moments of disbelief, sadness, happiness and her candor is refreshing.
Life with Phil Spector was not easy and there were horrible moments throughout their marriage and yet she still credits him with her success and admires him for his talent. This was very evident, especially in the early days of her career. She does not ridicule or deface him in any way but takes the higher road.
Ronnie had her own addiction with alcohol , mainly to cope with her controlling, jealous husband. With that, long suffering bouts of depression and yet she rose above it all.
The highs, lows, chart topping hits, friendships with the Beatles, Darlene Love, Cher and so many more fill the pages and paint a very detailed portrait of this survivor.
Ronnie will always have one of the most unique voices ever recorded. In this book, her voice takes on a different tone, one of truth, one of strength and one to be admired.
Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

What a shame Ms. Spector won't be with us to see the re-release of this classic rock memoir. Hopefully, a whole new generation will get to know her story and discover her music. She was one tough customer and had a voice like no other. This book is a must for fans of '60s music or rock history in general.

This was so good! I was never a fan of Ms Spector, but I love a great book about music. Now I will have to go search out some of her music. She tells a wonderful story....as if you were sitting and listening to a friend. Wonderful!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

If you're a fan of 60s music this is for you about Ronnie's rise to fame,abusive first marriage to Phil Spector, and later finding happiness in her second marriage. Really enjoyed.

Written in 1990, and re-released in 2022, this book is an admirable chronological account of the rise of Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes, and the control Phil Spector had over their rise and eventual fall. Interest has been rekindled likely because of the recent demise of Ronnie Spector in January, 2022, a loss to the music world.

What I found a little disconcerting is why Ronnie Spector was not only unable to see Phil Spector for the controlling, narcissist that he was, but that she made excuses for his behavior while it occurred. Those of us who have been in relationships like this wanted desperately to yell at her to get out because we could predict what would probably happen to her. And it did. People rarely see this kind of behavior until it's too late, though.

Phil Spector was a troubled man on countless levels, and we see the early manifestations of this in the book in the way he treated Ronnie. How she survived is as much a mystery as it is a miracle. But she did survive, especially after she managed to escape his madness. If you know anything about Phil Spector, you know that others weren't as lucky as Ronnie was.

She loved him for his musical acumen and for what he did for her career, as much as for the sake of love itself. But she made excuses for Phil, and then made her own way in the world after him. I enjoyed learning about her life, albeit in terms that were probably cleaned up a little for publication. It's hard to believe the tenor of some of the conversations that took place between Ronnie and members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other musical giants. It was almost as if a child was reciting what took place. I have no reason to doubt that these meetings and conversations took place, only the almost childlike retelling of them. The other side of the coin is that Ronnie had a very... let's call it "eventful" life. She went looking for love in some of the wrong places. A lot.

But Ronnie was, by her own admission, someone who always had someone taking care of her, and so she never had a reason to really grow up, until those safety nets fell away.

Reading this book, it's easier to understand why Ronnie Spector's name has been on peoples' tongues for generations. Her talent was nonpareil, her longevity, either in the middle of all the action or on the periphery of stardom, was the product of her practice of never turning down a job, regardless of how small it seemed. Ronnie Spector was everywhere for generations.

Ronnie Spector had a voice like no other, and it's unfortunate that many will realize how very good she was at what she did, only now that she is gone from our midst.

What a life and what a legacy. The trauma and the triumphs are all documented in harrowing detail with beautiful insight and reflection. A must read!

Five Stars

Ronnie Spector was never on my radar as a point of interest, except indirectly. As a huge Beatles fan, last year I read a new Beatles book which recounted a story about John Lennon pursuing Ronnie romantically when The Beatles first took America by storm in 1964. I'm also a big Beach Boys fan, and leader Brian Wilson was obsessed by The Ronettes' Phil Spector produced megahit "Be My Baby" and considered it the most perfect pop song. I also knew that Ronnie was married to Phil Spector and that he was a nut case. This was recounted in various Beatles books as they employed this producer and his wall of sound techniques to rescue their shabby "Let it Be" recordings. John Lennon and George Harrison also used him to produce their solo albums. He was known to brandish a gun in the recording studio. Phil Spector was also convicted in later years of shooting/murdering actress Lana Clarkson. So, I finally decided to request an arc of this book in the hope of reading a good story. Well, it was quite an interesting ride!

This book was originally published in 1990, but is now being re-released with an updated Epilogue chapter that was only fine tuned weeks ago in January 2022. This is especially poignant because Ronnie Spector died just a week ago. How wonderful that this musical icon resurrected her memoir from 30 years ago to bring it full circle at the apex of her life. This is touted as one of the greatest musical autobiographies, and I now see why. I plowed through this within a few days-unheard of for me. Ronnie unabashedly told the story of her rise to fame, horrendous marriage to producer Phil Spector, struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, career longevity and its challenges, romantic dalliances, etc. Her prose is free flowing, honest and easy and such a pleasure to read. This is one of the best rock biographies I have read. It's like Ronnie left behind a gift for us all.

Thank you to the publisher Henry Holt and Co. for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was so wonderful. I have loved this woman's voice my whole life. I was so curious how her life with "that man" was before the divorce and i am so sorry she didnt get the comeback she deserved. Us women know how it is when a man holds you back. I recommend this book to anyone has ever sang "be my little baby"!