Ultimate girl band icon dies at 78

LONDON

Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, bee-hived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the girl group The Ronettes, has died. She was 78.

Spector died on Jan. 12 after a brief battle with cancer, her family said. “Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude,” a statement said. No other details were revealed.

Tributes flooded social media, from Stevie Van Zandt saying it was an honor to produce her, to Brian Wilson, who wrote on Twitter: “I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend.”

Diane Warren called her ``The voice of a million teenage dreams including mine.’’

The Ronettes’ sexy look and powerful voices, plus songwriting and producing help from Phil Spector, turned them into one of the premier acts of the girl-group era, touring England with The Rolling Stones and befriending the Beatles.