Estelle Bennett Of The Ronettes Dies

Estelle Bennett, one third of The Ronettes, has passed away at the age of 67 at her home in Englewood, New Jersey.

She was found dead at her apartment after relatives had been unable to contact her according to her brother-in-law, Jonathan Greenfield.

Greenfield is the manager and husband of Bennett's sister Ronnie Spector, the lead singer with the Ronettes.

Spector wrote on her website on Thursday: "To my beloved sister, rest in peace. You deserve it."

The trio were most famous for their 1963 hit, 'Be My Baby', which epitomized the “wall of sound” technique being pioneered by Phil Spector.

That track went to Number 2 in the Billboard charts and other hits such as 'Baby I Love You' and 'Walkin' In The Rain' followed.

In 2007 The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Keith Richards saying at the ceremony, "They could sing all their way right through a wall of sound."

Since the break up of the group in 1967, Bennett has lived a quiet life aside from the lengthy legal battles with Phil Spector over royalties for the Ronettes recordings.

At this point no time or cause of death has been determined.

The Ronettes: