Ronettes: Truly Golden Oldies

By Stephen M. Silverman

09/03/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Rock and roll legend Phil Spector was ordered in a New York court on Friday to pay $2.6 million -- for back royalties and interest -- to his ex-wife, Ronnie Spector Greenfield, and the two other members of the '60s singing trio, the Ronettes ("Be My Baby"). Besides Greenfield (who was married to Spector for six years), the other Ronettes are her sister Estelle Bennett Dong and their cousin Nedra Talley Ross. The suit was originally filed 13 years ago. While Spector made millions, said Justice Paula Omansky of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, the Ronettes received one payment of $14,482.30 -- as a group -- for their work. Greenfield said in a statement that she was very happy the suit was finally over. "I worked very hard making those records in the '60s," she said. "I didn't know I'd have to wait 37 years to get paid."