Be My Baby

A Memoir

By: Ronnie Spector, Vince Waldron - contributor, Keith Richards - foreword

Narrated by: Rosie Perez

"This heartfelt, brilliantly narrated memoir—with an introduction by Keith Richards—is one of the best I have ever listened to."—Washington Post

"...actress Rosie Perez stepped in to read the audiobook, and, go figure: She’s a total dream."—Vulture

"With her indefatigable energy, Rosie Perez emerges as the perfect choice to read this emotional roller-coaster ride of an account."—Booklist

"Rosie Perez convincingly narrates this memoir by Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the Ronettes, a complicated woman who was socially naïve, emotionally fearless, and prone to melodrama."—AudioFile

Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest rock memoirs of all time, Be My Baby is the true story of how Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Spector carved out a space for herself against tremendous odds amid the chaos of the 1960s music scene and beyond.

With a new introduction by the late—and very great—Ronnie Spector.

Ronnie Spector’s first collaboration with producer Phil Spector, “Be My Baby,” stunned the world and shot girl group the Ronettes to stardom. No one could sing as clearly, as emotively as Ronnie. But her voice was soon drowned out in Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, and lost in Ronnie and Phil’s ensuing romance and marriage.

Ronnie had to fight tooth and nail to wrest back control of her life, her music, and her legacy. And while she regained her footing, Ronnie found herself recording with Stevie Van Zandt, partying with David Bowie, and touring with Bruce Springsteen.

Smart, humorous, and self-possessed, Be My Baby is a whirlwind account of the twists and turns in the life of an artist. More than anything, Be My Baby is a testament to the fact that it is possible to stand up to a powerful abuser and start on a second—or third, or fifth—act.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

©2022 Ronnie Spector (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

Long-listed, Washington Post Best Books of the Year, 2022

Amazing!!!

Rosie Perez is a gift. What a life, what a heart. All praises to Ronnie!!!!

What an interesting life!

This woman had So many fantastic stories to tell. Love that it was narrated by Rosie Perez. 

Ronnie comes to life.

Rosie Perez was an excellent choice to read this story aloud. I felt as if I was in a coffee shop talking with an old friend. No one else could have read the part. brava!

Incredible story

I fully enjoyed every moment of this book. Rosie was amazing and the perfect choice to narrate the story. I laughed, I cried, I was angry. Wow! There was so much I didn’t know about Ronnie and her life. She really did live quite the life. It’s too bad about the adopted sons, I cannot imagine that things turned out so great for them, Phil was a creep and people should not idolize him, he should be remembered for the freak he was!!

Loved it

The story of Ronnie’s life is amazing and I loved the narration. Couldn’t stop listening.