"I'm Still Kicking Ass"

She's the only singer ever to be backed by all four Beatles. The Rolling Stones opened for her. Most of the Ramones and most of the Beach Boys were obsessed with her. Brian Wilson wrote songs for her. It's hard to exaggerate the superpowers possessed by Ronnie Spector. Using her voice, her black eyeliner, and her bad attitude, she led the Ronettes to international stardom and married the most powerful man in rock music in the 1960s — yeah, the guy with the affinity for guns and bad haircuts who perfected the "Wall of Sound." In 2000, she won a court case against her no-good ex-husband, forcing him to pay her millions in back royalties and paving the way for a lot of other musicians to get their due. To celebrate, she recorded some songs with Keith Richards. The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame a few months ago.

Spector also looooves Christmastime. She contributed to an album of carols and favorites — notably, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" — in 1963, and never got tired of them. The Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes Christmas Party includes several of these, performed not only by Spector but also by Nedra Talley and Estelle Bennett, the original, gorgeous, talented Ronettes. And yes, they'll also do their international, never-went-out-of-style megahits like "Be My Baby," "Walkin' in the Rain," and "Baby I Love You."
Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m., 2007