Nedra Ross
By Heather Salon
CBN.com –SUPER GIRLS
Nedra Ross and her cousins, Veronica "Ronnie" and Estelle "had no idea" of what they were getting themselves into when they started their singing group, the Ronettes, in the early 1960s. They didn't know where it would bring them. They just wanted to sing. Little did they know that their group would produce a top hit "Be My Baby" or that their Christmas album would become a classic. These ladies set the standard for female singing groups that came up after them. You could see their influences in groups like En Vogue or Destiny's Child. - Nedra says today's artists have to go through a different process than what the Ronettes did, i.e , American Idol.
On March 12, 2007, The Ronettes were formally recognized for their special place in history - they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her friend, Keith Richards, of the legendary rock group The Rolling Stones presented the award to them. Nedra realizes that she is going down in history and that over the years she's been in a time capsule. She sees this honor as the world recognizing what the Ronettes brought to the culture. She has some wonderful memories and opportunities from her experience with the Ronettes, like entertaining the American troops during the Vietnam War. Nedra says it is nice to be honored and part of history.
More importantly, Nedra has a legacy she can share with grandchildren & great grandchildren. It is fun to hear the Ronettes' songs come on with her children and grandchildren - they listen and sing along. Those songs have also become apart of the Ross family tradition. Every year they decorate the Christmas tree to the Ronette Christmas album songs.
NOTHING COMPARES
In the mid-60s, Nedra committed her life to God and changed some of her interests and priorities. She left the group to get married - to Scott Ross, and walked away from the music business. The Ronettes soon dissolved, as her cousins also married a short time later.
The Ronettes were especially fortunate to have been raised in Christian homes and to have had the support and protection of their families around them. Nedra says there was a genuine innocence to their experiences - they were mostly just having fun.
When she was in the music business, there were no Christians, but God was starting to do a work. Nedra says there was a new movement that Jesus was doing in the '60s. Nedra found that what the world had to offer with success, fame, and fortune did not compare to following Jesus. When she decided to leave it all behind, her family thought she had lost her mind. She signed everything over to her mother and only kept a few pieces of Ronette memorabilia. She was willing to walk away from it all for the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Nedra made the decision to come to CBN with her husband Scott in 1967 where he was being hired for a job. She didn't tell Pat the extent of where she came from. He didn't realize the international recognition Nedra had with the Ronettes. She didn't promote it. Since then, she has been married to her husband for almost forty years and is enjoying life with her family and her walk with God.