Ronnie Spector Covers Amy Winehouse at Casino Show

Posted on Dec 5th 2009 1:00PM by Linda Laban
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"I love my Christmas songs," Ronnie Spector cooed after romping through 'Sleigh Ride,' which launched her performance at Mohegan Sun Casino's Wolf Den in Connecticut Friday night. Spector's annual Christmas shows, which continue in the Northeast through December, are a tradition. After all, the former Ronettes leader's voice goes hand-in-hand with holiday pop songs like 'Frosty The Snowman' and 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,' both of which were included in last night's set.

But it wasn't all jingle bells and nostalgia for the '60s pop legend. The 66-year-old could have phoned it in, mining holiday classics alongside her '60s hits like 'Be My Baby' and the Grammy-winning 'Walking In The Rain,' both of which she performed with relish, eyes twinkling and voice bright and hopeful.

Instead, Spector, backed by a nine-piece band, added a passionate cover of Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' and Johnny Thunders' 'Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory,' one of many songs from her fall album, 'The Last of the Rock Stars.' Though her pals Mick Jagger and Keith Richards might contest that statement, the original "bad girl" is up there with them. Her hair is still big, though not beehived, the eyeliner exact, and the legs still rock-star skinny. But more than anything, her voice is in tact, warbling iconic whoah-oh-ohs like it's 1964.

For the encore, Spector changed into a feather-trimmed red Santa coat, but still didn't rely on seasonal sentimentality. She introduced 'Merry Christmas War Is Over' as "a song by a very good friend of mine, John Lennon," and ended with the bright salve of 'I Can Hear Music.' In between, Spector flogged every ounce of heartache from Jeff Barry's torch song, "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine."