Phil Spector, Music Producer Imprisoned For Murder, Dies At 81

Phil Spector has died at 81.

The inmate and former music producer passed away of natural causes on Saturday, according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He had been transferred to an outside hospital from his prison.

Sources told TMZ that Spector’s death was related to COVID-19 complications but law enforcement officials said the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office medical examiner will confirm details at a later date.

Spector was serving a 19-years-to-life sentence after being convicted of second-degree murder in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson, whose body was found at Spector’s home.

Prior to his incarceration, Spector was a powerhouse in the music industry who pioneered a production technique called the “Wall of Sound.” He worked with a number of iconic artists over the years, including The Righteous Brothers, The Beatles, The Ronettes, Tina Turner and more, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Al Pacino portrayed Spector in a 2013 film by David Mamet which chronicled the murder trial. Helen Mirren co-starred as his defense attorney, Linda Kenney Baden.

Spector was reportedly married four times, most famously to The Ronettes’ lead singer Ronnie Spector from 1968 to 1974. In a memoir, Ronnie claimed Spector had held her prisoner in their mansion and threatened her life.

Per the Associated Press, Spector testified in a 2005 court deposition that he was taking medication for manic depression and said he was “hard to live with” and having a “hard time getting through life.”

Adding at the time, “I’ve been called a genius and I think a genius is not there all the time and has borderline insanity.”

— Erin Biglow