Topline
Phil Spector, the legendary music producer who revolutionized rock and roll with his “Wall of Sound” recording methods, has died, according to state prison officials in California, where Spector was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.
Music producer Phil Spector sits in court during his murder trial August 16, 2007 in Los Angeles, ... [+]
Key Facts
Spector, 81, was pronounced dead of “natural causes” on Saturday evening at an outside hospital, according to a statement.
His official cause of death will be determined and announced by the medical examiner in the San Joaquin County Sheriff's office.
Key Facts
The legendary music producer—who worked with a litany of top artists including the Beatles, Tina Turner and the Ronettes—is best known for developing the groundbreaking “Wall of Sound,” which is (in his own words) “a way of recording to make everything sound as if it were live and being heard on the radio as you recorded it in the studio.” The technique influenced major artists like Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and the Beach Boys. Spector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965, per AFP news agency’s count. Spector died while serving a sentence of 19 years to life for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who was found dead in his home in Alhambra, California, with a single bullet wound to the head.
Surprising Fact
Spector’s first No. 1 hit came in his teens. “To Know Him Is to Love Him” was recorded by Spector and two friends from school under the band name of the Teddy Bears, and sold over a million copies after its 1958 release. Spector was a millionaire by age 21.
Further Reading
“'It's just as well you can't get guns in London'” (The Guardian)
“How Phil Spector was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson” (The Guardian)
