American record producer, musician, and songwriter who developed the Wall of Sound, a music production formula he described as a Wagnerian approach to rock and roll. One of the most influential figures in pop music history, he was the first auteur of the music industry for the unprecedented control he had over every phase of the recording process. After spending three decades in semi-retirement, in 2009, he was convicted for the 2003 murder of the actress Lana Clarkson and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.
Spector’s first marriage was in 1963 to Annette Merar, lead vocalist of the Spectors Three, a 1960s pop trio formed and produced by Spector. In 1968 he married for a second time Ronnie Bennett (b. 10 August 1943, NYC), the lead singer of the girl group the Ronettes. They adopted a son, Donté Phillip Spector (born 23 March 1969). As a Christmas present, Spector surprised her by adopting twins Louis Phillip Spector and Gary Phillip Spector (born 12 May 1966). Spector’s sons Gary and Donté both stated that their father kept them captive as children, and they were forced to “perform sex acts” with his girlfriend. Spector had twin children with his girlfriend Janis Zavala, Nicole Audrey Spector and Phillip Spector, Jr. (born 18 October 1982). Phillip Jr. died of leukemia on 25 December 1991. On 1 September 2006, Spector, while on bail and awaiting trial, married his third wife Rachelle Short, who was 26 at the time. Spector filed for divorce in April 2016, claiming irreconcilable differences.
Spector was arrested early on 3 February 2003 in an investigation of murder after the body of a woman was found at his suburban Los Angeles home, authorities said. He was released later in the day, after posting $1 million bond, said officials. The victim, Los Angeles resident Lana Clarkson, 40, was found in the foyer of Spector’s ten-bedroom, eight-bathroom make-believe castle with the notoriously reclusive producer nearby.
On 20 November 2003, the reclusive record producer was charged with the shooting death of Clarkson. During a brief hearing in Alhambra, California he pleaded not guilty to one count of felony murder. Spector claimed that Clarkson killed herself by accident, but in late September 2003, her death had been ruled a homicide.
Spector remained free on $1 million bail and had to report back to court on 23 January 2004 for a status hearing. On 27 September 2004 in Los Angeles the record producer was charged with murder in the shooting death of Clarkson. Spector remained free on $1 million bail. He claimed that she shot herself. On 26 September 2007, the judge in Spector’s murder trial declared a mistrial after the jury reported that it was deadlocked. He was convicted of second-degree murder on 13 April 2009 in Los Angeles. The verdict carried a mandatory life sentencing scheduled for 29 May 2009 with a possibility of parole after 18 years.
He had been an inmate at the California Health Care Facility (a prison hospital) in Stockton since October 2013. In September 2014, it was reported that Spector had lost his ability to speak, owing to laryngeal papillomatosis. Spector died in prison on 16 January 2021 from complications of COVID-19 at age 81.
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