Phil Spector, Music Producer Convicted of Murder, Dead at 81

Phil Spector
GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

The infamous producer died of natural causes on Saturday.

Phil Spector, convicted murderer and famed music producer, died of natural causes on Saturday. He was 81.

The news of Spector's death was announced by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Sunday.

Spector "was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at an outside hospital. His official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner in the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office."

In 2009, Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life for the fatal shooting of Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California mansion in 2003.

Before his newfound infamy, Spector was regarded as a revolutionary music producer who pioneered what he called the Wall of Sound, a music production style marked by dense orchestral sound designed to stun and overwhelm the senses.

Throughout his life, Spector worked with some of the biggest acts in music including The Beatles, The Ramones, Leonard Cohen, Ike & Tina Turner, Cher and countless others.

His life, career and subsequent murder trial were featured in the award winning 2013 HBO biopic Phil Spector, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino.

RELATED CONTENT: