Biography

On February 3, 2003, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after Lana Clarkson was shot to death in his home in Alhambra, CA. In April 2007, he went on trial in Los Angeles. On April 13, 2009, he was convicted of second-degree murder. On May 29 he was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison (he would have not be eligible for parole until 2024, when he would have been 84 years old. He was also ordered to pay $16,800 in funeral expenses and more than $9,700 to a state victim's assistance fund. Multiple appeals of the conviction were denied. He died from COVID-19 complications on January 16, 2021, while serving his prison sentence.

Produced records for Gene Pitney, Ike Turner and Tina Turner, Ben E. King, The Beatles, The Righteous Brothers, The Checkmates, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Ramones and Yoko Ono, among others.

One night at his home he held the punk band Ramones at gunpoint and forced them to perform.

While producing Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the mid-1960s, Spector actually worked only with Tina; Ike was reportedly paid $10,000 not to attend the sessions.

He used members of the L. A. studio musicians informally referred to by the nickname "The Wrecking Crew". Session regulars included Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Al De Lory, Jim Gordon, Jim Horn, Carol Kaye, Leon Russell, Tommy Tedesco, Nino Tempo, and Sonny Bono, himself learning the producer's trade, as Spector had learned from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Brian Wilson also used The Wrecking Crew members for his own recordings with The Beach Boys.