Former music producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector has died aged 81 whilst serving his prison sentence.
Spector was famous for creating the Wall of Sound style of pop music, which was used by was used by a number of groups in the 1960s.
He was responsible for a string of hits including The Righteous Brothers' You Lost that Lovin' Feeling and Unchained Melody, The Ronettes' Be My Baby and The Crystals' He's a Rebel.
He produced The Beatles last studio album and also worked with the likes of Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen and The Ramones to name but a few.
In 2009, he was convicted of the murder of Hollywood actress Lana Clarkson and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
His death was today (Sunday) confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
They said in a statement: “California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6.35pm 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.
“Spector was admitted from Los Angeles County on June 5, 2009, for second-degree murder.
"He had been sentenced to 19 years to life for the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson.
“Before his incarceration, Spector was an influential record producer, musician and songwriter best known for developing a music production technique called the ‘wall of sound’.”
Spector was born in the Bronx area of New York in 1939 with his father taking his own life when he was just nine years-old.
He rose to fame as the creator of The Wall of Sound technique which involved the overdubbing of scores of musicians on a track to create a 'full' sound.
The style would later be copied by several artists, including The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen.
In total Spector produced 20 hits which reached the top 40 between 1961 and 1965.
However he had well documented problems with drink and drug addiction and largely vanished from the music scene in the 1980s and 90s.
In 2009 he was convicted of the 2003 murder of Ms Clarkson.
Her body had been found at Spector's home in Alhambra, Los Angeles, with a bullet wound to the head.
Spector said she had accidentally shot herself or taken her own life but prosecutors said he shot her during a drunken row.
At his first trial in 2007 a jury was hung but he was found guilty of second-degree murder at a re-trial.
Spector was still several years away from being eligible for parole for the first time when he died.
