Phil Spector (born December 26, 1939, New York City,New York, U.S.—died January 16, 2021, French Camp, California) was an American record producer of the 1960s, described by the writerTom Wolfe as the “First Tycoon of Teen.” There had been producers since the beginning of the record industry, but none had assumed the degree of control demanded by Spector. He was especially known for developing the wall of sound, a production style that featuredlavish instrumentation. In 2009 Spector was found guilty of second-degreemurder in the shooting death of Lana Clarkson, and he died in 2021 while in prison.

Early career

At age 18 he and twoLos Angeles school friends recorded “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” a simple teenageballad written by Spector, its title taken from his father’s gravestone. Released under the name of theTeddy Bears, it was one of the biggest hits of 1958. But the group was never to be heard from again, because Spector had other ideas. He moved toNew York City and served an apprenticeship with the writer-producer team ofJerry Leiber and Mike Stoller before branching out to supervise the recordings of Curtis Lee (“Pretty Little Angel Eyes”),the Paris Sisters (“I Love How You Love Me”), and others.

In 1961, needing to escape the restraining influence of older and moreconservative opinion, he formed his own label, Philles Records, and, working atGold Star Recording Studios in Los Angeles, he began to release a string of records that demonstrated his unique vision of whatpop music could achieve in its age of innocence.

Wall of sound

Withthe Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me” andthe Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You,” Spector blended conventional teen romancesentiments with orchestral arrangements of immense scale and power in what he described as “little symphonies for the kids.” Others called it the wall of sound, and the style reached a peak in 1965 with theblue-eyed soul of theRighteous Brothers’ epic “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” a huge worldwide hit. Spector threatened to top it withIke andTina Turner’s majestic “River Deep—Mountain High” the following year, but some sectors of themusic industry, jealous of his success and irritated by hisarrogance, ensured its commercial failure.

A wounded Spector went into a retirement from which he briefly emerged in 1969 to work on the solo records ofJohn Lennon andGeorge Harrison, at whose behest (and toPaul McCartney’s lasting displeasure) he completed the postproduction ofLet It Be, theBeatles’ final album. Later collaborations withLeonard Cohen and theRamones were no more successful than his attempts to reestablish his own label. His time had gone.

Spector wasabsent from the spotlight for most of the next few decades, during which he gained a reputation as a recluse. However, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Murder conviction

Spector then made headlines in 2003, when actressLana Clarkson was fatally shot at his home. He was subsequently charged with murder, and his 2007 trial ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. At Spector’s retrial, begun in October 2008, the presiding judge ruled that jurors could consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter as well as the original murder charge. After six months of testimony and 30 hours of deliberation, the second jury found Spector guilty of second-degree murder, and in May 2009 he was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. His health laterdeteriorated, and in 2014 he was transferred to a prison-run medical facility. Spector died from complications of COVID-19 in 2021.

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