Legendary producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector dies in prison

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      The man credited with creating the "Wall of Sound" on hits like "Be My Baby" and "Then He Kissed Me" has died in a California prison.

      Phil Spector was 81.

      In 2009, the legendary music producer was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of actor Lana Clarkson and sentenced to 19 years to life. This came in a second trial after a 2007 mistrial.

      His death has been attributed to natural causes by California prison officials.

      Clarkson was found dead in his mansion in Alhambra, California in 2003.

      Spector claimed to Esquire magazine that she kissed a gun, causing an "accidental suicide".

      A Phil Spector prison photograph, taken in 2009.
      California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

      "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' " is another massive hit produced by Spector.

      In addition, he produced the Beatles' Let It Be Album and subsequent solo albums by John Lennon, including Imagine, and George Harrison.

      Spector won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1971 for Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh.

      In 1974, Spector suffered a serious car crash in 1974, coming close to death and requiring hundreds of stitches.

      Three years later, he returned to the music world when he produced and cowrote Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies Man.

      In 1979, Spector produced End of the Century by the Ramones, which included "Rock 'n' Roll High School". Some members of the band later said that he would bring a gun to the recording studio. 

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