Phil Spector: Convicted murderer and music producer dies aged 81

Convicted murderer and music producer Phil Spector has died at the age of 81.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said he died of natural causes in hospital on Saturday.

The musician and songwriter, whose full name is Harvey Phillip Spector, is regarded to be among the most influential figures in pop music history for his creation of the 'wall of sound' recording technique with its dense, layered effect.

He worked with some of the biggest names in music including John Lennon, whose 1971 hit Imagine he produced.

Ike and Tina Turner, The Ronettes, The Righteous, Cher and The Beatles all also worked with the producer.

Spector produced Let It Be, The Beatles' final album, which was released in 1970.

Spector was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.At the time of his death, Spector was serving a 19 year sentence for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

The 40-year-old, known for starring in films including Barbarian Queen, died of a gunshot fired into her mouth while she was in Spector's mansion.

In a magazine interview, Spector had claimed she had "kissed the gun" before pulling the trigger herself, however the jury unanimously agreed he had murdered the actress.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed his death in a statement which said: "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."