Phil Spector, famed music producer and murder convict, dies at 81

Rock producer Phil Spector, who changed the sound of pop music in the 1960s with his 'Wall of Sound' recordings and was convicted of murder for the 2003 murder of a Hollywood actress, has died at age 81 of COVID-19, according to authorities and media reports.

Spector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965 and went on to work with the Beatles on Let It Be, as well as Leonard Cohen, the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner.

He was diagnosed with COVID-19 four weeks ago and transferred to a hospital from his prison cell, where he had been serving a 19 years-to-life sentence for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, the Daily Mail newspaper said.