The murderer and musical genius: How Phil Spector killed actress – and why daughter is ‘trying to clear his name’
Two years after the death of music producer and convicted killer Phil Spector, a controversial bid to clear his name is understood to be under way.
Widely lauded as a musical genius for his work with the likes of The Righteous Brothers, Tina Turner and The Beatles, Spector spent his final years in prison after he was found guilty of murdering actress Lana Clarkson.
The 40-year-old was shot dead at Spector’s sprawling California mansion, known as the Pyrenees Castle, in February 2003, in an incident that sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond.
Spector – who died in prison aged 81 after contracting COVID – always maintained his innocence, claiming Clarkson had “kissed the gun” and shot herself at his property.
A mugshot of Phil Spector after his arrest. Pic: Sky UK/Michael Ochs Archives
It is a version of events that the producer’s daughter still believes to be true, according to the directors of a new Sky documentary.
The four-part series delves into the lives of Spector and Clarkson and examines the notorious murder at his home.
Nicole Spector agreed to be interviewed for the programme, in which she claims her father was “easy prey” for prosecutors, and that evidence heard at his trial made it “immediately clear that he couldn’t have pulled the trigger”.
Nicole Spector gave evidence during her father’s murder trial in 2007. Pic: AP
“She feels very strongly that Lana took her own life and she believes the forensic evidence supports that,” director Sheena Joyce tells Sky News.
“I don’t know that she will ever change her mind on that.”
Nicole remains “angry” and “devastated” that her father spent more than a decade behind bars for a crime she believes he didn’t commit, says Joyce.
And Spector’s daughter is “trying to get the Innocence Project (which works to clear people wrongly convicted of crimes) to get behind the case and exonerate her father”, according to the documentary maker.
Revisiting the evidence
Spector wore a range of different wigs during his court appearances. Pic: Sky UK/Photoshot/Everett Collection
During Spector’s first trial – which ended with a hung jury – and his subsequent retrial, when he was convicted of murder, defence lawyers had argued that there was “no physical evidence” that Spector pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Clarkson.
“There were no fingerprints found (on the gun). There was no DNA on the gun. He had no gunshot residue on him,” Spector’s trial lawyer Linda Kenney Baden tells the documentary. She also highlights the apparent lack of blood on the white jacket that Spector was wearing on the night of Clarkson’s death.
Don Argott, who directed the documentary with Joyce, says the pair “kept an open mind” about Spector’s conviction as they pored over transcripts, documents and video evidence shown at his trial.
But both filmmakers believe the jury’s verdict was correct at Spector’s retrial.
“I think it’s ludicrous to think (Lana Clarkson) walked into a stranger’s house, rooted around in (Spector’s) things, found a gun and shot herself in the face,” says Joyce.
Phil Spector and his daughter Nicole. Pic: Sky UK/ZUMA Press Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
“We did look at the forensic evidence and it does not exonerate Phil Spector.
“(Nicole’s) going to hold on what she needs to hold on to.
“For us, it’s very clear that Phil Spector did it.”
“I can’t change Nicole’s mind,” Argott adds.
“She has her truth and that is the thing she holds on to. It’s not for me to say it’s wrong or take away from it.
“I do think she does have a hard time reconciling the beautiful man her father was to her… with the portrayal of him as a murderer. She can’t get there.
“She is holding on to elements in the investigation that she thinks are the smoking gun that exonerate her father, and that’s where she’s at.”
The Innocence Project said it could not comment on whether it was involved in an attempt to exonerate Spector, while his daughter Nicole also declined to comment when approached by Sky News.
‘B-movie actress’ label
Lana Clarkson pictured starring in the film Barbarian Queen. Pic: Sky UK/Imago Images/ Mary Evans
As well as exploring the murder itself, the documentary looks at the media coverage at the time of Clarkson’s death which repeatedly referred to her as a “B-movie actress”.
She had a string of film and television credits, appearing in cult 1980s movie Fast Times At Ridgemont High and opposite David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider.
When she met Spector for the first time on the night she was killed, Clarkson was working as a hostess at the House of Blues club on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip.
Joyce says the description of Clarkson as a “B-movie actress” was “shorthand for disposable”.
Lana Clarkson met Spector for the first time just hours before she was killed. Pic: Sky UK
“Putting a moniker like ‘B-movie actress’ before her name somehow suggests she was desperate, she had it coming, she was asking for it,” the director says.
“It’s a very quick way to paint a narrative about someone.
“It was important for us to make sure that Lana was not just a footnote in the Phil Spector story.
“We wanted her to be a fully fleshed out character.”
Pic: Sky UK/WireImage/ Albert L Ortega
Clarkson’s mother Donna is interviewed in the documentary but Joyce admits she had “quite a few reservations” about taking part.
“It’s hard sometimes for people to see the upside of participating in something like this,” she says.
“They’re talking about the most painful thing that has happened to them.
“And they’re setting themselves up for disappointment and ridicule. It’s ripping open old wounds.
“It was important for us that she understood that we really wanted to flesh (Lana) out as a real character and not a footnote in the Phil Spector story.
“It took some convincing but eventually she trusted us and I do feel we did right by her.”
‘Musical genius’ who committed ‘heinous crime’
Phil Spector was known for his ‘wall of sound’. Pic: Sky UK/Michael Ochs Archives
Some of the media coverage around Spector’s death was criticised at the time, with the BBC apologising for a headline which described the convicted killer as “talented but flawed”.
Joyce says “a lot of people are probably upset with us that we acknowledge his musical genius” in the documentary.
“He was a murderer, he did a heinous crime. He abused women for decades. That is absolutely true,” the director says.
“He was also a musical genius. One does not negate the other, but you can’t really reconcile the two.”
Phil Spector with Ike and Tina Turner. Pic: Sky UK/1960 Ray Avery/ Premium Archive
Spector was just 17 years old when he had a top 10 hit in the US, performing with the Teddy Bears on their song To Know Him Is To Love Him.
However he was best known for his role as a producer, working with some of the biggest stars in music and creating his “wall of sound” recording technique, with its dense, layered effect.
A millionaire by the time he was 21, Spector produced hits for the likes of Ike and Tina Turner, The Ronettes, The Righteous Brothers, Cher, Bruce Springsteen and The Beatles, producing the band’s final album Let It Be. He also worked with John Lennon on Imagine.
The 1965 song You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, which Spector co-wrote, is listed as the record with the most US airplay in the 20th century.
Phil Spector and The Righteous Brothers. Pic: Sky UK/Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo
Asked whether it’s possible to listen to Spector’s music now without thinking of his murder, Joyce says: “It’s a hard question – how do you separate the art from the artist?
“Can you separate the art from the artist? It’s not a question we have a clear answer for. Everyone’s line is different.
“I think it’s easier for people to still listen to the music of Phil Spector because he wasn’t the singer – he was the man behind the scenes.
“I can’t imagine Christmas without his Christmas album.
Phil Spector. Pic: Sky UK/Michael Ochs Archives
“That being said, while he was a genius music producer, he abused women and murdered someone and you can’t separate that.
“There’s no clear answer and I think everyone has their own line.
“Do we not watch Harvey Weinstein-produced films because of the monster he is? Everyone’s line is going to be a different.”
Spector is available to watch on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW.
Singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.
The US R&B star was arrested at a hotel in Manchester by Metropolitan Police detectives last month, after the singer flew to the city by private jet in preparation for his world tour.
The 36-year-old said he had gone “from the cage to the stage” after he was released on bail in time for the tour.
Chris Brown arrives at Southwark Crown Court. Pic: PA
The musician had been remanded in custody following an initial hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court but was freed ahead of his court appearance after paying a £5m security fee to the court.
Brown is accused of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Abraham Diaw at a London nightclub called Tape in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on 19 February 2023.
He confirmed his name and date of birth at Southwark Crown Court on Friday before entering his plea, saying: “Not guilty ma’am.”
His co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 39, who performs under the name Hoody Baby, pleaded not guilty to the same charge.
Both defendants are further charged with assaulting Mr Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm, with Brown also facing one count of having an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place. They were not asked to enter pleas to those charges, with a further court hearing set for 11 July.
Last month, Manchester Magistrates Court heard Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the nightclub when he was struck several times with a bottle, before being pursued to a separate area of the venue, where he was punched and kicked repeatedly.
Around 20 people sat in the public gallery behind the dock for the hearing, many of them fans of Brown.
The singer arrived at around 9am to a large group of photographers outside court and walked to the building’s entrance in silence.
A trial date has been set for 26 October 2026.
Entertainment
Judi Dench, Malala and Stanley Tucci join call for Starmer to ‘end UK complicity’ in Gaza
Dame Judi Dench, Malala and Stanley Tucci are among another 100 famous names who have added their signatures to a letter urging Sir Keir Starmer to “end the UK’s complicity” in Gaza.
Sky News can exclusively reveal the Bond actress, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Conclave actor are among a host of public figures who have added their names to the letter.
At the end of May, Sky News revealed about 300 actors, bands, singers, activists and sportspeople signed the letter, organised by refugee charity Choose Love, calling on Sir Keir to suspend all UK arms sales and licences to Israel.
Dua Lipa, Benedict Cumberbatch and Gary Lineker were among the celebrities to also urge the PM to use all available means to ensure full humanitarian access and broker an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Celebrities and activists also read out all the names of children killed in Gaza in front of parliament.
But three weeks later, they say nothing has changed.
Dua Lipa, Gary Lineker and Benedict Cumberbatch signed the letter in May. Pics: PA
Other new signatories include actors Florence Pugh and Russell Tovey, Dr Who star Ncuti Gatwa, singer Paolo Nutini, author Michael Rosen, musician Paul Weller, Little Mix members Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, broadcaster Fearne Cotton, Game of Thrones actress Carice van Houten, Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright and ex-England rugby captain Chris Robshaw.
The letter urges Sir Keir to “take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors of Gaza”, and says children are starving “while food and medicine sit just minutes away”, in reference to Israel blocking aid into the territory.
It says 71,000 children under four are “acutely malnourished” and those who survive starvation “wake up to bombs falling on them”, with more than 15,000 children killed in the conflict so far.
Read more:
Israeli tanks kill 51 people waiting for aid in Gaza
Bodies of Israeli couple taken into Gaza by Hamas recovered
Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Dr Who, has signed the letter. Pic: Reuters
Actress Florence Pugh has also signed the letter. Pic: Reuters
Actor Russell Tovey is a signatory too. Pic: Reuters
“Violence stamped with UK inaction – flown with parts shipped from British factories to Israel – could be obliterating families in seconds,” the letter adds.
“You can’t call it ‘intolerable’, yet do nothing.
“Every moment this continues, is another moment children die on our watch.
“History is written in moments of moral clarity. This is one. The world is watching and history will not forget. The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute.
“Prime minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war crimes, or the courage to act?”
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Steve Coogan: It has to stop
What has Starmer said and done about Gaza?
In September, the UK suspended about 30 arms export licences to Israel, but government export licensing figures from May show the UK approved licences for £127.6m worth of military equipment from October to December 2024 – more than the total between 2020 and 2023.
Since the first letter was sent, Sir Keir has called Israel’s actions in Gaza – both the blockade of aid and strikes – “appalling and intolerable”.
Some of his own MPs are pressuring him to take further action against Israel and call the 20-month war – which started when Hamas killed 1,195 people in Israel and took 250 hostage – a genocide, but he has not used those words.
On 10 June, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich over “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian civilians”.
They are banned from entering the UK and are now subject to a freeze on UK assets and director disqualifications.
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Gaza crisis ‘acute’ and continuing
Last week, Sir Keir said more RAF jets, including Typhoons and air-to-air refuelers, were being sent to the Middle East after Israel and Iran attacked each other.
On Tuesday, Sir Keir told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby he is “worried about the impact” escalation between the two countries will have on Gaza.
Josie Naughton, co-founder and CEO of Choose Love, said: “Since we urged the government to end its complicity in the horrors of Gaza, more people have added their voice to our call. We cannot be silent while children are being killed and families are being starved.
“It took us 18 hours to read the 15,613 names of children known to be killed in Gaza. Every single one of them was someone’s whole universe. Every one of them deserved better.
“The situation is changing by the second, but until the UK government has halted all arms sales and licences to Israel, ensured that humanitarian aid can reach people starving inside Gaza and stopped the killing, they will not have done enough.
“History will remember how we acted in this moment. We beg Keir Starmer to end the UK’s complicity in these horrors.”
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A government spokesperson said: “We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid.
“The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law.”
The spokesperson added: “Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict.
“We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.”
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