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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. Pic:  Sky UK/Michael Ochs Archives
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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
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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

Phil Spector. Pic: Sky UK/Photoshot/Everett Collection
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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
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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 starred in a show called Barbarian Queen. Pic: © Sky UK/Imago Images/ Mary Evans
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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. Pic: Sky UK
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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.”

Lana Clarkson. Pic: Sky UK/WireImage/ Albert L Ortega
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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.”

How Phil Spector was convicted of Lana Clarkson’s murder

  • Phil Spector met a friend for dinner in Los Angeles on the evening of 2 February 2003 where multiple witnesses reported he was drinking heavily.
  • Later that evening, he took a waitress to the House of Blues on LA’s Sunset Strip where he was introduced to actress Lana Clarkson, who was working as a hostess at the venue.
  • Spector invited Clarkson to his mansion in Alhambra, California, and the pair were driven there by his driver Adriano De Souza.
  • In the early hours of 3 February 2003, Mr De Souza said he heard a noise from inside Spector’s property and the producer opened the door with a gun in his hand and said: ‘I think my boss killed somebody.’
  • Police officers arrived and found Ms Clarkson’s dead body slumped in a chair with a single gunshot wound to her mouth.
  • Spector was arrested and initially told police ‘the gun went off accidentally’, before later saying Ms Clarkson had killed herself.
  • Spector’s televised trial began in March 2007 but the jury failed to agree a unanimous verdict.
  • A retrial – which was not televised – began in October 2008 which resulted in Spector being convicted of murder. He was jailed in May 2009 for at least 19 years.

‘Musical genius’ who committed ‘heinous crime’

Phil Spector. Pic: Sky UK/Michael Ochs Archives
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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
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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
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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
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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.”

Sky documentary Spector. Pic: Sky UK

Spector is available to watch on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW.

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Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

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Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia talked about modern masculinity before Gen Z was born 

Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.

As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.

Pete Townshend
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Pete Townshend

“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.

“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”

If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.

But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.

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Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation. 

Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.

He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.

“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”

Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
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Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson

This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.

For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.

Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
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Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet

“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.

“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”

Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.

“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.

“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”

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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.

“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.

Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.

It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.

Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

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Russell Brand charged with rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.

The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.

The charges relate to four women.

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.

Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.

He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.

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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges

The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.

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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.

He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to ‘dear friend’ Val Kilmer

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Tom Cruise leads moment of silence in tribute to 'dear friend' Val Kilmer

Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.

Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.

Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.

Tom Cruise, star of the upcoming film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," leads a moment of silence for late actor Val Kilmer during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP

Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
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Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP

His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.

“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.

“I wish you well on the next journey.”

The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.

Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.

Tom Cruise takes part in the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace on Thursday, April 3, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP

Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.

He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.

Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.

Read more from Sky News:
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.

In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.

The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.

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