Phil Spector Sentenced

One of the modern pop industry's most pivotal figures faces life behind bars, after Phil Spector was handed a 19 year jail sentence.

Phil Spector pioneering the 'Wall Of Sound' technique in the 60s. Pushing music technology to the limit, his blend of girl group harmonies and vast orchestration spawned countless hits, soundtracking the early 60s.

However Spector always had a different side to his personality. Driven to the point of obsession with finding success, he was disgusted by the American public's indifference to his production of 'River Deep, Mountain High' and retreated from the music industry.

Increasingly erratic, Spector nonetheless supplied production for John Lennon's album 'Imagine'. Work on a further batch of material with the one time Beatles singer was halted, however, after the producer pulled a gun on Lennon.

Working sporadically since then, Spector's final job as a producer seems to have been with Starsailor. The two collaborated on a number of songs, with sessions being cut short due to Phil Spector's erratic behaviour.

The actress Lana Clarkson was found dead at Phil Spector's home in 2003. In his defence, the producer argued that a distressed Clarkson killed herself.

After two trials, a jury found Phil Spector guilty of murdering the woman. With his lawyers contesting the sentence, Spector has maintained his innocence. Sentencing began on Friday (May 29th) with the producer's team attempting to gain a favourable outcome.

However any hopes Spector had of a short jail term were dashed. Given fifteen years to life for second degree murder, the producer was also sentenced to four years for personal use of a gun - the maximum sentence that could have been imposed.

Concluding, the presiding judge in the Los Angeles case stated that the producer must serve at least 19 years before becoming eligible for parole. At this point, Spector will be 88 years old.

The producer's lawyers insisted they will appeal the sentence. According to court reports, Phil Spector sat motionless in court as the verdict was read out.

There are already fears for Spector's mental health, with one prominent biographer stating that he fears the producer may kill himself rather than face a lengthy spell behind bars.

Spector's lawyers have not commented on the case.