(Reuters)

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 media reports on Sunday (January 17).

Spector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965 and went on to work with the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner.

He also influenced artists ranging from the Beach Boys to Bruce Springsteen, who emulated the Spector sound on his classic single Born to Run.

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