Phil Spector, the famed music producer who was also a convicted murderer, died on Saturday, Jan. 16. The New York Times reported on Spector's death as listed in a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation release, which noted he died of "natural causes." He was 81.

Spector was among the most influential producers of rock 'n' roll and pop music in the 1960s and '70s, a time when he produced groups including The Ronettes, The Crystals, Ike and Tina Turner, and The Beatles. He was famous for innovating the "Wall of Sound" recording technique, which produced dense pop-music soundscapes and many hits, including "Be My Baby" and "Then He Kissed Me." In the 1970s, he produced Let It Be and worked on George Harrison's and John Lennon's solo albums.

In later life, Spector was convicted in the 2003 death of Lana Clarkson, a hostess and actress who died of a gunshot wound at Spector's home. After a mistrial in 2008, Spector was in 2009 convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 19 years to life in prison. According to the CDCR release on Jan. 17, Spector died "at an outside hospital" while serving his sentence in California. TMZ has reported that he died from complications of COVID-19.