MUSICIAN Phil Spector exchanged vows three times and had five children throughout his lifetime.
The rock ‘n’ roll producer died on January 16, 2021, from Covid-19 complications after testing positive for the bug four weeks prior.
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Who were Phil Spector’s ex-wives?
Phil Spector, 81, was first married to Annette Merar, a lead vocalist of the Spectors Three.
The band was formed and produced by Spector in the 1960’s.
During his marriage, he was allegedly having an affair with a woman named Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector.
Bennett was the lead singer of The Ronettes, another group Spector oversaw and produced.
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Spector divorced Merar in 1966 and married Bennett in 1968.
They adopted three children together, Donté Phillip and twins Louis Phillip and Gary Phillip.
Bennett alleged in her memoir Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness that Spector controlled her every move and subjected her to emotional distress while married.
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She noted that she escaped their home barefoot and with the help of her mother back in 1972.
The pair divorced in 1974, with Bennett reportedly forfeiting all future record earnings because she alleged that Spector threatened her with a “hitman”.
In a tribute posted on Instagram, Bennett said: “It’s a sad day for music and a sad day for me.
“When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best.
“He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days.”
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She said falling in love with the producer was a “fairytale” and the music they made was “inspired by their love”.
She added: “I loved him madly and gave my heart and soul to him.”
In September of 2006, Spector married girlfriend Rachelle Short.
After a decade of marriage, the two divorced in April of 2016 as they cited “irreconcilable differences.”
On January 12, 2022, Bennett was announced dead at the age of 78.
“Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor, and a smile on her face,” her family said.
The statement also read: “She was filled with love and gratitude.”
“A celebration of Ronnie’s life and music will be announced in the future.”
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Who was his girlfriend Janis Zavala?
In the 1980s Spector began dating a woman named Janis Zavala.
The pair gave birth to twins in 1982.
They had a son and daughter, Nicole Audrey Spector and Phillip Spector Jr. who passed away in 1991 from leukemia.
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When did Phil Spector die?
His daughter, Nicole Audrey Spector, told The New York Times that he died of complications from Covid-19.
She told the outlet her father was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital on New Year’s Eve and was intubated in January 2021.
Sources told TMZ the jailed producer died of Covid complications.
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However, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the cause of death is under investigation.
Spector had been serving a 19-year-to-life sentence in prison for the murder of Lana Clarkson.
The CDCR said in a statement: “California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector, 80, was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at an outside hospital.”
