Phil Spector, record producer extraordinaire, a driving force behind the Wall of Sound – the Ronettes, the Crystals, Ike & Tina Turner and worked with the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and the Ramones – has died in a prison care home where he was incarcerated for murder. Another creative talent with significant mental challenges, he had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and struggled with his psychological state for many years, before shooting a cocktail waitress dead.
One of his wives related horror stories of her marriage to him as did his children of their treatment(wiki). If true they paint a picture of not just a disturbed man but one who was drowning in his own darkness.
Born 26 December 1939 at 2.55pm in New York to a first generation immigrant family with his father suiciding at 8, he took up music in his teens, formed a band and had a hit with the Teddy Bears ‘To Know him is to love him.’
He had an 8th house Capricorn Sun opposition a Cancer Moon square Jupiter in Aries – intense, money-minded, in tune with public taste (Cancer Moon) and super-confident (focal point Jupiter). He also had a showbizzy and head-in-the-clouds Mars in Pisces conjunct Jupiter opposition Neptune which was sextile/trine Venus opposition Pluto. His Venus opposition Pluto also squared onto a forced-to-be-self-reliant Saturn in Aries opposition a Libra North Node.
It’s not an exceptionally brutal chart but is certainly conflicted more than most.
His creative 5th and 7th Harmonics are well aspected. Most notable are his rise-and-fall, self-defeating 10H; and his victim 12H.
A deeply unpleasant man, with a very violent streak.
I can recall a picture of him on the front of the NME pointing a gun.
This was back in the mid-1970s.
I noticed that Patricia Highsmith was also born under the sign of Capricorn.
Certainly a poor week for them.
“One of his wives related horror stories of her marriage to him as did his children of their treatment(wiki). If true they paint a picture of not just a disturbed man but one who was drowning in his own darkness.”
The wife was Ronnie Spector, lead singer of The Ronettes, whose “Be My Baby” was the first Phil Spector produced smash hit and one that definitely got other producers, most notably Brian Wilson, to study “Wall of Sound”. One of the stunts Phil pulled with her was adopting twins and presenting them as a gift for Christmas. The Ronettes performed with The Rolling Stones (as well as The Beatles), and apparently, Keith Richards had very warm feelings for her. She’s featured in his biography, too, and Keith (who definitely has many flaws, but unlike many men of his generation, seems to genuinely like company of women) mentions Phil’s abusive behavior towards Ronnie, even if the two were not an official couple at the time.
The subsequent treatment of The Ronettes by Phil Spector is a good indication of his nasty, abusive and vindicative streak, too, in my opinion. He would withhold their royalties leading to a decade long court battle and even introduction of Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
I also agree that Spector’s chart didn’t really reflect all this. Neither does his diagnosis as bipolar. He probably was a “Dark Triangle” personality, who preferred women as victims. Truly chilling.
Agree he didn’t sound bi-polar. An uncharming psychopath. Will do Vincenzo Muccoli later today if I can cram it in – another Capricorn. Not a good week for them.
@Marjorie, thanks! I have to say that at least with Muccioli, the picture should be more nuanced than with Spector and Highsmith, who were brilliant artists but completely self absorbed.