LEGAL FILE

Legendary record producer and composer Phil Spector is embroiled in a $30-million libel suit against author Mark Ribowsky in New York’s state Supreme Court. Ribowsky wrote an unauthorized biography of Spector entitled “He’s a Rebel: The Truth About Phil Spector--Rock and Roll’s Legendary Madman” in which the author alleges that Spector abused his wife and 10-year-old son, is a racist and would demand credit and royalties as a co-writer of songs that he did not write as a condition for producing records. Spector, in his libel suit, has branded the allegations “false, scandalous and defamatory.” A month before the biography was published in March, Spector’s attorneys wrote Ribowsky and asked that he delay the publication of the book and supply a copy to Spector so that he could review the book. Spector’s suit said that Ribowsky did not respond to the request.