Phil Spector’s infamous Alhambra hilltop estate asks $5.5 million
High on an Alhambra hilltop, the French Chateau-style mansion owned by Phil Spector -- and where actress Lana Clarkson was slain -- is up for sale at $5.5 million.
Called the Pyrenees Castle, the eerie estate dates back to 1926, when French immigrant Sylvester Dupuy erected the home to mimic the castles he saw as a child in his native country. It was divided into apartments in the 1940s before a Chinese investor bought it and remodeled it in the ’80s.
Spector, an influential producer famous for his “wall of sound” recording technique, paid $1.1 million for the home in 1998, describing it to Esquire as “a beautiful and enchanting castle in a hick town where there is no place to go that you shouldn’t go.”
Dogged by a history of substance addiction and domestic abuse, Spector was occasionally seen by neighbors winding his way up to the estate in a luxury car. They compared him to a feudal lord among serfs, The Times previously reported.
Looming over the San Gabriel Valley city, the walled and gated mansion sits on a private knoll of just over 2.5 acres. Past a quarter-mile driveway and motor court, the 8,700-square-foot interior opens to a grand marble foyer – the room where Clarkson was found shot to death in 2003 after a night out in Hollywood.
Spector was arrested on suspicion of her murder soon after, and following a mistrial in 2007, he was retried and convicted of second-degree murder two years later. He’s serving a prison sentence of 19 years to life.
Crystal chandeliers and hand-painted murals draw the eye throughout the floor plan, which holds nine bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.
Original hardwood floors line the elegant living spaces. There’s an expansive living room with paneled walls and a fireplace, two kitchens, two offices, a game room, dining room, wet bar and hair salon.
Outside, turrets give the exterior its castle-like vibe, and a top-level terrace takes in city light views. A fountain and four garages round out the grounds.
Ladd Jackson of Hilton & Hyland holds the listing.
Spector, 79, produced award-winning work with iconic groups such as the Ronettes, the Beatles and the Ramones during his career. His writing credits include “Be My Baby” and “Then He Kissed Me.”
jack.flemming@latimes.com | Twitter: @jflem94
