First there was the greying afro, then the Beatlesque blond moptop, then came the brown layered mullet. Now Phil Spector has finally been photographed au naturel – bald on top and with straggly strands of curls.
The prison mugshot of the famed music producer turned convicted murderer is a far cry from the extravagant wigs he wore throughout his various court trials.
“They took my husband’s freedom and dignity. So why not his hair?” said Spector’s wife Rachelle. “This is a personal matter. But in case you don’t know, they don’t allow for much accessorising while in prison.”
Spector’s fondness for elaborate wigs became apparent during his trials for the murder of American B-movie actress Lana Clarkson at his home – a faux French mansion he dubbed the ‘Pyrenees Castle’ – in Alhambra, California, in 2003.
The 69-year-old, who revolutionised pop music in the 1960s with his ‘Wall of Sound’ production technique and worked with The Beatles, The Ronettes and The Righteous Brothers during his heyday, was convicted last year of second-degree murder after two trials.
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The first, during which he was fond of wearing a short, blonde hairdo, ended in a jury deadlock.
The second, when Spector was in his mullet wig faze, ended last month with the music producer facing a 19-year prison sentence after being convicted of second degree murder.
Spector was photographed without a wig last week while being processed and evaluated at North Kern State Prison in Delano, Miami, before being sent to his final prison destination. Regulations forbid wigs and hairpieces unless they are deemed medically necessary.
Gordon Hinkle, deputy press secretary for the Department of Corrections, said the photo was distributed to the media and social networking sites including Twitter because of a department policy aimed at transparency in public information.
Hal Lifson, Spector’s publicist, said his client is wearing a Jewish yarmulke — or skull cap — in his cell and is conferring regularly with a prison rabbi and receives kosher food at mealtimes.