Music producer Phil Spector (L) sits in court with his attorney Dennis Riordan at the Los Angeles Superior Court, during his sentencing for the February 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson May 29, 2009. Spector was given a sentence of 19 years to life in prison on Friday for the murder of the Hollywood actress in 2003.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    LOS ANGELES, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A legendary Hollywood music producer was sentenced here on Friday to 19 years to life in prison for killing actress Lana Clarkson in his Los Angeles suburb mansion.

    Phil Spector, 69, was earlier convicted of second-degree murder in April for the death of the actress on Feb. 3, 2003.

    Despite his conviction, the music producer continued to maintain that the 40-year-old woman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

    Doron Weinberg, Spector's defense attorney, wrote in court papers filed on Wednesday that Spector insists "he did not kill Lana Clarkson, and he is not responsible for her death."

Music producer Phil Spector sits in court at the Los Angeles Superior Court, for his sentencing for the February 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson May 29, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    In his sentencing memorandum, Weinberg insisted that the evidence presented at trial "did not establish defendant's culpability for the murder of Lana Clarkson."

    But Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson wrote in his sentencing memorandum that Clarkson "was the last in a series of victims to suffer homicidal assaults at the hands of Phil Spector. As this court heard during the trial, Spector has been pulling guns on women for decades."

    Spector made no comment during the sentencing hearing.

    Spector's sentence included the mandatory 15 years to life for the second-degree murder conviction and an additional four years for the use of a gun. His lawyer had asked him to receive 18 years to life.

    Spector was charged in November 2003 with the murder, and then indicted in September 2004 on the same charge.

    Spector, renowned in music circles for the "Wall of Sound" technique he developed in the 1960s and used in his work with the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers and other groups, wrote or co-wrote such enduring hits as "Be My Baby" and "River Deep, Mountain High."

    Clarkson, who was best known for her starring role in the 1985 Roger Corman cult hit "Barbarian Queen," had bit parts on dozens of television shows and in a few well-known movies, such as 1982's"Fast Times at Ridgemont High." 

Actress Lana Clarkson is shown in this undated publicity photo. Clarkson was shot to death Feb. 3, 2003 in the home of music producer Phil Spector in Alhambra, California near Los Angeles.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>