Phil Spector was a musical genius. His brilliance as a producer made him a legend. On 3rd February 2003 he shot Lana Clarkson dead. In 2009, he was convicted of murder, and died in prison on 16th January 2021. Spector is a four-part Showtime docu-series (available to watch on Sky Documentaries in the U.K.). In it, series co-directors Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott examine not only Spector’s ‘life and legacy’ but also the person of Lana Clarkson.  As they tell host, Matthew Sherwood, they want to make Lana ‘more than just a footnote in the Phil Spector story’ by bringing ‘her out as a fully fleshed out human being.’ In doing so, they take the viewer on a more challenging but ultimately more rewarding journey. The Phil Spector that they present is no monster. Rather, he is a deeply damaged human being; one whose flaws led ultimately to his downfall.  In this episode of Factual America we learn that in order to present as full a picture of Spector as possible, Sheena and Don spoke to a wide variety of people. Among them, the lead detectives in the Lana Clarkson murder case, as well as others with first-hand knowledge of some of the incredible stories told about Spector during his career. The docu-series even has recordings of Phil Spector speaking on the night of the murder. With Matthew, Sheena and Don discuss the link between musical genius and mental illness – why it seems to affect artists and not people in other industries; the role of money and power, and whether we can still engage with the work of artists who have done terrible things. They also shed light on who Lana Clarkson was. As Sheena says, Lana ‘was more than Phil Spector’s victim. She was a successful working actress... a daughter and a sister and a friend who by all accounts brought light and joy into the lives of everyone she met.’ Spector is the story of a tragedy, of a legacy corrupted, and two lives wasted. It is a story that moves in the light, and dark. In Factual America #120, go behind the scenes of Spector’s making with Matthew Sherwood, Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott. Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com “There have also been people that criticised us for contextualising Phil’s behaviour, as if that's somehow giving him a pass... it was important to us to present him as a multifaceted human being. He was a loving and devoted father to his daughter Nicole... It doesn't negate the fact that he murdered Lana Clarkson.” – Sheena M. Joyce What is Covered: 00:44 – Matthew Sherwood introduces this episode’s guests, Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott, co-directors of Spector 02:36 – Sheena gives a short synopsis of Spector 03:44 – Don Argott explains who Phil Spector was 07:30 – How the Beatles changed everything, and Spector’s decline 10:16 – Sheena describes Lana Clarkson 16:08 – Don discusses some of the stories told about Spector, and his and Sheena’s desire to set the record straight on them 20:26 – Discussing mental illness and artistic genius 24:47 – How the rules of the arts allows eccentric stars to flourish 27:06 – The difficulty prosecuting attorney Alan Jackson had in selecting a jury for Phil Spector’s trial 28:42 – How should we remember Phil Spector: Sheena’s perspective 30:19 – The difficulties Sheena and Don had in making Spector 35:47 – Why Sheena and Don decided to make Spector now   39:24 – Mick Brown’s cassette tapes: Did they play a role in the murder? 45:25 – Discussing Vikram Jayanti’s documentary, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector 46:58 – The importance Sheena and Don gave to obtaining first-hand accounts of Phil Spector and Lana Clarkson 48:16 – Don discusses what’s next for him and Sheena in their work Resources: Spector The MovieMaker Podcast Innersound Audio Alamo Pictures Connect with Sheena M. Joyce IMDb Twitter Connect with Don Argott IMDb Twitter Connect with Matthew Sherwood: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter  Connect with Factual America: Facebook Instagram Twitter More from Factual America:  Ghislaine Maxwell: