Marky Ramone, the former drummer for the Ramones, has said he 'has to believe' the late music producer Phil Spector's claim that he was innocent of the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 and died in prison in 2021 at the age of 81.
In an interview with the i Paper, Ramone, born Marc Steven Bell, said Spector told him 'the real story and everything that happened'. He added: 'It sounded like he was innocent, with all due respect to the actress, Lana Clarkson. But that's his story. Do I know if it's true or not? I don't know. I have to believe what he told me. Why would he lie to me?'
When it was pointed out that Spector was found guilty, Bell responded: 'Well, justice prevailed, and that's the way it goes. In LA they didn't get OJ Simpson. They didn't get Robert Blake. They had, in my opinion, to get Phil to make an example.'
Bell also discussed Spector's behaviour during the recording of the Ramones' 1980 album 'End of a Century'. He confirmed that Spector brought guns to the studio but denied a longstanding rumour that he held the band hostage. 'He had guns with him, but he never pointed a gun at us in the studio,' Bell said. This contradicts accounts from late bandmate Dee Dee Ramone, who wrote in his autobiography that Spector once pointed a gun at his head.
Bell remained close with Spector after the recording sessions, attending parties he hosted and supporting him in court during his murder trial. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, and all four original members have since died.
