Marky Ramone, the former drummer of 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 actor Lana Clarkson. Spector was convicted of the murder in 2009 and died in prison in 2021 at the age of 81.
Speaking to the i Paper, Ramone, whose real name is 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.' Simpson was found not guilty of murder in 1995, and Blake was acquitted of murder in 2005 but found liable in civil court.
Bell confirmed that Spector brought guns to the studio during the recording of the Ramones' 1980 album 'End of a Century', but denied a longstanding rumour that he held the band hostage. 'He had guns with him,' Bell said. 'But he never pointed a gun at us in the studio.' This contradicts accounts from other band members, including Dee Dee Ramone, who wrote in his autobiography that Spector once pointed a gun at his head.
Bell remained close with Spector after the album was completed, attending parties and supporting him in court during the murder trial. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, and all four original members had died by 2014.
