A castle with a tragic story
Site where Phil Spector shot Lana Clarkson fetches $3.3 million
Alhambra’s most notorious home, a castle-like estate where the late record producer Phil Spector shot Lana Clarkson to death in 2003, has traded hands for $3.3 million.
Spector, the erratic and disgraced producer behind the “Wall of Sound” recording technique, paid $1.1 million for the French Chateaustyle mansion in 1998, telling Esquire magazine at the time that he had bought “a beautiful and enchanting castle in a hick town where there is no place to go that you shouldn’t go.”
One neighbor likened him to a feudal lord among serfs.
The fateful day came five years later when Spector was arrested after 40-yearold Clarkson was found shot to death in the mansion’s marble foyer.
In court, Spector’s chauffeur said that Spector emerged from the back door of the home moments after the shooting with bloody hands and said, “I think I killed somebody.”
Spector, who had a history of drunken spats and domestic abuse allegations, was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 and sentenced to 19 years to life. He died at 81 in January after contracting COVID-19. The home was sold by his former wife, Rachelle Short.
Known as the Pyrenees Castle, the mansion’s dramatic style lives up to its infamous history.
Turrets and spires jut from the roof, and inside, hand-painted stencils, crystal chandeliers and mirrored walls set a scene straight out of an Agatha Christie whodunit.
The estate sits atop a private knoll with panoramic views of the San Gabriel Valley below.
Walled and gated, it spans 2.66 acres and features a motor court with a fountain surrounded by gardens and trees.
Two wings — each a mirror image of the other — sprawl out from the infamous foyer, which serves as the centerpiece of the 10,590square-foot floor plan. Across two stories, living spaces boast beamed ceilings, wood-paneled walls and original inlaid floors.
The home has 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, as well as a pair of bedrooms and bathrooms perched above the four-car garage. A covered terrace takes in sweeping city views out back.
The house has waffled on and off the market since 2019. It first listed for $5.5 million and was most recently offered at $4 million.
During his music career, Spector produced awardwinning work with iconic groups such as the Ronettes, the Beatles and the Ramones. His writing credits include “Be My Baby” and “Then He Kissed Me.”
Tim Durkovic of Douglas Elliman handled both ends of the deal.
Rocker Tommy Lee lands in Brentwood
Tommy Lee just traded in his Calabasas retreat for something a bit closer to the city, shelling out $4.15 million for a Japanese-inspired spread on a double lot in Brentwood.
The deal arrives as the Mötley Crüe musician tries to sell the Calabasas home he’s owned since 2007, currently listed at $4.6 million.
He’s swapping space for style; though the Brentwood home covers a mere 4,300 square feet compared with the nearly 10,000-squarefoot house he’s trying to sell, it features Zen-inspired living spaces with wraparound glass and artisan woodwork such as Japanese tansu cabinetry and Brazilian mahogany.
The property’s outdoor spaces rival its indoor ones. Stone pathways wind through dense gardens of ferns, herbs and bamboo, leading to a waterfall-fed pool, Japanese teahouse and koi pond.
Other highlights in the four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home include skylights, clerestories, heated floors, a courtyard and a greenhouse-style garden room. In one wing, a spiral staircase connects a bedroom and office to a yoga studio.
Lee, 58, co-founded Mötley Crüe in 1981, and in the decades since, the heavy metal band has released nine studio albums and sold more than 100 million albums with hits such as “Kickstart My Heart,” “Home Sweet Home” and “Shout at the Devil.” In the 1990s, Lee also founded the rap-rock band Methods of Mayhem.
Marco Rufo of the Agency held the listing. Emil Hartoonian, also with the Agency, represented Lee.
This listing comes with a giant robot
L.A.’s luxury listings are thick with amenities, but only one comes with a giant replica of Bumblebee, the heroic Transformer robot from the blockbuster film franchise. The Woodland Hills home belongs to Tyrese Gibson, who recently put it on the market for $3.5 million.
Gibson, the singer and actor who starred in three “Transformers” films as well as the “Fast and Furious” franchise, paid $1.385 million for the property a decade ago, records show.
He completely customized the backyard during his stay, installing a street sign marked with “Voltron Enterprises Pkwy,” the name of his limited liability company, as well as a neon-lit sign of the company’s logo above the swimming pool. The Bumblebee replica, which can be purchased along with the home, anchors the space.
The house itself is Mediterranean in style and covers nearly half an acre in the Walnut Acres neighborhood. Relative to the backyard, the interiors are a bit more traditional with tan tones, wrought-iron accents and floors of tile and hardwood.
Highlights include a foyer under a 26-foot ceiling, movie theater and gym, as well as a primary suite with a fireplace and steam shower. It’s one of five bedrooms and six bathrooms in 5,225 square feet.
A native of Watts, Gibson signed to RCA Records in the late 1990s and has released six studio albums in the decades since, including 2015’s “Black Rose.” As an actor, he’s known for his roles as Robert Epps in the “Transformers” franchise and Roman Pearce in the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
Tomer Fridman and Jonathan Siegfried of Compass hold the listing.
Olympian, hockey all-star sell villa
It was a short stay and a quick sale in Beverly Hills for Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and hockey star P.K. Subban. A year after picking up an Italian-style villa for $6.75 million, they’ve sold it for $6.9 million.
The pair, who were engaged in 2019 but recently parted ways, kept things pretty much the same during their time in the home. Towering columns set a stately tone outside, and skylights and glass walls brighten the modern interiors.
Covering 5,500 square feet, the dramatic abode was built in the 1950s but renovated right before Subban and Vonn bought it. Vast open-concept spaces include a living room with an oversize fireplace, chandelier-topped dining room and gym.
At the center of the single-story floor plan, there’s a gourmet kitchen anchored by two marble-topped islands. Elsewhere are four bedrooms and six bathrooms, including a primary suite with dual bathrooms and closets.
Hedges and palm trees populate a backyard with a swimming pool, spa, patio and fire pit. The property spans just over half an acre.
Vonn, 36, reportedly got into the production game herself two years ago with the launch of Après Productions. The former alpine skiing champion, who retired in 2019, was the overall World Cup champion from 2008 to 2010 and again in 2012.
During her career, she won three Olympic medals, including a gold in the downhill competition at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Subban, 31, is a threetime all-star defenseman who plays for the New Jersey Devils after stints with the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators. In 2019, he launched PeeK Productions and starred in “The PK Project,” the production company’s debut effort.
Bob Hurwitz of Hurwitz James Co. held the listing. Tanasha Pettigrew of the Hills Premier Realty represented the buyer.