Phil Spector Recording Engineer Larry Levine Dies

Larry Levine, the recording engineer who helped Phil Spector re-invent rock 'n' roll music with his "Wall of Sound" technique and won a Grammy for his work with Herb Alpert, died on his 80th birthday, his family said Tuesday.

Levine's wife, Lyn, said he died at his Encino home on May 8. He had suffered from severe emphysema, according to relatives.

Although Levine's name was indelibly linked with [Phil] Spector in music history, Levine also worked with Eddie Cochran, the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher, Wings, the Carpenters, Dr. John and Herb Alpert. He won a Grammy for best engineered recording for Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' 1965 hit, "A Taste of Honey."