Phil Ramone, the legendary US music producer behind hits by Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand, died Saturday at the age of 79, a trade publication said. Ramone-a 14-time Grammy winner once dubbed the "Pope of Pop" - died in New York after being hospitalised for weeks with an aortic aneurysm, Billboard magazine reported.
Billboard and other media outlets had initially reported Ramone's age as 72, but later confirmed he was 79. The South African native spent most of his career in New York City, first as a songwriter and engineer and then co-launching A&R Recording studios in 1958.
Throughout his career, he worked with artists running the gamut of musical genres, from country star Keith Urban to hip hop's Queen Latifah, rock icon Bono and R&B legend Aretha Franklin. Ramone was known for his innovative use of technology and his support for the evolving formats in recording and production. The first CD ever pressed, Billy Joel's "52nd Street," was one he produced, as was the first pop DVD, according to his website.