Renowned Producer Richard Perry Passes Away
Renowned producer Richard Perry has died at the age of 82.
Perry passed away yesterday (December 24) in Los Angeles. The cause of his death was cardiac arrest, which was confirmed by his friend Daphne Kastner Keitel.
“He made the most of his time here,” Kastner said in a statement. AP. “He was generous, funny, sweet and made the world a better place. The world is a little less sweet without him. But heaven is a little sweeter.”
Legacy of a Music Icon
Known primarily as a producer, Perry won a Grammy Award in 2015. Over his four-decade career, he collaborated with a range of artists including Rod Stewart, The Beatles, The Pointer Sisters, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Diana Ross.
Born in Brooklyn, New York on June 18, 1942, Perry’s musical journey began in a household of musical instrument makers who also taught music. He later studied music and theater at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1964 before returning to New York to establish his production company, Cloud Nine Productions.
In 1967, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he produced his first album, Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. That same year, he was hired by Warner Bros. Records as a staff producer.
His initial credits included Tiny Tim’s debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, known for the Top 20 hit “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips With Me” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Ella.”
Notable Hits and Collaborations
One of Perry’s most recognizable hits was Carly Simon’s 1972 single “You’re So Vain,” featuring backing vocals from Mick Jagger. The track reached number one and sparked decades of speculation regarding its subject.
In his 2021 memoir Cloud Nine, Perry revealed: “I’ll take this opportunity to share some inside information. The man the song is based on is actually an amalgamation of several men Carly dated in the ’60s and early ’70s, but it primarily refers to my good friend Warren Beatty.”
A year after “You’re So Vain,” Perry famously facilitated a near-Beatles reunion by producing Ringo Starr’s third solo album, “Ringo.” The John Lennon-written track “I’m The Greatest” featured Lennon on backing vocals and keyboards, while Starr played drums and George Harrison provided guitar. Although Paul McCartney did not work on that specific track, he contributed to the album’s “Six O’Clock,” featuring Linda McCartney on backing vocals.
“Ringo” achieved commercial success, selling over a million copies and peaking at number two on the Billboard album chart.
Reflecting on the experience in his memoir, Perry noted, “As I looked around the room, I realized that I was in the midst of the spiritual and musical quest that I had dreamed of for so many years.” He added: “By the end of each session, there would be a small group of friends standing silently against the back wall, just glad to be there.”
Throughout his career, he produced over 30 hits in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, including The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” and “Jump (For My Love)” and Barbra Streisand’s “Stoney End,” a cover of a Laura Nyro song.
“Richard had a knack for finding the right song for the right artist,” Streisand wrote in her 2023 memoir, My Name is Barbra.
From 2002 to 2005, Perry saw immense success with Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook albums. This project included four volumes of classics, launched during Stewart’s struggle with writer’s block following his divorce.
Stewart paid tribute to Perry today via Instagram, remembering him as his “dear buddy.” He stated, “They say a man is lucky in life if he can count his true friends on his fingers, and you were certainly one of them. Now I have lost you and I am devastated. We have played and worked together so closely over the years, creating some of the most memorable music together.”
“You were there when Penny and I first started dating and supported our relationship,” Stewart continued. “We are both in tears as I post this goodbye.”
