Richard Perry, an acclaimed record producer renowned for his collaborations with Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, and the Beatles, has passed away at the age of 82.
Perry, who was honored with a Grammys Trustee Award in 2015, succumbed to cardiac arrest on Tuesday at a hospital in Los Angeles, as confirmed by his friend Daphna Kastner.
“He truly made the most of his time,” remarked Ms. Kastner, who affectionately referred to him as a “fatherly friend” and mentioned that he was the godfather to her son.
“He was kind, amusing, and caring, enhancing the world around him. The world feels a tad less sweet with his absence, but heaven is certainly a bit sweeter now.”
Perry, who was romantically linked with stars such as Jane Fonda and Elizabeth Taylor, was celebrated as a “musician’s producer”.
Artists sought his expertise for various motives, whether it was to modernize their sound, as in Barbra Streisand’s case, or to rejuvenate their careers, like that of Fats Domino.
“Richard possessed an exceptional ability to pair the perfect song with the ideal artist,” Streisand noted in her 2023 memoir, *My Name is Barbra*.
Starr’s 1973 album, *Ringo*, demonstrated that the drummer could hold his own commercially.
This album featured contributions from all three surviving Beatles and notable artists such as Harry Nilsson, Billy Preston, Steve Cropper, Martha Reeves, and all five members of The Band.
It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts and exceeded one million copies sold.
Among its successful singles were the chart-topping “Photograph,” co-penned by Starr and George Harrison, along with a rendition of the 1950s classic “You’re Sixteen.”
Discover more from Sky News:
Manchester United defender aids the homeless on Christmas Eve
The UK’s oldest man celebrates his birthday with a celebrity gathering
Another standout song on the album was “I’m the Greatest”, as Perry facilitated a near-complete Beatles reunion among Starr, Lennon, and Harrison just three years following the band’s disbandment.
Perry was briefly united in marriage with actress Rebecca Broussard.
