Music Producer Richard Perry, Collaborator with Ringo Starr, Barbra Streisand, and Rod Stewart, Passes Away | Entertainment & Arts News
Richard Perry, the acclaimed record producer known for his work with Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles, has passed away at the age of 82.
Perry, who received a Grammys Trustee Award in 2015, died on Tuesday at a Los Angeles hospital following cardiac arrest, as confirmed by his friend, Daphna Kastner.
“He truly made the most of his time,” said Ms. Kastner, who referred to him as a “father friend” and noted he was the godfather to her son.
“He was warm-hearted, enjoyable, and contributed to making the world a better place. It feels a bit less sweet without him, but heaven must be a little sweeter now.”
Perry, who had romantic relationships with stars like Jane Fonda and Elizabeth Taylor, was renowned as a “musician’s producer.”
Artists sought his expertise for various reasons, whether to modernize their sound, as in Barbra Streisand’s case, or to revive their careers, like Fats Domino.
“Richard had a unique talent for pairing the perfect song with the ideal artist,” Streisand reflected in her 2023 memoir, My Name is Barbra.
Ringo Starr’s 1973 album Ringo showcased that Starr was a commercial powerhouse independently, featuring contributions from the other Beatles, along with talents like Harry Nilsson, Billy Preston, Steve Cropper, Martha Reeves, and all five members of The Band.
The album climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts and sold over 1 million copies.
Chart-topping hits included Photograph, co-written by Starr and George Harrison, and a renewed version of the 1950s classic You’re Sixteen.
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Another standout track from the album, I’m the Greatest, emerged thanks to Perry’s influence, marking a near-complete Beatles reunion with Starr, Lennon, and Harrison just three years after the band’s disbandment.
Perry was briefly married to actress Rebecca Broussard.
