Richard Perry, a record producer known for his hitmaking prowess and versatility in both standards and contemporary sounds, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82. His notable successes included Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Rod Stewart’s “The Great American Songbook” series and a Ringo Starr album featuring all four Beatles.
Perry, who was awarded a Grammys Trustee Award in 2015, died in a Los Angeles hospital following a cardiac arrest, according to his friend Daphna Kastner. Kastner, who referred to Perry as a “father friend” and revealed he was godfather to her son, said: “He maximised his time here.”
She added: “He was generous, fun, sweet and made the world a better place. The world is a little less sweeter without him here. But it’s a little bit sweeter in heaven.”
Perry, a former drummer, oboist and doo-wop singer, demonstrated his wide-ranging musical abilities by producing No. 1 hits across pop, R&B, dance and country charts. He contributed to Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” and The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited”, Tiny Tim’s novelty hit “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and the Willie Nelson-Julio Iglesias lounge standard “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
Known as a “musician’s producer”, Perry treated artists as peers rather than simply vehicles for his own tastes. Singers sought his expertise when looking to update their sound (Barbra Streisand), turn back time (Stewart), revive their career (Fats Domino) or realise their potential (Leo Sayer).
“Richard had a knack for matching the right song to the right artist,” Streisand penned in her 2023 memoir “My Name is Barbra”.
Perry’s life was a tale of celebrity connections and being in the epicentre of musical milestones. He found himself backstage at 1950s gigs by icons like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, was present in the third row at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival for Otis Redding’s unforgettable performance, and even attended a recording session for the Rolling Stones’ legendary “Let It Bleed” album.
His social calendar was peppered with dinners alongside stars such as Paul and Linda McCartney one evening, followed by Mick and Bianca Jagger the next. Perry’s romantic history included high-profile relationships with Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, and he was briefly married to actress Rebecca Broussard.
Rod Stewart, in his autobiography “Rod” reminisced about Perry’s West Hollywood home being a hub of late-night revelry throughout the ’70s and beyond, where you could always drop by for an impromptu party complete with drinks, music, and dancing. In the ’70s, Perry also played a role in what was nearly a Beatles reunion.
He had crafted a track on Starr’s debut solo album, “Sentimental Journey” and had become closer to him through Nilsson and other mutual pals. The 1973 release “Ringo,” demonstrated that the drummer was a commercial powerhouse in his own right, with a host of famous faces making appearances.
The album, which featured contributions from Nilsson, Billy Preston, Steve Cropper, Martha Reeves and all five members of The Band, climbed to No. 2 on Billboard and sold over 1 million copies. Chart-topping singles included “Photograph”, co-penned by Starr and George Harrison, and a remake of the 1950s hit “You’re Sixteen”.
However, for Perry and others, the standout track was a non-hit, tailor-made. John Lennon’s “I’m the Greatest” was a tongue-in-cheek anthem for the modest drummer that reunited three Beatles in the studio just three years after the band’s split.
Starr was on drums and lead vocals, Lennon provided keyboards and backing vocals, and longtime Beatles friend Klaus Voormann played bass. They were still working on the song when Harrison’s assistant rang, asking if the guitarist could join them.
Harrison arrived shortly afterwards. “As I looked around the room, I realised that I was at the very heart of the spiritual and musical journey I had dreamed of for so many years,” Perry penned in his 2021 memoir “Cloud Nine”.
“By the end of each session, a small group of friends had gathered, standing silently along the back wall, just thrilled to be there.”
McCartney wasn’t present for “I’m the Greatest” but he did contribute to writing and arranging the ballad “Six O’Clock” which featured the ex-Beatle and Linda McCartney on backing vocals. Perry had previously made pop history as the producer of “You’re So Vain”, a track he would later describe as the closest he came to creating a perfect record.
The scathing ballad by Simon about an unnamed lover, initiated with Voormann’s bass and featuring Jagger on the chorus, topped the charts in 1972 and sparked ongoing speculation about the identity of the man Simon was singing about. In his memoir, Perry shared his insider’s take: “The person that the song is based on is really a composite of several men that Carly dated in the ’60s and early ’70s, but primarily, it’s about my good friend, Warren Beatty.”
Perry’s later work included hits like The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” and DeBarge’s “Rhythm of the Night” as well as albums for Simon, Ray Charles, and Art Garfunkel. His most significant achievement came with Stewart’s “The Great American Songbook” albums, which sold millions and were inspired by the rock star’s writer’s block and personal difficulties.
In the early 2000s, following Stewart’s split from Rachel Hunter, Perry was there to offer support. With Stewart finding it hard to pen new material, the pair decided that an album of classic standards might be the answer, leading to renditions of songs such as “The Very Thought of You”, “Angel Eyes” and “Where or When.”
In his memoir, Perry recounts the initial spark of creativity that would define his career: “We were at a back table in our favourite restaurant as we exchanged ideas and wrote them down on a napkin,” he shares. The atmosphere was charged with innovation as Stewart vocalised their brainstorming sessions.
“As I sat there and listened to him sing, it was clear that we both sensed we were on to something,” Perry reveals.
Born in New York City into a musical family with deep industry roots—his parents, Mark and Sylvia Perry, established Peripole Music—Perry was no stranger to the world of harmonies and beats. He mastered drums and oboe with familial support, even dabbling in doo-wop with a group called the Escorts who had a minor hit or two.
Education beckoned, and Perry answered, studying music and theatre at the prestigious University of Michigan. Though the allure of Broadway beckoned, destiny had another plan in store.
In the 1960s, he formed a production collaboration with Gary Katz, who would later become renowned for his work with Steely Dan, marking an unexpected pivot in Perry’s trajectory.
By the late ’60s, Perry had achieved remarkable success within the music sphere, producing Captain Beefheart’s “Safe As Milk” and introducing the world to debut works from Tiny Tim and Ella Fitzgerald’s album “Ella,” where Fitzgerald lent her voice to classics by the Beatles and others.
The following decade only cemented Perry’s influence as he steered Barbra Streisand away from her Broadway repertoire towards contemporary pop-rock with the “Stoney End” album, heralding a new era for the singer with hits penned by Laura Nyro and Gordon Lightfoot.
Barbra Streisand shared in her memoir, “I liked Richard from the moment we met. He was tall and lanky, with a mop of dark, curly hair and a big smile, which his big heart,” and added: “At our first meeting, he arrived laden with songs, and we listened to them together. Whatever hesitation I may have felt about our collaboration soon vanished and I thought, ‘This could be fun, and musically liberating.’”.
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