Richard Perry, the renowned American music producer known for his work with Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Rod Stewart, and others, died on December 24, 2024, at the age of 82. Perry, who had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for years, died of cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles hospital.
Richard Perry’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease became public in 2014, when his then-partner, the actress Jane Fonda, wrote about it on her blog. She revealed that Perry told her about his condition on their first date (Good Morning America).
Jane Fonda described his symptoms of swaying, stuttering, and loss of affect. These are common among Parkinson’s patients because of lower levels of the brain chemical dopamine.
Fonda also gave insights on how Richard Perry fought the disease. She said:
"He has a top notch motor-disorder neurologist, he works out every day, does yoga, he takes his meds. Well, I do have to remind him sometimes."
Despite losing the ability to speak in the last months of his life, Perry was in good spirits, according to his longtime personal assistant, Ben McCarthy. McCarthy shared that Perry’s drive and positivity stuck with everybody around him.
Richard Perry’s impact on the music industry
Richard Perry was born on June 18, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. He began his musical journey as a drummer, oboist, and doo-wop singer, then switched over to music production.
His first big break came in the late 1960s when he made Captain Beefheart’s Safe as Milk and Tiny Tim’s debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, a collection that included the hit song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips" (Britannica).
His work on Carly Simon’s No Secrets album, which produced the chart-topping hit “You’re So Vain” and Barbra Streisand’s Stoney End brought him critical and commercial success.
In the 1970's he worked with many high-profile artists like Diana Ross, Art Garfunkel, and Harry Nilsson. During the same period, Perry contributed to the success of Rod Stewart’s It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook.
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When Perry started Planet Records in 1978, he signed artists including The Pointer Sisters and Billy Thermal. The label gained a lot of success over the years.
Richard Perry was honored with several awards for his work in the music industry, including the Grammy Trustees Award in 2015 for his lifetime achievements.
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