Legendary record producer Richard Perry has passed away, leaving behind a legacy as dazzling as a disco ball and a Rolodex that could make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame jealous. He shuffled off this mortal coil in the wee hours of Christmas Eve (December 24), as confirmed by his longtime personal assistant and occasional bearer of bad news, Ben McCarthy, who spoke to TMZ. Richard was 82, but let’s be real, his influence was timeless.
Perry had reportedly been grappling with Parkinson’s disease and, sadly, lost the ability to communicate verbally. Despite this, Ben shared that he visited the music maestro about a month ago and found him in high spirits, no doubt orchestrating celestial symphonies in his head or silently critiquing Earth’s Top 40.
If the 1970s had a soundtrack, Richard Perry would’ve been the DJ spinning the hits. He produced bangers for icons like Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Art Garfunkel, Carly Simon, and even the Beatles’ very own Ringo Starr. Honestly, the man had more hits under his belt than a game of Whac-A-Mole.
In the late ’70s, Richard decided to level up and started his own label, Planet Records. It was home to acts like The Cretones, Pointer Sisters, and Billy Thermal—names that might not ring a bell, but trust me, your parents definitely grooved to their jams. RCA Records eventually scooped up Planet in 1983, proving Perry’s knack for turning vinyl into gold.
Of course, Richard wasn’t just a genius in the studio; he also had a high-profile romance with Jane Fonda, proving that his taste in people was as impeccable as his taste in music. The duo dated from 2009 to 2017, an impressive eight-year run in the world of celebrity love stories. Even after their split, they remained “very close,” which is Hollywood-speak for “better exes than most people are friends.”
Richard Perry leaves behind a legacy of chart-toppers, broken records (figuratively, not literally—he was a professional, after all), and a life so full of rhythm that even Parkinson’s couldn’t shake it. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans, who are undoubtedly blasting Barbra’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in his honor.
Rest in peace, Richard. May your afterlife come with a killer sound system and zero record skips. 🎵
