Grammy-winning music producer Richard Perry passes away at 82

• Richard Perry passed away on Tuesday at 82.
• He died at a Los Angeles hospital following cardiac arrest.
• Perry collaborated with a diverse array of artists across genres.

Richard Perry, a legend record producer renowned for his versatile sound and numerous chart-topping hits, passed away on Tuesday at 82. He died at a Los Angeles hospital following cardiac arrest, according to his friend, Daphna Kastner.

“He maximized his time here,” Kastner said, describing Perry as “generous, fun, sweet” and a “father friend” who was godfather to her son. “The world is a little less sweeter without him here. But it’s a little bit sweeter in heaven.”

Known as a “musician’s producer,” Perry collaborated with a diverse array of artists across genres, achieving No. 1 hits on pop, R&B, dance, and country charts. His credits include Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain, Harry Nilsson’s Without You, and The Pointer Sisters’ I’m So Excited. He also worked with Barbra Streisand to update her sound and helped revive Rod Stewart’s career through The Great American Songbook series.

“Richard had a knack for matching the right song to the right artist,” Streisand wrote in her memoir My Name is Barbra.

In the 1970s, Perry facilitated a near-Beatles reunion on Ringo Starr’s Ringo album, which featured contributions from all four Beatles. The album, which included the hit Photograph, sold over 1 million copies and peaked at No. 2 on Billboard.