Richard Perry

Richard Perry (born June 18, 1942, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died December 24, 2024, Los Angeles, California) was an American music producer who, beginning in the 1960s, worked with some of the best-known recording artists in a variety of genres, including rock and roll, pop, rhythm and blues, and country. Among the artists whose albums or songs Perry has produced are Neil Diamond, Fats Domino, Ella Fitzgerald, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, and Willie Nelson.

Early life and education

Perry enjoyed listening to music, especially rock and roll, from an early age. In 1955, at the age of 12, he attended the first live rock show staged at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater by the radio disc jockey and concert producer Alan Freed. Shortly thereafter Perry formed his first band and later his own doo-wop vocal group, known as the Escorts. After graduating from a prep school in Brooklyn in 1960, Perry attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music and theater in 1964. The next year he established a record production company, which he called Cloud Nine Productions.

Career

In 1967 Perry moved to Los Angeles, where he joined Warner Bros. Records and produced his first album, Safe as Milk, by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. Perry’s first hit production was the debut album of singer Tiny Tim, called God Bless Tiny Tim (1968), which contained the celebrated “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips with Me.” By the 1970s Perry had become one of the most sought-after producers in the recording business. He worked with Barbra Streisand on her albums Stoney End (1971), Barbra Joan Streisand (1971), and Live Concert at the Forum (1972); with Harry Nilsson on his albums Nilsson Schmilsson (1971) and Son of Schmilsson (1972); and with Carly Simon on her albums No Secrets (1972)—which featured the hit song “You’re So Vain”—Hotcakes (1974), and Playing Possum (1975). Among the many other albums he produced during the decade were Art Garfunkel’s Breakaway (1975) and Diana Ross’s Baby It’s Me (1977).

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In 1978 Perry founded the record label Planet Records. He subsequently produced several hits for the Pointer Sisters, including such singles as “He’s So Shy” (1980) and “Slow Hand” (1981) and the album Break Out (1983). In the 1990s Perry worked with Ray Charles and the Temptations, among other artists. Perry continued to produce music in the early 21st century, focusing on compilations of artists’ works, including those of Melissa Manchester, Willie Nelson, and Randy Travis.

Perry’s talent and remarkable success as a music producer were recognized with multiple honors and awards. He was named Producer of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine (1973), Billboard magazine (1977, 1984), and Music Week magazine (1977). In 2015 he was named a winner of the Grammy Trustees Award in recognition of his “significant contributions…to the field of recording.”