Music Producer Richard Perry Dies at 82

Richard Perry — who produced “You’re so Vain” for Carly Simon and Nilsson Schmilsson for Harry Nilsson — has died. News of his death was confirmed to the Associated Press by his friend, Daphna Kastner Keitel, who said the cause of death was cardiac arrest. He was 82.

Perry got his start in the music biz doing novelty songs like “Safe as Milk” by Captain Beefheart and Tiny Tim’s immortal “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” He worked extensively with Harry Nilsson, producing his most critically-acclaimed work Nilsson Schmilsson, a.k.a. the one with the song from Russian Doll. In the documentary Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?)Perry spoke of working with Nilsson, their falling out after Son of Schmilsson, and the time spent in between partying with Ringo Starr and the original Hollywood Vampires. Perry also produced two of Ringo’s solo albums: Ringo and Goodnight Vienna.

Perry was a perfectionist in the studio, recording “You’re So Vain” 100 times before being satisfied. In 1978, Perry founded his own label, Planet Records. Planet Records put out albums by The Pointer Sisters, The Plimsouls, and The Cretones. Six years after its founding, it was bought by RCA Records. Perry also made albums with Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer, and Rod Stewart. In 2002, he and Stewart put out It Had to Be You: Songs from the Great American Songbook.

Perry was married to model Rebecca Broussard from 1987-1988. He dated Jane Fonda from 2009 to 2017. “He maximized his time here,” Kastner Keitel told AP. “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.”