Record producer Richard Perry, ex of Jane Fonda, has died at the age of 82

Riccardo Perry — a music producer who collaborated with some of the biggest stars of the '70s and '80s — has died… TMZ has confirmed.

Ben McCarthy – Perry's personal assistant for nearly three decades – tells TMZ… Richard died around 1:30 this morning.

We're told Richard has been battling Parkinson's disease… and Ben said he saw him for a few hours about a month ago, and Richard couldn't communicate verbally. That said, Richard was in good spirits during his visit, Ben adds.

Perry entered the music industry after graduating in 1964…leaving Michigan for Los Angeles, where he produced the first two albums of cult avant-rock legend Captain Beefheart.

In 1978, Perry founded Planet Records, his own company which he ran until it was sold to RCA Records in 1983.

Perry has produced numerous platinum and gold records over the years… and, in 2015, received a Grammy Trustees Award for his contributions to the field of music recording.

From 2009 to 2017, Perry was in a relationship with the actress. Jane Fonda …falling in love with each other as he helped her recover from knee surgery.

Perry confirmed the split in 2017… announcing that the rumors of their breakup were true, though she added that they “continue to maintain a close friendship and care deeply for each other.”