According to London Free Press, legendary Canadian record producer and former Fanshawe College professor Jack Richardson died on Friday, May 13th. Richardson had been in frail health and died at University Hospital on Friday night. He was 81.

Richardson came to London decades ago after a stellar career producing hit records for THE GUESS WHO (Wheatfield Soul, Canned Wheat, American Woman), ALICE COOPER (Love It To Death and Muscle of Love), BOB SEGER (Night Moves), MAX WEBSTER (Universal Juveniles), KIM MITCHELL (Kim Mitchell), MOXY (Moxy II) and SWORD (Sweet Dreams).

Cooper's long time collaborator and producer Bob Ezrin has penned Richardson's obituary, found below, originally published here.

Jack Richardson, CM (1929-2011)

"It is with a heavy heart, and great pride for the man and his legacy, that we offer the following obituary for Jack Richardson."

Written by Bob Ezrin

Husband, Father, Teacher, Leader, Musician and Producer extraordinaire, “The Bear” was one of the founders of the modern Canadian Music Industry and one of the most influential music producers of all time. His breakthrough work with the Guess Who, Alice Cooper and Bob Seger among many others made him the most successful music producer in Canadian history in the late '60s and early '70s and set the table for generations of creators of popular music helping Canada to become the greatest exporter of music culture per capita in the world. Jack Richardson was not only a creative innovator, but he also brought a new level of technical expertise to a burgeoning industry and through teaching and mentoring for over half a century raised the level of quality of all Canadian music production and engineering.

Jack began as a musician, playing bass in THE WESTERNAIRIES and later THE BOBBY GIMBY ORCHESTRA and became a groundbreaking creative executive at McCann Ericson Advertising where he met his future partners and where he discovered and first produced The Guess Who. He and his partners left the agency and pooled their personal resources to form Nimbus 9, the soon to be world-renowned production company and record label, and to sign and record the Guess Who helping them to become the highest selling group in the world at the time. To the world, Jack symbolized the new Canadian music business: powerful, positive, tireless, intelligent, innovative and excellent. In 2002 the Juno Award for Producer of the Year was renamed The Jack Richardson Award.

Jack spent his career teaching and mentoring even as he was working tirelessly and constantly all over the world. In the mid 1980’s he retired from active production and became a Professor in the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, and also taught at the Harris Institute in Toronto. In 2003 he was awarded the Order of Canada for his unique contribution to Canadian Arts and Culture.

Jack passed away on May 13th, 2011 after a lengthy illness. He died peacefully and without pain. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley, and his four surviving children: Garth, Brooke, Tracy and Kelly. He is joining his oldest son Craig who passed away in 2009.