Roy Thomas Baker, the acclaimed English record producer celebrated for his seminal work with rock legends Queen, The Cars, and many others, has died. Baker passed away on April 12th, 2025, at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, at the age of 78. His death was officially announced on April 22nd; the specific cause was not disclosed.
Baker‘s indelible mark on music history includes co-producing Queen‘s groundbreaking 1975 album A Night at the Opera and its ambitious centerpiece, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Queen guitarist Brian May shared a heartfelt tribute following the news of Baker‘s passing.
“Very sad to hear of the passing of Roy Thomas Baker,” May wrote on Instagram. “Roy played a huge part in the production of so much Queen music in the early days.”
Baker himself recognized the unique potential of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” despite its unconventional six-minute length and structure. “I thought it was going to be a hit… We didn’t know it was going to be quite that big,” he told The New York Times in 2005. He described the song as “ageless” because “it didn’t confine to any given genre of music.” In a 1999 Mix Magazine interview, he humorously recalled its creation: “‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ was totally insane, but we enjoyed every minute of it. It was basically a joke, but a successful joke.” The track famously became the most-streamed song of the 20th century and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.
May reminisced about their early collaboration, sharing personal photos: “Photographs of Roy seem to be quite rare, but I was able to find these 3-D pictures of a trip that my then wife Chrissy and I made to visit Roy and his wife Barbara in their cottage in Norfolk. It must have been 1973. We went strawberry picking, and, as you can see, Roy was interested in the stereoscopic process, posing in a pile of wood for stereoscopic effect! I took the tennis picture at Ridge Farm, on a day when we were visited by some Japanese journalists from Music Life magazine.”
Detailing Baker‘s tenure with the band, May added: “Roy was a part of our production team from the very beginning up to and including the album A Night At The Opera. We then parted company for A Day At The Races, but reunited for the Jazz album.” He specifically highlighted Baker‘s essential role in their most iconic song: “Roy‘s production contribution along with Mike Stone‘s engineering for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ will never be forgotten.”
May also expressed sorrow for not staying in contact more recently: “I regret slipping out of touch latterly with Roy. I suppose life moves at such a pace these days that we imagine there will be plenty of time to rekindle a friendship, and then suddenly one day it’s too late.”
Born in England in 1946, Baker began his career at Decca Studios in the 1960s, working under future production giants Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti. He rose to chief engineer, contributing to hits like Free‘s “All Right Now” and T. Rex‘s “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” before moving to Trident Studios where he first encountered Queen.
Beyond Queen, Baker‘s production discography is extensive. He was instrumental in launching The Cars, producing their first four platinum-selling albums. His credits also include influential records by Journey (Infinity), Mötley Crüe (Too Fast for Love), Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Devo, Guns N’ Roses, Yes, Pilot, and The Smashing Pumpkins, among others. His final credited work was Yes’ 2014 album Heaven & Hell.
Artists frequently commented on Baker‘s distinct studio approach. Journey guitarist Neal Schon recalled working on Infinity: “We did so many different things on that record that I’d never tried, or even thought about doing. I learned a lot from Roy.” Queen drummer Roger Taylor offered his perspective: “I think he brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism and a passion for fattening desserts. He liked his food, Roy. He was very disciplined and very strict… But he would always get it right. The take had to be right.”
Concluding his tribute, Brian May wrote: “Thank you, Roy for all the great work you did for us, and all the fun we had. Rest in Peace. Bri.”
Ogorthul: Immersed in the bone-shattering world of death metal and beyond. I’m here to excavate the latest news, reviews, and interviews from the extreme metal scene for you.
