Legendary rock producer Roy Thomas Baker dies aged 78
He worked with Queen, Journey, Foreigner and many more
Last updated 23rd Apr 2025
Legendary English rock producer Roy Thomas Baker, who worked on seminal records by Queen, Journey, Foreigner, Hawkwind, Ozzy Osbourne and The Cars to name but a few, has died at the age of 78.
Baker passed away at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona on Saturday 12th April 2025. No cause of death has been revealed.
Born in Hamstead, London on 10th November 1946, Baker started work in the music business at the tender age of 14 at Decca Records before becoming a fledgling engineer at Morgan Studios.
Under the guidance of Elton John producer Gus Dudgeon, he moved to Trident Studios where his career blossomed, and he later co-founded the record production company Neptune Productions.
Baker worked as an engineer on many seminal records in the early 70s including Free’s ‘Fire and Water’ and Nazareth’s ‘Nazareth’ before producing the Scottish band’s second record ‘Exercises’.
After meeting young upcoming band Queen, Baker produced their self-titled debut record ‘Queen’ at Trident Studios in 1973.
Forming a close partnership with Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, he produced four further records by the band – ‘Queen II’, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’, ‘A Night at the Opera’ and ‘Jazz’ – including their bombastic mega-smash ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Thanks to his huge success with Queen, he signed a multi-album production deal with CBS Music, and he moved to the United States where he produced albums by Journey, Ronnie Wood and The Cars.
Later becoming Senior Vice-President of "Artist and Repertoire" (A&R) for Elektra Records, he worked on albums by Lindsey Buckingham, Mötley Crüe, Joe Lynn Turner, Josie Cotton and Dokken.
Other artists Baker worked with over the decades included Hawkwind, Slade, Ozzy Osbourne and The Stranglers, and he also joined forces with pop acts like Chris de Burgh and T’Pau.
Since the turn of the millennium, Baker produced records by The Darkness, Smashing Pumpkins and Jimmy Chamberlin, while 2014 Yes album ‘Heaven & Earth’ was the first time he’d joined forces with the prog rockers since 1979.
Roy Thomas Baker is survived by his wife, Tere Livrano Baker, and his brother, Alan Baker.
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