“Suddenly One Day It’s Too Late”: Queen’s Brian May Mourns Death of “Bohemian Rhapsody” Hitmaker, Voices Regrets

On April 12, 2025, the music industry took a moment to remember the legacy of Roy Thomas Baker. Throughout his time in music, the record producer and songwriter worked with icons like Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper, Pilot, Ozz Osbourne, the Smashing Pumpkins, and even Mötley Crüe. Among that list also included the hit group Queen. Never forgetting about his work with the band over the decades, Brian May shared a heartfelt message about Baker and their ongoing friendship. 

Taking some time to mourn the death of the producer, May finally broke his silence when he shared a collage of pictures of his late friend. He wrote in the caption, “Very sad to hear of the passing of Roy Thomas Baker. Roy played a huge part in the production of so much Queen music in the early days. 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.”

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With May taking fans on a trip back to the 1970s, the pictures offered a glimpse into the life of May and Baker. Enjoying each other’s company, May continued his tribute, explaining, “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. Roy’s production contribution along with Mike Stone’s engineering for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ will never be forgotten.”

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Brian May Wished He Had More Time With Roy Thomas Baker

Although May considered Baker a friend, the musician admitted that the passing years led them to losing touch. “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. Thank you, Roy for all the great work you did for us, and all the fun we had. Rest in Peace. Bri.”

Other than May, Elliot Easton, from the band the Cars, also praised the talents of Baker and how he helped fashion the group’s sound. “Roy was one of the pieces of the puzzle that made the Cars what they became. He didn’t belabor anything or take things overly seriously. He was fun to work with, a mirthful guy whose affect was kind of Monty Pythonesque.”

Passing away at 78, Baker was survived by his wife Tere Livrano Baker.

(Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Mercury Studios)