Queen and Bowie producer David Richards dies at 57

Rockers Queen have paid tribute to their former producer David Richards, after he passed away on Friday (20Dec13). The British musician died at his home in Switzerland at the age of 57 following a long illness, according to reports.
Richards began his career in the 1970s at London’s Chappell Studios, and moved to Switzerland to work at the newly-opened Mountain Studios just two years later, becoming the venue’s chief engineer by the time he turned 21. He would later become the owner of the famed studios.
He rose to fame thanks to his collaborations with David Bowie, starting with his 1987 release Never Let Me Down, and teamed up with Queen on their final four studio albums, including 1986’s A Kind of Magic and The Miracle in 1989.
Richards also worked on Iggy Pop’s Blah Blah Blah in 1986.
The surviving members of Queen have remembered their old collaborator in a post on their official website, writing, “(Richards) will be remembered by many as a good friend. He was funny and generous and great company, a talented and capable man who had an instinctive ‘magic touch’ in the recording studio. His creative productions will be enjoyed for years to come.”
British rockers The Cribs have also sent their condolences to Richards’ family.
A message on their Facebook.com page reads: “We are very sad to have today received the news that our friend David Richards has passed away in Montreux. David was a producer that The Cribs always had a deep admiration for, having produced many of our favourite Queen records back in the 1980’s/90’s. We had the honour of recording with him back in the late summer of 2012, while working on preliminary sessions for ‘In The Belly of The Brazen Bull’…
“We are so grateful that we got to work with someone who can truly be described as one of the masters. David – thankyou (sic) for your generosity, the fun times, and the inspiration. You will be missed, sir.”