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How did Bruce Gowers die? Legendary director of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' dies at 82

A fan of the legendary director expressed grief on his death and wrote, 'sad news about Bruce Gowers, icon of music videos gone'

SANTA MONICA, CALIFRONIA: Bruce Gowers, an Emmy and Grammy winner, who directed hundreds of music videos, including the milestone, Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', has died at the age of 82. According to his family, the prolific and innovative Emmy-winning music video director died on Sunday, January 15, in Santa Monica.

Gowers, a longtime Malibu resident, is survived by his wife Carol Rosenstein, their children Katharine Polk and Sean, as well as their grandchildren Sean Jr, Robert, Charlotte, and Layla. Also, he is survived by his ex-wife Charlene. His sudden death stirred his fans' emotions immensely in addition to his grieving family.

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How did Bruce Gowers die?

Gowers, a prolific and groundbreaking director of music videos, died at the age of 82 due to an acute respiratory infection. The family informed about his death and released a statement for the same. The statement reads, "Always brought boundless enthusiasm, energy, passion and joy to his work. He loved and was loved by the crews that he worked with and was known far and wide for his generosity as a colleague, constantly encouraging and promoting the talented people on his team."

The statement further added, "Funny, irreverent and wonderfully candid, he will be remembered in countless legendary stories that will keep his charming spirit alive for many years to come. He was always happiest in the control room, on a boat in the Bahamas, and of course, at home with the dogs, friends, and family," as reported by Daily Mail.

After learning about his death, his fans mourned for him. A Twitter user wrote, "#RIP Bruce Gowers. He directed 'American Idol' for nine-plus seasons, lots of awards shows and hundreds of music videos, including Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' done in about 3 hours for 'Top of the Pops'. 'It changed the way music was perceived,' he said."

Another user wrote, "R.I.P. Bruce Gowers, thanx for "Richard Pryor: Live In Concert" and the all the classic music videos you made!" A third user wrote, "Sad to learn of the loss of our friend and Uber Director Bruce Gowers." Further, a fan expressed grief toward the news and wrote, "Sad news about Bruce Gowers, icon of music videos gone."

About Gowers' career 

Gowers has directed and produced hundreds of significant television events, episodes, and award shows, including 'American Idol' for eight seasons, for which he won the 2009 Emmy for Best Musical Variety Director, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Billboard Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and others.

'Bohemian Rhapsody': A legacy of Gowers 

Freddie Mercury and his bandmates became household names, thanks to Gowers' rendition of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which was recorded in about three hours at London's Elstree Studios for the BBC's 'Top of the Pops' in November 1975. It also marked a turning point in the development of the music video sector. He asserted that he received $590 for the performance, which featured the debut of the groundbreaking first music video of 'Top of the Pops'.