Ken Russell - Ken Russell Tributes Pour In Following Death

Guitarist of The Who, Pete Townshend, also paid homage to the late director - the pair had worked together on the London rock group's 1975 musical 'Tommy' - by saying "Ken was a joy. I adored and respected Ken because he believed all artistic work could be made to come alive over and over again." Lord Melvyn Bragg meanwhile commented "He was a glorious director at his best, his best films will be remembered. He was a tremendous ornament to the rather supine British film industry and he was the glory of the television arts industry."

Among those the director's left behind include widow Elize, who expressed her shock at what was a sudden death, she told the Bbc "He had just completed an article for The Times on a review of the re-release of his film The Devils, so he was keeping himself very busy."