- Born
- Birth nameBrian Harold May
- Nickname
- Bri
- Height6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
- Brian May is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential, innovative, technically gifted and recognisable guitarists in the history of rock. He is also a prolific songwriter, responsible for writing or co-writing many international hits with Queen. He was educated at Hampton Grammar School in London. He then graduated with a degree in Maths and Physics from one of Britain's top universities, Imperial College London.
As a child, May built his own guitar with his father, partly out of an old fireplace. Unusually, the guitar was designed to feedback. He formed the band Smile while at university with drummer Roger Taylor. They were later joined by flamboyant singer and pianist Freddie Mercury, who renamed the band Queen. The addition of bass player John Deacon completed the line-up of a band which would go on to become one of the most successful in the history of popular music. May's guitar playing would become an integral part of Queen's sound.
May was influenced as a guitarist by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, who had dazzled audiences with their technical skills and volume, but he was also an admirer of the melodic skills of George Harrison of The Beatles and the original British rock and roll guitar hero, Hank B. Marvin of The Shadows.
What made May stand out as a guitarist was his combination of virtuoso technique but also melodic awareness. Unlike some virtuosos, who only play to showcase their ability, May always played to serve the songs. If a song only required minimal soloing, that's all he would do. His multi-tracking of guitar solos has also made him one of the most unique sounding guitarists in the world. Nowhere was this better exemplified than on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", the song which came to define the band more than any other and has become one of the most celebrated recordings in the history of rock music. May's solos are a big part of what gives the track its enduring appeal and emotional power.
May's legacy in music history is assured. He will be remembered along with the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as one of the most important and influential guitarists to come out of England. His songs for Queen were often their harder rock tracks, such as "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Hammer to Fall", but he also wrote emotional songs such as "Save Me" and the symphonic "Who Wants to Live Forever", which proved his versatility as a songwriter.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpousesAnita Dobson(November 18, 2000 - present)Chrissie May(May 29, 1976 - 1988) (divorced, 3 children)
- ChildrenEmily Ruth May
- ParentsRuth MayHarold May
- Plays his guitar (the Red Special) with a sixpence coin
- His curly hair
- His guitar "The Red Special" which he built
- Guitar riffs
- Innovative multi-tracked guitar solos
- After more than 30 years lapsed since first starting doctoral studies, he earned his doctorate from Imperial College London in astrophysics after a successful thesis defense on August 23, 2007. The thesis is entitled, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud".
- After much experimentation, he found the best guitar sound came from using an old English sixpence coin as a pick. These coins went out of circulation in the early 70s, and in 1992 he had the Royal Mint make up some more with his likeness on them.
- Apart from writing the classic Queen songs We Will Rock You, Flash, Hammer To Fall and The Show Must Go On, Brian also has a PhD in astrophysics and even has an asteroid named after him. He campaigns as an activist for animal protection. Furthermore, he recently did a five-year stint as the chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.
- His trademark Red Special guitar was constructed essentially from old junk. Among the components that make up the guitar are motorcycle valve springs, a knitting needle, mother-of-pearl buttons, and a discarded fireplace mantle. In 2018 a book dedicated to the development of this custom guitar - "Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World" - was published.
- He was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to music.
- I wanted to do an album on [paradoxes]. The band told me I was a pretentious fart. They were right.
- I've never been fashionable and I never will.
- I don't think anyone has epitomised riff writing better than Jimmy Page - he's one of the great brains of rock music.
- I'm a much better musician than astronomer. I think the world got the right choice.
- [Speaking in 2003] I do think that maybe now people are looking at more depth to what we did. Yes, we were pretty flashy and we were pretty loud and at moments we seemed very outrageous, but there was a lot of honest craftsmanship that went on behind that.
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