Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBEis an English musician, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. He uses a home-built electric guitar, called the Red Special. His compositions for the band include "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down", "I Want It All", "Fat Bottomed Girls", "The Prophet's Song", "Flash", "Hammer to Fall", "Save Me", "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "The Show Must Go On"...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth19 July 1947
CityLondon, England
I'm a much better musician than astronomer. I think the world got the right choice.
My mum says I wanted to be a surgeon, but I don't remember that. I think from the time I knew what was happening, I wanted to be a guitar player.
I was actually perfectly happy when I had no money, which lasted right up until we had a hit with Killer Queen, in 1974. I never wanted for anything.
My children hate me being such a big star. It's very hard for them to have a father who is always in the public eye.
I think Queen tribute bands are great. However, we have to keep them at arm's length, otherwise it could be too dangerous.
I tend to be not a person who does everything right all the time.
I tend not to write on guitar very often. I tend to start off with keyboards.
Einstein got most of the things right about black holes. I'm not an expert, I must admit
A Queen track has those big, thick, block harmonies.
We wouldn't have put it out with the name Queen on it if we didn't think it was musically up to scratch.
I'm hopeless at playing scales. Try and be instinctive first and analytic afterwords, although it's good to study the theory of music.
I'm the nice guy who sits there signing everything that's put in front of me.
I've always lived in that guitar world. I have noticed kids being more into the real essence of guitar music now.
My big hobby is photography. I collect stereo photographs from the 19th century.