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
For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. I'd like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.
I never took sheet music seriously. I could do better myself just by listening to other people and using my own intuition.
There are times when I flick through magazines and think I'm in danger of becoming a prisoner of my own hair.
We do play to our audience. It's very important. You can't create music in a vacuum.
I'm the nice guy who sits there signing everything that's put in front of me.
I tend not to write on guitar very often. I tend to start off with keyboards.
I've always lived in that guitar world. I have noticed kids being more into the real essence of guitar music now.
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.
There is no way that you can ever really repeat something. I have this great belief that the magic of the moment can never be recaptured.
The music itself is very challenging, so I've never really felt the lack of stimulation. I love to be creating; I love to be making things and solving problems, I suppose, and when I'm not, then I'm not an incredibly good person to be around. If I'm not busy, then I think I would be disaster. That's just the way things are.
Each gig should be unique. You're always treading that line between keeping yourself fresh and giving people something they want to hear
When I'm gone, people will no doubt remember me for Queen, but I would much rather be remembered for attempting to change the way we treat our fellow creatures
I really thought I was pretty good before I saw Hendrix, and then I thought: Yeah, not so good.
The biggest emotion in creation is the bridge to optimism.