Brian May

Brian May of Queen ranks among the most acclaimed and instantly identifiable guitarists from his era, distinguished by his gleaming melodic solos and skill in layering multiple overdubbed guitar parts. On his signature self-built Red Special, May fused the aggressive drive of heavy metal with prog rock's theatrical grandeur across the band's 15 landmark albums spanning Queen in 1973 through Made in Heaven in 1995. His contributions shaped signature tracks such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love," and "Another One Bites the Dust," while he composed enduring favorites including "We Will Rock You," "I Want It All," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "Flash," "Hammer to Fall," "Save Me," "Who Wants to Live Forever," and "The Show Must Go On." From the group's formation, May supplied backing vocals whose gentle timbre offset Freddie Mercury's commanding delivery. After Mercury's passing, the band paused before May revived live performances; Queen has toured with American Idol alum Adam Lambert since 2014. Independently, May issued the 1983 Star Fleet Project EP, followed by Back to the Light in 1992, Another World in 1998, and the 2000 soundtrack Furia. He has also partnered on multiple acclaimed projects with actress and singer Kerry Ellis. In 2001, May joined his Queen bandmates for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He served as producer on the band's Oscar-winning 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Beyond music, May earned a PhD in astrophysics, served as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, and co-founded Asteroid Day. His campaigns against fox hunting and badger culling in the U.K., alongside his musical achievements, led to a knighthood in 2023.

Born in Hampton, Middlesex, during July 1947, May displayed musical aptitude in childhood, mastering the ukulele and piano before acquiring his first guitar on his seventh birthday. He and his father soon constructed a custom instrument completed two years later—the distinctive Red Special that became his lifelong sonic and visual hallmark. Early influences included the Shadows' Hank Marvin, Elvis Presley's Scotty Moore, and Buddy Holly. While attending secondary school, May assembled the instrumental outfit 1984, which performed throughout London and opened a 1967 bill at the Olympia Theatre featuring Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Pink Floyd, and Tyrannosaurus Rex (later T. Rex). After enrolling at Imperial College to study physics and infrared astronomy, May departed 1984 in spring 1968, dissatisfied with the band's direction.

At college, May answered a noticeboard advertisement placed by drummer Roger Taylor; together with former 1984 bassist/vocalist Tim Staffell, they formed the trio Smile. Shortly after earning an honors degree in physics and mathematics, May committed fully to music once Smile secured a Mercury Records contract. The group released only the single "Earth" plus several unreleased cuts before Staffell departed; his acquaintance Freddie Mercury then joined as vocalist. The revised lineup adopted the name Queen and pursued a heavier style blended with expansive ballads and flamboyant glam presentation. Following auditions with multiple bassists, John Deacon completed the roster, yielding an EMI/Elektra deal and the self-titled 1973 debut. Successive releases—Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack in 1974—strengthened both sound and stage presence, elevating Queen to global prominence in the mid-to-late 1970s via Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, News of the World, and Jazz. Unlike bands reliant on one primary songwriter, Queen distributed credits equally; May supplied several defining hits such as "We Will Rock You," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "Now I'm Here," and "Tie Your Mother Down."

During a 1983 hiatus, May delivered his initial solo outing, the four-track Star Fleet Project EP, reinterpreting the theme from the Japanese children's series X Bomber (known as Star Fleet), a favorite of May and his young son. Guests included Eddie Van Halen, REO Speedwagon's Alan Gratzer, and bassist Phil Chen. He also co-produced Heavy Pettin's Lettin Loose. Guild issued a commercial replica of the Red Special, and May filmed a Star Licks instructional video. Queen sustained chart success and sold-out tours through the late 1980s, exploring diverse styles before becoming primarily a studio unit for The Miracle in 1989 and Innuendo in 1991, a shift later attributed to Mercury's AIDS diagnosis. Following Mercury's 1991 death, the members pursued separate paths; May focused on solo endeavors and hosted the 1991 Guitar Legends event alongside Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

The single "Driven by You," featured in a Ford advertisement and recipient of an Ivor Novello Award for Best Theme from a TV/Radio Commercial, preceded May's first full solo album. Back to the Light arrived in 1993, charting strongly across Europe and supporting May's debut solo tour with Cozy Powell on drums, Neil Murray on bass, Spike Edney on keyboards, Jamie Moses on guitar, and vocalists Shelley Preston and Cathy Porter. The 1994 live set Live at the Brixton Academy documented that tour. Another World followed in 1998, initially conceived as a covers collection yet incorporating originals such as "On My Way Up," "Business," and "Why Don't We Try Again"; contributors included Powell, Jeff Beck, and Ian Hunter, and the record reached number 23 on the U.K. Albums Chart. In 2000, May composed the instrumental-focused soundtrack for Alexandre Aja's Furia. Additional scoring credits encompass the 1996 Adventures of Pinocchio, the BBC radio production The Amazing Spiderman, and the Red and Gold Theatre Company's late-1990s Macbeth at Riverside Theatre.

May maintained his astronomy interests, returning to Imperial College London to complete a doctoral thesis in astrophysics awarded in 2007. He served as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013, collaborated on NASA's New Horizons Pluto mission, and co-founded Asteroid Day. He authored A Village Lost and Found, examining 1850s stereo photographer T.R. Williams. His advocacy against fox hunting and badger culling continued.

In 2009, Queen joined the American Idol season-eight finale alongside runner-up Adam Lambert. Lambert subsequently became a regular collaborator, with performances in 2012 and 2013 preceding sustained tours in 2014 and 2016. Beginning with Anthems in 2010, May formed a creative alliance with West End actress and singer Kerry Ellis; their debut paired originals with musical-theater standards. The 2013 Acoustic by Candlelight emphasized further covers, including "The Way We Were" and the Queen and Paul Rodgers track "I Love a Butterfly." Golden Days appeared in 2017, mixing new material with renditions of Gary Moore's "Parisienne Ways" and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Queen's story reached the screen in the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, with Rami Malek portraying Mercury. May and the band supplied the soundtrack of classics, live recordings, and film-specific reworkings. The movie achieved international success and secured four Academy Awards, including Malek's for Best Actor. Queen and Lambert launched the Rhapsody Tour, running from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, King Charles III knighted May for services to music and charity. A deluxe expanded edition, Star Fleet Sessions, was released that July.