Brian May facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian May
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May performing in 2022
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Brian Harold May
19 July 1947 Hampton Hill, Middlesex, England
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| Years active | 1963–present |
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| Children | 3 |
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| Education | Hampton School |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London (BSc, PhD) |
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| Fields | Astrophysics |
| Thesis | A survey of radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud (2008) |
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Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is a famous English musician, songwriter, and astrophysicist. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the rock band Queen. He co-founded Queen with singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor. Brian May's unique guitar playing and songs helped Queen become one of the most successful bands ever.
Before Queen, Brian May played with Roger Taylor in a band called Smile. After Freddie Mercury joined in 1970, and John Deacon became the bass guitarist in 1971, Queen was complete. They became huge with their album A Night at the Opera and the hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody". Queen played at major concerts, including Live Aid in 1985. Brian May is known for his special guitar sound, often using his homemade guitar called the Red Special. He wrote many Queen hits like "We Will Rock You" and "The Show Must Go On".
After Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, Queen took a break. Brian May and Roger Taylor later reunited Queen for new performances with other singers. Brian May is often called one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Queen.
Beyond music, Brian May is also a respected astrophysicist. He earned his PhD in astrophysics in 2007 from Imperial College London. He even worked with NASA on the New Horizons mission to Pluto. He also helps run Asteroid Day, which teaches people about asteroids. An asteroid, 52665 Brianmay, is named after him! Brian May is also an animal welfare activist, fighting against fox hunting and the culling of badgers in the UK. In 2023, King Charles III knighted him for his work in music and charity.
Contents
Brian May: Rock Star and Scientist
His Early Life and Education
Brian Harold May was born on 19 July 1947 in Hampton Hill, England. He was the only child of Ruth and Harold May. His father was a draughtsman. Brian went to Hanworth Road primary school. At age 11, he won a scholarship to Hampton Grammar School. There, he started his first band, 1984, with Tim Staffell.
At Hampton Grammar School, Brian May did very well in science and maths. He earned top grades in Physics, Mathematics, and Applied Mathematics. He then studied Mathematics and Physics at Imperial College London, graduating with a degree in Physics in 1968. He started working on his PhD in astrophysics in 1971. However, he paused his studies when Queen became very famous.
In 2007, Brian May went back to Imperial College and finished his PhD in astrophysics. He completed his work that he had started back in 1971.
Rocking with Queen
Brian May formed the band Smile in 1968 with Tim Staffell and Roger Taylor. Smile only lasted two years. In 1970, Tim Staffell left. Then, Freddie Mercury joined, and the band became Queen. John Deacon joined in 1971, completing the famous lineup.
Brian May often sang lower harmonies in Queen's songs. He also sang lead vocals on some of his own songs. These include parts of "Who Wants to Live Forever" and full lead vocals on songs like "'39" and "Long Away".
He wrote many of Queen's biggest hits. These include "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down", "I Want It All", "Fat Bottomed Girls", "Who Wants to Live Forever", and "The Show Must Go On". He also wrote "Flash" and "Save Me".
After the huge Live Aid concert in 1985, the band decided to write a song together. This led to "One Vision", with Brian May creating the main guitar riff. For their 1989 album, The Miracle, all songs were credited to the whole band. Brian May wrote "I Want It All" and "Scandal" for this album.
On their next album, Innuendo, Brian May's contributions grew. He helped with the guitar solo on the title track. He also added harmonies to "I'm Going Slightly Mad". Two songs he wrote for his solo album, "Headlong" and "I Can't Live With You", ended up on the Queen album. His most famous song from this album is "The Show Must Go On".
After Freddie Mercury's death, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon worked on Made in Heaven. This album used Freddie's last recordings and demos. Brian May has also overseen the re-release of Queen's albums and DVDs.
In 2004, Brian May and Roger Taylor toured as "Queen" with singer Paul Rodgers. This group was called "Queen + Paul Rodgers". They released an album, The Cosmos Rocks, in 2008. Paul Rodgers left the band in 2009.
In 2011, singer Adam Lambert joined Queen for performances. Queen + Adam Lambert have toured Europe, Japan, North America, and South America. They played at the Platinum Party at the Palace in 2022 for the Queen's Jubilee.
Solo Work and Collaborations
Brian May also worked on many projects outside Queen. In 1983, he recorded a mini-album called Star Fleet Project with Eddie Van Halen. He also worked with actress Anita Dobson, who later became his wife in 2000.
After Freddie Mercury's death, Brian May focused on his solo album, Back to the Light. This album included the song "Too Much Love Will Kill You". A version with Freddie Mercury's vocals was later released on Queen's Made in Heaven album.
In late 1992, the Brian May Band was formed. They toured the world in 1993. Their live album, Live at the Brixton Academy, was released from a show in London.
Brian May's second solo album, Another World, came out in 1998. He also played guitar on Lady Gaga's song "You and I" in 2011. He performed with her at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. He also played with My Chemical Romance and The Darkness.
In 2012, Brian May performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He played his "Brighton Rock" solo. He then joined Roger Taylor and Jessie J to perform "We Will Rock You".
He has also worked with singer Kerry Ellis, producing her album Anthems (2010). In 2018, he collaborated with Welsh musician Jayce Lewis on the song We Are One. In 2019, he was part of a new version of "Blue on Black" with Five Finger Death Punch.
His Unique Guitar Style
Many musicians and publications call Brian May a "virtuoso guitarist." He is known for his unique sound. He was ranked highly on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
Most of Brian May's guitar work is done on the Red Special. He built this guitar with his father when he was 16 years old. It was made from old wood and household items like mother-of-pearl buttons and motorbike valve springs. He also uses a coin, usually a sixpence, instead of a plastic plectrum (guitar pick). He feels the coin gives him more control.
Brian May is known for creating multi-part harmonies with his guitar. He often makes his guitar sound like a mini-orchestra. He also uses his guitar to create unusual sound effects. Queen's early albums even stated, "No synthesizers were used on this album," to show that Brian May created all the sounds with his guitar.
Influences and Equipment
Brian May's early influences included Cliff Richard and the Shadows. He also says the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix were his biggest inspirations. He admired Jimmy Page for his riff writing and Rory Gallagher for his ability to make his guitar "do anything."
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Brian May uses Vox AC30 amplifiers almost all the time. He learned about them from his hero Rory Gallagher. He also uses a special treble booster pedal. This, along with his AC30s and a small homemade amplifier called the 'Deacy Amp' (built by John Deacon), helps create his signature guitar sound.
While Freddie Mercury was Queen's main pianist, Brian May sometimes played piano on songs like "Save Me" and "Flash". He also played synthesizers and programmed drum machines. The first instrument he learned was the banjolele. He used one on Queen songs like "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" and "Good Company".
Brian May: Astrophysicist and Activist
Brian May studied physics and mathematics at Imperial College London. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics. From 1970 to 1974, he worked on his PhD in astrophysics. He studied light reflected from dust in space. He stopped his studies when Queen became famous.
In 2006, he went back to Imperial College to finish his PhD. He submitted his thesis in 2007, 37 years after he started! His research looked at the movement of dust in our solar system. He graduated in 2008.
In 2007, Brian May became a visiting researcher at Imperial College. He continues to be involved in astronomy. He has co-authored books about the universe, like Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe. He also appeared on the TV show The Sky at Night.
In 2007, he was appointed chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. He held this position until 2013. An asteroid, 52665 Brianmay, was named after him in 2008.
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In 2014, Brian May helped start Asteroid Day. This is a worldwide event to teach people about asteroids and how to protect Earth from them. He was a science team collaborator for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. He even created 3D images from the spacecraft's photos of the Kuiper belt object, 486958 Arrokoth.
In 2020, he helped create 3D images for a study on how asteroids like 101955 Bennu and 162173 Ryugu might have formed. He received an award from JAXA (Japan's space agency) for his work on the Ryugu asteroid. In 2022, he received the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication.
Animal Welfare Activism
In 2010, Brian May started an animal welfare organization called Save Me. It works to protect wild animals, especially against fox hunting and the culling of badgers. He believes that killing badgers does not help control bovine TB in cows.
In 2013, Brian May joined with actor Brian Blessed and cartoonist Jonti "Weebl" Picking to form Team Badger. They released a song called "Save the Badger Badger Badger" to protest the badger cull. Naturalist David Attenborough and guitarist Slash also joined May to release a song for badgers called "Badger Swagger".
Brian May is a former vice-president of the RSPCA, a large animal welfare charity. He has often spoken out about animal rights and has received awards for his work.
Stereophotography
Brian May has always loved collecting Victorian stereophotographs. These are special photos that create a 3D image when viewed through a special device. In 2009, he published a book called A Village Lost and Found about an English stereophotographer.
In 2013, he published Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell. This book features old 3D photos showing scenes of "Hell." In 2017, he published Queen in 3-D, which tells the band's 50-year history using over 300 of his own 3D photos. The book comes with his patented OWL Stereoscopic Viewer.
Personal Life
Brian May was married to Christine Mullen from 1976 to 1988, and they had three children. He met actress Anita Dobson in 1986, and they married in 2000. She inspired his song "I Want It All".
Brian May is a vegan since 2020. He believes that eating meat contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. He owns homes in London and Surrey. He dislikes smoking because his father was a heavy smoker.
He is also a big supporter of woodlands for wildlife. In 2012, he bought land in Dorset and planted 100,000 trees, creating an area now called May's Wood. In 2013, a new species of damselfly from Brazil was named Heteragrion brianmayi to honor him and Queen.
In May 2020, Brian May had a small heart attack. He said he was "very near death." In September 2024, he shared that he had a minor stroke, which temporarily affected his left arm. However, he was still able to play guitar.
Portrayal in Film
In the 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which is about Queen, Brian May was played by Gwilym Lee. Brian May himself helped as a creative and music consultant for the film.
Discography
With Queen
- Queen (1973)
- Queen II (1974)
- Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
- A Night at the Opera (1975)
- A Day at the Races (1976)
- News of the World (1977)
- Jazz (1978)
- The Game (1980)
- Flash Gordon (1980)
- Hot Space (1982)
- The Works (1984)
- A Kind of Magic (1986)
- The Miracle (1989)
- Innuendo (1991)
- Made in Heaven (1995)
- The Cosmos Rocks (as Queen + Paul Rodgers) (2008)
Solo discography
- Back to the Light (1992)
- Another World (1998)
- Furia (2000) soundtrack
Collaborations
- Star Fleet Project (with Eddie Van Halen) (1983)
- El Vampiro Bajo el Sol (with Paralamas do Sucesso and Fito Paez) (1994)
- Feedback 86 (with Steve Hackett) (2000) Recorded in 1986 and released in 2000.
- Anthems (with Kerry Ellis) (2010)
- Acoustic by Candlelight (with Kerry Ellis) (2013)
- Golden Days (with Kerry Ellis) (2017)
- We are One (with Jayce Lewis) (2018)
- Blue on Black (with Five Finger Death Punch, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Brantley Gilbert) (2019)
- Floating in Heaven (single with Graham Gouldman) (2022)
- Fought & Lost (single with Sam Ryder) (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Brian May para niños
