Celebrate the birthday of Brian May revisiting The Top 10 Greatest Queen Live Performances
The legendary Queen co-founder and guitarist turns 77
Celebrate the birthday of Brian May revisiting The Top 10 Greatest Queen Live Performances
The iconic and legendary Queen co-founder and guitarist Brian May formed Queen in 1971 with Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury, rising to fame and international success during the mid 1970’s after the release of their debut 1973 album “Queen”. May was also an occasional lead singer for the band and provided vocals for songs such as “’39”, “Some Day One Day”, “All Dead, All Dead” and “Who Wants to Live Forever”. He provided back vocals for countless Queen songs and wrote several others including “We Will Rock You”, “Tie Your Mother Down”, “I Want It All”, “Fat Bottomed Girls”, “Flash”, “Hammer to Fall”, “Save Me”, “Who Wants to Live Forever”, and “The Show Must Go On”.
Brian Harold May was born on July 19, 1947, in Hampton, London, England. Growing up in a musical household, May was encouraged to pursue his passion for music from an early age. His father, Harold May, was an electronics engineer, and his influence is evident in Brian’s innovative approach to guitar playing and his creation of the iconic “Red Special” guitar with his father.
May’s academic prowess matched his musical talents. He attended Hampton Grammar School and later Imperial College London, where he pursued a degree in physics with honors. While still a student, May formed the band Smile with Tim Staffell and Roger Taylor. After Staffell’s departure, Freddie Mercury joined the group, transforming it into the legendary band Queen in 1970.
Queen’s early years saw them experimenting with various musical styles, but their big break came with the release of “Sheer Heart Attack” (1974) and the groundbreaking “A Night at the Opera” (1975), which featured the operatic rock anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody.” May’s distinctive guitar work and harmonies became a hallmark of Queen’s sound, contributing to the band’s worldwide success.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Queen released numerous hit albums, with May writing some of the band’s most famous songs, including “We Will Rock You,” “Tie Your Mother Down,” and “Save Me.” His virtuosic guitar solos and innovative use of multi-tracking helped define the band’s unique style.
After the tragic death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Queen’s future was uncertain. However, May, along with Roger Taylor and new collaborators, kept the band’s legacy alive through various projects, including the successful “Queen + Paul Rodgers” and later “Queen + Adam Lambert” tours.
Outside of Queen, May pursued solo projects, releasing albums such as “Back to the Light” (1992) and “Another World” (1998). He also contributed to various collaborations and film soundtracks, further showcasing his versatility as a musician.
Brian May married Chrissie Mullen in 1974, and they had three children: James, Louisa, and Emily Ruth. The couple divorced in 1988. In 2000, May married actress Anita Dobson, best known for her role in the British soap opera “EastEnders.”
Beyond music, May is a dedicated astrophysicist. He completed his Ph.D. in astrophysics in 2007, more than 30 years after pausing his studies to pursue his music career. He has co-authored several scientific papers and books, including “Bang! The Complete History of the Universe.”
May is also an animal rights advocate and co-founder of the Save Me Trust, that promotes wildlife conservation and campaigns against animal cruelty, the hunting of foxes and the culling of badgers in the UK.
May’s guitar playing as been awarded several times, he was ranked the 2nd greatest guitarist of all time by a Guitar World magazine readers poll and as a member of Queen he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which recognizes “the most distinctive recordings in music history”. Brian May was inducted to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Queen in 2001. In the Fall of 2018 the acclaimed biopic of the band, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, hit the theaters worldwide, becoming one of the biggest blockbusters of all time.
Today this guitar hero turns 77 and we look back at The Top 10 Greatest Queen Live Performances during the Freddie Mercury era
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