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{{Short description|English musician (born 1947)}} {{about|the British musician and astrophysicist|the Australian film composer|Brian May (Australian composer)|the Canadian politician|Bryan May}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use British English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = [[Sir]] | name = Brian May | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|CBE}} | image = TaylorHawkTributeWemb030922 (208 copped).jpg | caption = May performing in 2022 | birth_name = Brian Harold May | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|7|19|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Hampton Hill]], Middlesex, England | occupation = {{flatlist| * Musician * songwriter * record producer * animal welfare activist * astrophysicist }} | years_active = 1963–present | spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Christine Mullen|1976|1988|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Anita Dobson]]|18 November 2000}}}} | children = 3 | awards = {{ubl|Inductee, [[Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]] (2001)|[[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (2005)| [[Doctor of Science]], honoris causa (2022)|[[Knight Bachelor]] (2023)}} | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed=yes | instrument = {{flatlist| * Guitar * vocals * keyboards <!-- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument -->}} | genre = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]|[[glam rock]]|[[progressive rock]]|[[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]}} | label = {{flatlist| * [[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]] * [[Parlophone Records|Parlophone]]}} | current_member_of = {{flatlist| * [[Queen (band)|Queen]] * [[Queen + Adam Lambert]]}} | past_member_of = {{flatlist| * 1984<ref>{{cite web|title = ASY_Bri15_1984in1967_550x666|url = https://brianmay.com/on-this-day/on-this-day-in-queen-history-1-august/attachment/asy_bri15_1984in1967_550x666/|website= brianmay.com|access-date = 3 April 2025}}</ref> * [[Smile (band)|Smile]] * [[The Brian May Band]] * [[Queen + Paul Rodgers]]}} }} | module2 = {{Infobox scientist | embed = yes | education = [[Hampton School]] | alma_mater = [[Imperial College London]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BSc]], PhD) | fields = [[Astrophysics]] | thesis_title = A survey of radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud | thesis_url = http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/1333 | thesis_year = 2008 | doctoral_advisor = {{flatlist| * Jim Ring<ref name=mayphd/><ref name=mathgene>{{MathGenealogy|id=217395}}</ref> * Ken Reay<ref name=mayphd/><ref name=mathgene/> * [[Michael Rowan-Robinson]]<ref name=mayphd>{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |first=Brian Harold |last=May |title=A survey of radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud |publisher=Imperial College London |year=2008 |url=https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/1333/1/May-BH-2007-PhD-Thesis.pdf |oclc=754716941 |hdl=10044/1/1333 |doi=10.1007/978-0-387-77706-1 |isbn=9780387777054 |bibcode=2008srvz.book.....M |access-date=8 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922054202/http://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/1333/1/May-BH-2007-PhD-Thesis.pdf |archive-date=22 September 2017 |url-status=live}} {{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.443586}} {{open access}}</ref><ref name=mathgene/>}} | website = {{URL|brianmay.com}} }} }} <!-- PLEASE DO NOT ADD THE TITLES "DR" OR "PhD" IN THE OPENING PARAGRAPH PER MANUAL OF STYLE --> '''Sir Brian Harold May''' (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, [[animal welfare]] activist and [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]]. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band [[Queen (band)|Queen]], which he co-founded with singer [[Freddie Mercury]] and drummer [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]]. His guitar work and songwriting contributions helped Queen become one of the most successful acts in music history. May previously performed with Taylor in the progressive rock band [[Smile (band)|Smile]], which he had joined while he was at university. After Mercury joined to form Queen in 1970, bass guitarist [[John Deacon]] completed the line-up in 1971. They became one of the biggest rock bands in the world with the success of the album ''[[A Night at the Opera (Queen album)|A Night at the Opera]]'' and its single "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]". From the mid-1970s until 1986, Queen played at some of the biggest venues in the world, including an acclaimed performance at [[Live Aid]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.loudersound.com/features/queen-at-live-aid-the-real-story-of-how-one-band-made-rock-history | title= Queen at Live Aid: the real story of how one band made rock history | work=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] | date=13 July 2021 | access-date=14 February 2023}}</ref> As a member of Queen, May became regarded as a virtuoso musician and was identified with a distinctive sound created through his layered guitar work, often using a home-built electric guitar called the [[Red Special]].<ref name=redspecial>{{cite book |last1=May|first1=Brian |author-link1= Brian May|last2=Bradley |first2=Simon |title=Brian May's Red Special |date=2014 |publisher=Prion Books |isbn=978-1-78097-276-3 }}</ref> May wrote numerous hits for Queen, including "[[We Will Rock You]]", "[[I Want It All (Queen song)|I Want It All]]", "[[Fat Bottomed Girls]]", "[[Flash (Queen song)|Flash]]", "[[Hammer to Fall]]", "[[Save Me (Queen song)|Save Me]]", "[[Who Wants to Live Forever]]" and "[[The Show Must Go On (Queen song)|The Show Must Go On]]". Following the death of Mercury in 1991, aside from the [[The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert|1992 tribute concert]], the release of ''[[Made in Heaven]]'' (1995) and the 1997 tribute single to Mercury, "[[No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)]]" (written by May), Queen were put on hiatus for several years but were eventually reconvened by May and Taylor for further performances featuring other vocalists. In 2005, a [[Planet Rock (radio station)|Planet Rock]] poll saw May voted the seventh-greatest guitarist of all time.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4669597.stm |title=BBC News: Planet Rock Radio poll |access-date=28 January 2008 |date=10 July 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021231419/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4669597.stm |archive-date=21 October 2007 }}</ref> He was ranked at No. 33 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'s}} 2023 list of 250 greatest guitarists of all time.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/brian-may-20111122|title=100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time: Brian May|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920195809/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/brian-may-20111122|archive-date=20 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, he was further ranked the second-greatest guitarist in a ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine readers poll.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/readers-poll-results-100-greatest-guitarists-all-time#slide-98|title=Readers Poll Results: The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time|publisher=Guitarworld.com|access-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025131228/http://www.guitarworld.com/readers-poll-results-100-greatest-guitarists-all-time#slide-98|archive-date=25 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2001, May was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of Queen and, in 2018, the band received the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-tina-turner-to-receive-grammy-lifetime-achievement-award-w515260|title=Queen, Tina Turner to Receive Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Jon|last=Blistein|access-date=30 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619040158/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-tina-turner-to-receive-grammy-lifetime-achievement-award-w515260|archive-date=19 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> May was appointed a [[Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in 2005 for services to the music industry and for charity work.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8304176.stm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713062416/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8304176.stm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2012|title=Queen star May hails Muse album|work=BBC News|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref> May earned a PhD degree in [[astrophysics]] from [[Imperial College London]] in 2007,<ref name=mayphd/><ref name=mathgene/> and was [[Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University]] from 2008 to 2013.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |title=May installed as uni chancellor |date=14 April 2008 |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018180911/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |archive-date=18 October 2009 }}</ref> He was a "science team collaborator" with NASA's ''[[New Horizons]]'' Pluto mission.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/07/queens-brian-may-is-a-member-of-nasas-new-horizon-team/|title=Queen's Brian May is a member of NASA's New Horizon team|last=Danthropology|date=30 July 2015|website=Patheos.com|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827142524/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/07/queens-brian-may-is-a-member-of-nasas-new-horizon-team/|archive-date=27 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/smart-news/new-horizons-team-got-little-help-queen-guitarist-brian-may-180956073/|title=Smithsonian.com – Smithsonian Magazine|website=Smithsonianmag.com|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507213742/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=%2Fsmart-news%2Fnew-horizons-team-got-little-help-queen-guitarist-brian-may-180956073%2F|archive-date=7 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He is also a co-founder of the awareness campaign [[Asteroid Day]].<ref name="Guardian-2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2016/feb/09/european-space-agency-to-join-brain-mays-asteroid-day |title=European Space Agency to join Brian May's Asteroid Day |date=9 February 2016 |publisher=BBC |access-date=9 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160209135832/https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2016/feb/09/european-space-agency-to-join-brain-mays-asteroid-day |archive-date=9 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Asteroid [[52665 Brianmay]] was named after him. In 2023, May contributed to NASA's [[OSIRIS-REx]] mission, the agency's first successful collection and earth delivery of samples directly from an asteroid (the asteroid [[101955 Bennu|Bennu]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/25/world/brian-may-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-bennu-scn-intl-scli/index.html |title= Queen's Brian May helped NASA return its first asteroid sample |date= 25 September 2023 |publisher=CNN |access-date=25 September 2023}}</ref> May is also an animal welfare activist, campaigning against [[fox hunting]] and the [[Badger culling in the United Kingdom|culling of badgers in the UK]].<ref name="animal welfare"/> May was [[knight]]ed by [[Charles III|King Charles III]] in the [[2023 New Year Honours]] for services to music and charity.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N2|date=31 December 2022}}</ref> ==Early life== Brian Harold May was born on 19 July 1947<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2019/07/19/Famous-birthdays-for-July-19-Brian-May-Anthony-Edwards/2631563201127/|title= Famous birthdays for July 19: Brian May, Anthony Edwardsl|work=[[United Press International]]|date=19 July 2019|access-date=7 August 2019|archive-date=19 July 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190719123258/https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2019/07/19/Famous-birthdays-for-July-19-Brian-May-Anthony-Edwards/2631563201127/|url-status=live|quote= Queen guitarist Brian May in 1947 (age 72)}}</ref> at Gloucester House Nursing Home in [[Hampton Hill]], near [[Twickenham]], [[Middlesex]].<ref name="whoswho" /><ref name="Tremlett 1976 12">{{cite book |last=Tremlett |first=George |date=1976 |title=The Queen Story |publisher=Futura Publications |page=12 |isbn=0860074129}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2023 |title=On This Day in Queen History - 19 July |url=https://brianmay.com/on-this-day/on-this-day-in-queen-history-19-july/ |access-date=6 January 2024 |website=brianmay.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> He is the only child of Ruth Irving (''née'' Fletcher) and Harold May, who worked as a [[drafter|draughtsman]] at the [[Ministry of Aviation]].<ref name="Grdn2014" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbapr13a.html|title=Brian's Soapbox April 2013|website=brianmay.com|access-date=16 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328150630/https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbapr13a.html|archive-date=28 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> His mother, who was Scottish, married his father, who was English, at [[Moulin, Scotland|Moulin]] in Perthshire, Scotland in 1946.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbsep14a.html#13| title=I'm Exactly Half English and Half Scot...| work=Brian's Soapbox| date=13 September 2014| access-date=28 October 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329204243/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbsep14a.html#13| archive-date=29 March 2015| url-status=live}}</ref> May attended the local Hanworth Road state primary school, and at the age of 11 won a scholarship to [[Hampton School|Hampton Grammar School]],<ref name="Tremlett 1976 12"/> then a [[voluntary aided]] school.<ref name=whoswho/><ref name=Grdn2014>{{cite news|last1=Huntman|first1=Ruth|title=Brian May: Me, my dad and 'the old lady'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/18/brian-may-queen-guitar-red-special-dad|access-date=25 October 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=17 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025073248/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/18/brian-may-queen-guitar-red-special-dad|archive-date=25 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = Queen: The Early Years | last = Hodkinson | first = Mark | page = 40 | publisher = Omnibus Press | date = 1995 | isbn = 978-1-84449-012-7}}</ref> During this time, he formed his first band, named ''1984'' after [[George Orwell]]'s novel [[Nineteen Eighty-Four]], with vocalist and bassist [[Tim Staffell]].<ref name="rcnov95">{{cite web |url= http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queenbeforequeen/rcnov95/rcnov95.html |title= The dude in the cardigan with the guitar |access-date= 27 July 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060819231351/http://brianmay.com/queen/queenbeforequeen/rcnov95/rcnov95.html |archive-date= 19 August 2006 |url-status= live }}</ref> At Hampton Grammar School, May attained ten [[GCE Ordinary Level]]s and three [[GCE Advanced Level]]s in physics, mathematics, and applied mathematics.<ref name="rcnov95"/> He studied mathematics and physics at [[Imperial College London]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Science|BSc]] degree in physics in 1968 with honours.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2008210/List-of-lists-Celebrities-and-remarkable-people.html|title=List of lists: Celebrities and remarkable people|date=22 May 2008|work=The Telegraph|access-date=27 September 2014|last1=Moore|first1=Matthew|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025165317/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2008210/List-of-lists-Celebrities-and-remarkable-people.html|archive-date=25 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Following his graduation, May received a personal invitation from [[Bernard Lovell|Sir Bernard Lovell]] to work at the [[Jodrell Bank Observatory]] while continuing to prepare his doctorate. He declined, choosing instead to remain at Imperial College to avoid breaking from Smile, the London-based band he was in at the time.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tremlett |first=George |date=1976 |title=The Queen Story |publisher=Futura Publications |page=13 |isbn=0860074129}}</ref> In 2007, May earned a PhD degree in astrophysics from Imperial College London for work started in 1971.<ref name=mayphd/><ref name=mathgene/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://riaus.org.au/people/brian-may/ |title=Brian May |date=15 January 2011 |access-date=18 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521210752/http://riaus.org.au/people/brian-may/ |archive-date=21 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="Queen star hands in science PhD">{{cite news|title=Queen star hands in science PhD |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |access-date=3 August 2007 |date=3 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325183655/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |archive-date=25 March 2008 }}</ref> ==Musical career== ===1968–1970: Smile=== {{Main|Smile (band)}} <!-- The session does not include the date of the band's last concert of reunion. --> May formed the band Smile in 1968. The group included [[Tim Staffell]] as the lead singer and bassist, and later, drummer [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]], who also went on to play for Queen. The band lasted for only two years, from 1968 to 1970, as Staffell departed in 1970, leaving the band with a catalogue of nine songs. Smile would reunite for several songs on 22 December 1992. Taylor's band [[The Cross (band)|The Cross]] were headliners, and he brought May and Staffell on to play "Earth" and "[[If I Were a Carpenter (song)|If I Were a Carpenter]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/article_show.aspx?Q=11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930145625/http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/article_show.aspx?Q=11|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 September 2011|title=Tim Staffell Biography|date=30 September 2011|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref> May also performed several other songs that night. ===1970–1995: Queen=== {{Main|Queen (band)}} [[File:Hannover7907.jpg|thumb|May (right) on stage with Queen in Hannover, Germany, 1979]] In Queen's three-part vocal harmonies, May was generally the lower-range backing vocalist. On some of his songs, he sings the lead vocals, most notably the first verse of "Who Wants to Live Forever", the final verse of "[[Made in Heaven#"Mother Love"|Mother Love]]", the [[middle eight]] on "[[I Want It All (Queen song)|I Want It All]]" and "[[Flash (Queen song)|Flash's Theme]]", and full lead vocals on "[[Some Day One Day]]", "[[Sheer Heart Attack (album)#"She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes)"|She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes)]]", "[['39 (Queen song)|'39]]", "[[Good Company (Queen song)|Good Company]]", "[[A Day at the Races (album)#Long Away|Long Away]]", "[[All Dead, All Dead]]", "[[Sleeping on the Sidewalk]]", "[[Jazz (Queen album)#"Leaving Home Ain't Easy"|Leaving Home Ain't Easy]]" and "[[Sail Away Sweet Sister]]" .<ref>{{cite news |title=The 10 best Queen songs Freddie Mercury didn't sing |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-queen-songs-freddie-didn-t-sing |access-date=19 November 2018 |work=Louder |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095448/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-queen-songs-freddie-didn-t-sing |archive-date=20 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> May frequently wrote songs for the band and has composed many hits such as "[[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 (Queen song)|The Show Must Go On]]" as well as "[[Hammer to Fall]]", "Flash", "[[Now I'm Here]]", "[[Sheer Heart Attack#"Brighton Rock"|Brighton Rock]]", "[[The Prophet's Song]]", "[[Las Palabras de Amor]]", "[[No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)]]" and "[[Save Me (Queen song)|Save Me]]".<ref>{{cite news |title=Top 10 Brian May Queen songs |url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-may-queen-songs/ |access-date=19 November 2018 |work=Ultimate Classic Rock |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120015055/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-may-queen-songs/ |archive-date=20 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Brian may mdp.jpg|thumb|left|200px|May with Queen arriving in Argentina, 1981]] After the [[Live Aid]] concert in 1985, Mercury rang his band members and proposed writing a song together. The result was "[[One Vision]]", which was basically May on music (the ''Magic Years'' documentary shows how he came up with the opening section and the basic guitar riff); the lyrics were co-written by the four band members.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://allmusic.com/song/one-vision-t1543719|title=Queen – One Vision|work=AllMusic|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407204829/http://allmusic.com/song/one-vision-t1543719|archive-date=7 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> For their 1989 release album, ''[[The Miracle (album)|The Miracle]]'', the band had decided that all of the tracks would be credited to the entire band, no matter who had been the main writer.<ref name="qcw">{{Cite book|last=Purvis|first=Georg|year=2007|title=Queen Complete Works|publisher=Richmond: Reynolds & Hearn}} p. 67</ref> Interviews and musical analyses tend to help identify the input of each member on each track. May composed "I Want It All" for that album, as well as "[[Scandal (song)|Scandal]]" (based on his problems with the British press). For the rest of the album, he did not contribute much creatively. However, he helped in building the basis of "Party" and "Was It All Worth It" (both being predominantly Mercury's pieces) and created the "Chinese Torture" guitar riff.<ref name="qcw"/> Queen's subsequent album was ''[[Innuendo (album)|Innuendo]]''. May's contributions increased, although more in terms of arranging than actual writing in most cases. He did some of the arrangement for the heavy solo on the [[Innuendo (song)|title track]]. He added vocal harmonies to "[[I'm Going Slightly Mad]]" and composed the solo for "[[These Are the Days of Our Lives]]", a song for which the four of them decided the keyboard parts together.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Prato |first1=Greg |title=Innuendo overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/innuendo-mw0000311477 |website=AllMusic |access-date=19 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117160217/https://www.allmusic.com/album/innuendo-mw0000311477 |archive-date=17 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Two songs May had composed for his first solo album, "[[Headlong (song)|Headlong]]" and "[[I Can't Live With You]]", eventually ended up on the Queen project. His other composition was "The Show Must Go On", which he coordinated and was the primary composer.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Readers' Poll: 10 Greatest Queen Songs |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-10-greatest-queen-songs-17639/8-the-show-must-go-on-86409/ |access-date=19 November 2018 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120015112/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-10-greatest-queen-songs-17639/8-the-show-must-go-on-86409/ |archive-date=20 November 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In recent years, he has supervised the remastering of Queen albums and various DVD and greatest hits releases. In 2004, he announced that he and drummer Roger Taylor were going on tour for the first time in 18 years as "Queen", along with [[Free (band)|Free]]/[[Bad Company]] vocalist [[Paul Rodgers]]. Billed as "[[Queen + Paul Rodgers]]", the band played throughout 2005 and 2006 in South Africa, Europe, Aruba, Japan, and North America and released a new album with Rodgers in 2008, titled ''The Cosmos Rocks''. This album was supported by a major tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/queenpr.htm#2008cosmos|title=2008 The Cosmos Rocks Tour|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928215806/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/queenpr.htm#2008cosmos|archive-date=28 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Paul Rodgers left the band<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-rodgers-queen-split-it-was-never-a-permanent-arrangement-20090513|title=Paul Rodgers, Queen Split: "It Was Never a Permanent Arrangement"|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=6 April 2018|date=13 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215001028/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-rodgers-queen-split-it-was-never-a-permanent-arrangement-20090513|archive-date=15 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> in May 2009. It was not until 2011 that another vocalist, [[Adam Lambert]], was recruited.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/queen-adam-lambert-freddie-mercury| title=Queen's show goes on as Adam Lambert replaces Freddie Mercury| date=21 February 2012| author=Sean Michaels| work=[[The Guardian]]| access-date=14 December 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210015714/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/queen-adam-lambert-freddie-mercury| archive-date=10 December 2017| url-status=live}}</ref> Queen + Adam Lambert [[Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2012|toured Europe in 2012]] and [[Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2014–2015|toured the world tour over 2014 and 2015]]. Their most recent outing was the [[Queen + Adam Lambert 2016 Summer Festival Tour|2016 Festival Tour]]. They also played the [[Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live|Big Ben New Year concert]] on New Year's Eve 2014 and New Year's Day 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/queen-adam-lambert|title=Queen and Adam Lambert to perform New Year's Eve concert broadcast on BBC One|publisher=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023200247/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/queen-adam-lambert|archive-date=23 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ===1983–1999: Side projects and solo works=== During 1983, several members of Queen explored side projects. On 21 and 22 April in Los Angeles, May was in a studio with [[Eddie Van Halen]], with no intention of recording anything. The result of the two-day session was a mini album titled ''[[Star Fleet Project]]'', which was not originally going to be released.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vhnd.com/2013/10/31/brian-may-and-friends-star-fleet-project/ |title='Brian May and Friends: Star Fleet Project' with EddieVvan Halen |last=VHND |date=31 October 2013 |website=vhnd.com |url-status=live |access-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411123650/http://www.vhnd.com/2013/10/31/brian-may-and-friends-star-fleet-project/ |archive-date=11 April 2019 }}</ref> In 1986, May contributed to former [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] guitarist [[Steve Hackett]]'s album ''[[Feedback 86]]'', playing guitar on the track "Cassandra" and providing guitar and vocals for "Slot Machine", which May co-wrote. Although produced in 1986, the album was not released commercially until 2000. Another song co-written by May and Hackett during this period, "Don't Fall Away from Me", was eventually recorded by Hackett in 1992 for release on his ''The Unauthorised Biography'' compilation album. Also in 1986, May worked with actress [[Anita Dobson]] on her first album, most noted for the song "Anyone Can Fall in Love", which added lyrics to the ''[[EastEnders]]'' theme tune and reached number four on the [[UK Singles Chart]] in August 1986. May and Dobson married in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smoothradio.com/features/brian-may-facts-wife-age-songs/ |title=Brian May: 9 interesting facts about the Queen guitarist |last=Eames |first=Tom |date=26 April 2019 |website=smoothradio.com |url-status=live |access-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222042432/https://www.smoothradio.com/features/brian-may-facts-wife-age-songs/ |archive-date=22 December 2019 }}</ref> In 1988, May contributed guitar solos to the song "When Death Calls" on [[Black Sabbath]]'s 14th album ''[[Headless Cross (album)|Headless Cross]]'', and the [[Living in a Box]] track "Blow The House Down" on the album ''[[Gatecrashing (album)|Gatecrashing]]''.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000200136|pure_url=yes}} "''Gatecrashing'' credits"]. AllMusic. Retrieved 27 October 2019</ref> Both albums were released in 1989. {{Quote box | quote = After the tragic break-up of any band, it feels impossible to continue but I was really glad that Brian did launch a solo career. He had such a lot of music in him and a great deal more to give. | source = —[[Joe Satriani]]<ref name="Jackson2011">Jackson, Laura (2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=9bMW7YFSiuoC&pg=PT84 "Brian May: The Definitive Biography"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210170239/https://books.google.com/books?id=9bMW7YFSiuoC&pg=PT84 |date=10 February 2017 }}. Hachette. Retrieved 26 April 2012</ref> | align = right | width = 25% | style = padding:10px; }} In the aftermath of the November 1991 [[Death of Freddie Mercury|death of Mercury]], May chose to deal with his grief by committing himself as fully as possible to work, first by finishing his solo album, ''[[Back to the Light]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-the-light-mw0000093065|title=Back to the Light – Brian May {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208123940/https://www.allmusic.com/album/back-to-the-light-mw0000093065|archive-date=8 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and then touring worldwide to promote it. He frequently remarked in press interviews that this was the only form of self-prescribed therapy he could think of.<ref>{{cite web |last=Horne |first=Nicky |url=http://queen.musichall.cz/en/interviews/brian-may-talk-radio-98.html |title=Queen – Royal Legend: Interviews: Brian May: Talk Radio '98 |work=Queen.musichall.cz |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928205737/http://queen.musichall.cz/en/interviews/brian-may-talk-radio-98.html |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Def Leppard]] lead singer [[Joe Elliott]], "It was undoubtedly an enormous and terrible blow to lose someone he was so close to. Personally, I know it ripped the heart out of Brian, but having said that, he was in great spirits after the album was finished."<ref name="Jackson2011"/> ''Back to the Light'' featured the single "[[Too Much Love Will Kill You]]", on which he collaborated as a songwriter with [[Frank Musker]] and Elizabeth Lamers. A version with Freddie Mercury's vocals was later released on the Queen album ''[[Made in Heaven]]'' and won the [[Ivor Novello Award]] for Best Song Musically & Lyrically in 1996.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Nigel Hunter|title=Anniversaries Abound at Novello Awards|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|date=21 June 1997|page=48|access-date=12 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313145121/https://books.google.com/books?id=KBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|archive-date=13 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In late 1992, [[the Brian May Band]] was officially formed. May had loosely formed an earlier version of the band for 19 October 1991, when May took part in the Guitar Legends guitar festival in [[Seville]], Spain. The line-up for his performance was May on vocals and lead guitar, [[Cozy Powell]] on drums and percussion, [[Mike Moran (music producer)|Mike Moran]] and [[Rick Wakeman]] on keyboards, and [[Maggie Ryder]], [[Miriam Stockley]] and [[Chris Thompson (English musician)|Chris Thompson]] on backing vocals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jazzbluesrock.online/2018/12/guitar-legends-expo-92-sevilla/ |title=Guitar Legends – Expo '92 Sevilla |website=jazzbluesrock.online |url-status=live |access-date=9 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929111419/http://jazzbluesrock.online/2018/12/guitar-legends-expo-92-sevilla/ |archive-date=29 September 2019 }}</ref> The original line-up was May on vocals and lead guitar, Powell on drums and percussion, [[Michael Casswell]] on guitar, [[Neil Murray (British musician)|Neil Murray]] on bass, and Ryder, Stockley and Thompson on backing vocals. This version of the band was together only during the South American support tour (supporting [[The B-52's]] and [[Joe Cocker]]) on five dates.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lemieux|first1=Patrick|title=The Queen Chronology|date=2018|publisher=Lulu|page=137|edition=2nd}}</ref> May later made significant changes, feeling the group never quite gelled. May brought guitarist [[Jamie Moses]] on board to replace Mike Caswell. The backing vocalists, Ryder, Stockley and Thompson, were replaced by [[Catherine Porter]] and [[Shelley Preston]]. On 23 February 1993, this new line-up of The Brian May Band began its world tour in the US, supporting [[Guns N' Roses]] and headlining a few dates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/brian.htm#1993bttlnorthamerica1|title=1993 Back To The Light North American Tour (1st leg)|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928215832/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/brian.htm#1993bttlnorthamerica1|archive-date=28 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The tour included dates in North America, Europe (support act: Valentine) and Japan. On 15 June 1993, the band did a show in London that would end up as [[The Brian May Band]]'s only release as a collective, namely [[Live at the Brixton Academy (Brian May album)|Live at the Brixton Academy]]. At the show, May would sing a few lines of [[Love of My Life (Queen song)|"Love of My Life"]], and then, as Mercury used to, let the audience join in.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UIP2XTztUI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/7UIP2XTztUI| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Brian May-Love Of My Life Live At The Brixton Academy 1993|date=22 March 2011 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After the tour ended on 18 December 1993, May returned to the studio with fellow surviving Queen band members Roger Taylor and [[John Deacon]] to work on tracks that became ''Made in Heaven'', the final Queen studio album.<ref name="Buckley">Buckley, Peter (2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". p.837. Rough Guides, 2003</ref> The band took Mercury's solo album demos and last recordings, which he managed to perform in the studio after the album ''Innuendo'' was finished, and completed them with their additions both musically and vocally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/made-heaven/|title=Made in Heaven|publisher=Queenonline.com|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705100644/http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/made-heaven/|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> After Mercury's death, work on the album by Deacon and May began originally in 1992 but was left until a later date due to other commitments.<ref name="Buckley"/> In 1995, May began working on a new solo album of covers tentatively titled ''Heroes'', in addition to working on various film and television projects<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0006190|name=Brian May}}</ref> and other collaborations. May subsequently changed the approach from covers to focus on those collaborations and new material. The songs included ''[[Another World (Brian May album)|Another World]]'', and featured mainly [[Spike Edney]], Cozy Powell, Neil Murray and Jamie Moses. On 5 April 1998, Cozy Powell was killed in a car accident on the [[M4 motorway]] near [[Bristol]], England. This incident caused an unexpected disruption to the upcoming tour for the Brian May Band, which now needed a new drummer on short notice. [[Steve Ferrone]] was brought on to help May finish recording the drum tracks and join the band for the early stage promotional tour of five dates in Europe before the world tour. Following the early promotional tour, [[Eric Singer]] replaced him on the 1998 world tour.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brian May Band {{!}} TheAudioDB.com |url=https://www.theaudiodb.com/artist/139389-The-Brian-May-Band |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=www.theaudiodb.com}}</ref> The 1998 tour saw the brief introduction of a 'support act' known as T. E. Conway. Conway (Brian May in a wig and colourful suit playing the part of a [[teddy boy]] crooner) would play several 1950s [[rock and roll]] standards before May's 'arrival'. A bonus T. E. Conway EP titled ''Retro Rock Special'' was attached to some pressings of the ''Another World'' album. The Conway character was retired at the end of the tour.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/brian-may-guide-queen-guitarists-eccentricities-obessions/|first=Adam|last=White|title=From badgers to flamboyant alter egos: a guide to the strange obsessions of Queen's Brian May|date=19 July 2017|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121165845/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/brian-may-guide-queen-guitarists-eccentricities-obessions/|archive-date=21 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 1999, May recorded lead guitars for the Guns N' Roses song "Catcher in the Rye" on ''[[Chinese Democracy]]'', but his performance was removed from the album by the time it was released in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/07/brian-may-chinese-democracy|title=Brian May dropped from Guns N' Roses album|last=Anthony|first=James|date=7 November 2008|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625022027/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/07/brian-may-chinese-democracy|archive-date=25 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ===2000–2010=== [[File:Queen 2005 1010016.JPG|thumb|May performing in Frankfurt in 2005]] From his last solo release in 1998, May has been performing as a solo artist, as part of an ensemble, and infrequently as Queen with Roger Taylor. On 22 October 2000, he made a guest appearance at the [[Motörhead]] 25th Anniversary show at [[Brixton Academy]] along with [[Eddie Clarke (musician)|Eddie Clarke]] (former Motörhead guitarist) for the encore song "[[Overkill (Motörhead song)|Overkill]]". As part of the [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II]] celebrations on 3 June 2002, May performed a [[guitar solo]] of "[[God Save the Queen]]" from the roof of [[Buckingham Palace]], with the performance appearing on the 30th Anniversary DVD edition of ''A Night at the Opera''.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2024971.stm "Palace party draws 15m viewers"]. BBC. Retrieved 27 September 2016</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-night-at-the-opera-30th-anniversary-cddvd-r811132|title=A Night at the Opera, 30th Anniversary CD/DVD|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=28 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110327103207/http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-night-at-the-opera-30th-anniversary-cddvd-r811132|archive-date=27 March 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> May played guitar on the song "Someone to Die For" on the ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' [[Spider-Man 2 (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r694754|pure_url=yes}}| title= Billboard Albums: Spider-Man 2| website=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=27 September 2016}}</ref> On the Queen's birthday honours list of 2005, he was made a [[Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] "for services to the music industry and for charity work".<ref name=gazette>{{London Gazette|issue=57665 |date=11 June 2005 |page=8 |supp=y }}</ref> In the same year he played the guitar on the song ''Il mare...'' for Italian singer [[Zucchero Fornaciari]], on his album ''[[Zu & Co.]]'', and he took part in the concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in London held in May 2004, with the other guests of the Italian bluesman. May was a celebrity guest at the Genesis reunion concert at [[Twickenham Stadium]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://worldofgenesis.com/TheMusic-MichaelHobson-Interview2007.htm | title= A Conversation With Michael Hobson From The Music.Com | publisher= World of Genesis | first= David | last= Negrin | access-date= 29 July 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110354/http://worldofgenesis.com/TheMusic-MichaelHobson-Interview2007.htm | archive-date= 4 March 2016 | url-status= live }}</ref> May and Genesis frontman [[Phil Collins]] worked together on two previous occasions, at [[The Prince's Trust]] Rock Gala in 1988 and the [[Party at the Palace]] in 2002, when Collins had played drums with Queen. In 2011 he contributed to a feature about Collins for ''[[FHM]]'', praising him as "a great guy and an amazing drummer".<ref>Fitzpatrick, Rob. "'I'm The Antichrist of Music' Immensely popular for decades, yet a permanent resident on music's outermost fringes of fashionability, Phil Collins would like to apologise. Are you ready to forgive?". ''[[FHM]]''. April 2011.</ref> During the late 1960s, May became an enthusiast of stereoscope photographs, as a child, and first encountered the work of [[Thomas Richard Williams]]. In 2003, May announced a search to identify the actual location of the ''Scenes in Our Village'' images. In 2004 May reported that he had identified the location as the village of [[Hinton Waldrist]] in Oxfordshire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/magsandpress/SWvol30no1_04/villagefound.html |title=New light on T.R. Williams: "Our Village" found at last! |author=Brian May |date=1 April 2004 |work=Stereoworld magazine |access-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802162459/https://www.brianmay.com/brian/magsandpress/SWvol30no1_04/villagefound.html |archive-date=2 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with [[Elena Vidal]], May released a historical book in 2009 titled ''[[A Village Lost and Found|A Village Lost and Found: Scenes in Our Village]]''.<ref name=lostandfound>{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Brian |author-link1=Brian May |last2=Vidal |first2=Elena |title=A Village Lost and Found |url=http://www.londonstereo.com/book.html |format=book with stereoscopic viewer |publisher=[[Frances Lincoln Publishers|Frances Lincoln]] |isbn=978-0-7112-3039-2 |date=22 December 2009 |access-date=15 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823094230/http://www.londonstereo.com/book.html |archive-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The book is an annotated collection of [[stereoscopic photograph]]s taken by the [[Victorian era]] photographer [[Thomas Richard Williams|T. R. Williams]]. It included a focusing [[stereoscope]].<ref name="youtube=EqdysAwevrc">{{cite web |author1=Brian May Official |title=BRIAN MAY ON HIS LATEST STEREOSCOPIC CREATION: THE STEAMPUNK OWL |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqdysAwevrc |via=YouTube |date=18 November 2020 |access-date=24 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="arstechnica/2016/12/may-owl-vr">{{cite web |last1=Anthony |first1=Sebastian |title=Queen's Brian May unveils Owl VR: His Victorian take on Google Cardboard |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/12/brian-may-owl-vr-details-price-bohemian-rhapsody/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=24 March 2023 |language=en-us |date=26 December 2016}}</ref> May used a 3D camera to document the history of Queen.<ref>{{cite web |title=Experience life in 3D with the Owl Sterescopic viewer |url=https://the-gadgeteer.com/2018/01/24/experience-life-in-3d-with-the-owl-sterescopic-viewer/ |website=The Gadgeteer |access-date=24 March 2023 |date=24 January 2018}}</ref> [[File:Brian May.JPG|thumb|left|180px|May performing in Chile, November 2008]] May worked extensively with stage actress and singer [[Kerry Ellis]] after he cast her in the musical ''[[We Will Rock You (musical)|We Will Rock You]]''. He produced and arranged her debut studio album ''[[Anthems (Kerry Ellis album)|Anthems]]'' (2010), a follow-up to her extended play ''[[Wicked in Rock]]'' (2008), as well as appearing with Ellis at many public performances—playing guitar alongside her. He also contributed a guitar solo to [[Meat Loaf]]'s ''[[Hang Cool, Teddy Bear]]'' album in exchange for the use of drummer [[John Miceli]]. On 20 May 2009, May and Queen bandmate Roger Taylor performed "We Are the Champions" live on the season finale of ''[[American Idol]]'' with winner [[Kris Allen]] and runner-up Adam Lambert providing a vocal duet.<ref name="AIdol">{{cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1611896/20090520/queen.jhtml |title=Kris Allen, Adam Lambert Tear Up Queen's 'We Are The Champions' |publisher=[[MTV]] |date=20 May 2009 |access-date=26 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401155919/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1611896/20090520/queen.jhtml |archive-date=1 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In November 2009, May appeared with Taylor on ''[[The X Factor (UK)|The X Factor]]'', with Queen mentoring the contestants, then later performed "Bohemian Rhapsody". In April 2010, May founded the "Save Me" 2010 project to work against any proposed repeal of the British fox-hunting ban, and to promote animal welfare in Britain.<ref name="save-me.org.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.save-me.org.uk/ |title=Save Me 2010 | Home – Welcome |work=Save-me.org.uk |publisher=Duck Productions |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102000931/http://www.save-me.org.uk/ |archive-date=2 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> In February 2011, it was announced that May would tour with Kerry Ellis, playing 12 dates across the UK in May 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/brian.htm#2011kerryellistour|title=2011 Brian May Concertography: Kerry Ellis 'Anthems' Tour|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928215832/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/brian.htm#2011kerryellistour|archive-date=28 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> ===2004–2009: Queen + Paul Rodgers=== {{Main|Queen + Paul Rodgers}} [[File:2005 Queen + Paul Rodgers.jpg|thumb|2005 [[Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour]].|right]] At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers, the founder and former lead singer of Free and Bad Company. Brian May's website also stated that Rodgers would be "featured with" Queen as Queen + Paul Rodgers, not replacing the late Freddie Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.<ref name="bmcom_jdr">{{cite web |title=Queen News March 2006 |publisher=brianmay.com |url=http://brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsmar06c.html |access-date=19 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829024507/http://brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsmar06c.html |archive-date=29 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Between 2005 and 2006 Queen and Paul Rodgers embarked on a [[Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour|world tour]], the first leg being Europe and the second, Japan and the US in 2006.<ref name="Queen2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/queenpr.htm|title=Queen + Paul Rodgers Concertography|publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928215806/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/queenpr.htm|archive-date=28 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> On 25 May 2006, Queen received the inaugural [[VH1 Rock Honors]] at the [[Mandalay Bay Events Center]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], Nevada, and May and Taylor were joined on stage with the [[Foo Fighters]] to perform a selection of Queen songs.<ref name="Queen2006"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/89881/queen-foo-fighters-we-will-rock-you-we-are-the-champions-live-at-rock-honors-2006.jhtml|title=Queen & Foo Fighters "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions" Live at Rock Honors 2006|publisher=VH1|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701142745/http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/89881/queen-foo-fighters-we-will-rock-you-we-are-the-champions-live-at-rock-honors-2006.jhtml|archive-date=1 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 15 August 2006, May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album in October, to be recorded at a "secret location".<ref>{{cite web |last=May |first=Brian |date=15 August 2006 |title=USA Convention Story and Queen and Paul Rodgers Heading Towards a Studio Assignation |url=http://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbaug06a.html#06 |access-date=19 December 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120524213012/http://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbaug06a.html%2306 |archive-date=24 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The album, titled ''[[The Cosmos Rocks]]'', was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the United States on 28 October 2008. Following the album's release, the band embarked on a tour through Europe and parts of the US, opening on [[Freedom Square, Kharkiv|Kharkiv's freedom square]] in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans.<ref name="Kharkiv">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/competitions/2009/06/18/win-queen-paul-rodgers-live-in-ukraine-dvds-86908-21450854/|title=Queen & Paul Rodgers – Live In Ukraine DVDs!|work=Daily Record|location=Scotland|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305075556/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/competitions/2009/06/18/win-queen-paul-rodgers-live-in-ukraine-dvds-86908-21450854/|archive-date=5 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The show in Ukraine was later [[Live in Ukraine|released on DVD]].<ref name="Kharkiv"/> Queen and Paul Rodgers officially split up on 12 May 2009. Rodgers did not rule out the possibility of working together again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/81670/queen |title=Paul Rodgers, Queen Split: "It Was Never a Permanent Arrangement" |access-date=14 May 2009 |date=13 May 2009 |publisher=[[idiomag]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529234943/http://www.idiomag.com/peek/81670/queen |archive-date=29 May 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idiomag.com/peek/81817/queen |title=Queen and Paul Rodgers split |access-date=14 May 2009 |date=14 May 2009 |publisher=[[idiomag]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529234652/http://www.idiomag.com/peek/81817/queen |archive-date=29 May 2009 }}</ref> ===2011–present=== On 18 April 2011, [[Lady Gaga]] confirmed that May would play guitar on her track "[[You and I (Lady Gaga song)|You and I]]" from her latest album ''[[Born This Way (album)|Born This Way]]'', released on 23 May 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lady Gaga Confirms new single to be Yoü and I |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a331215/lady-gaga-confirms-new-single-you-and-i.html |first=Lewis |last=Corner |date=22 July 2011 |access-date=19 November 2018 |work=[[Digital Spy]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024195208/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a331215/lady-gaga-confirms-new-single-you-and-i.html |archive-date=24 October 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> May joined Gaga on stage during the performance of "You and I" at the [[2011 MTV Video Music Awards]] held at [[Microsoft Theater|Nokia Theatre]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669859/lady-gaga-jo-calderone-video-music-awards.jhtml|title=Lady Gaga Bends Gender, Minds With VMA Monologue|date=5 May 2011|access-date=9 May 2011|publisher=MTV (MTV Networks)|first=James|last=Dinh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018133609/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1669859/lady-gaga-jo-calderone-video-music-awards.jhtml|archive-date=18 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> May performed with [[Tangerine Dream]] at the [[Starmus Festival]] on [[Tenerife]] in June 2011, celebrating the 50th anniversary of [[Yuri Gagarin]]'s first spaceflight.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Sonic Universe featuring Brian May on 25th April |url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-tangerine-dream-release-starmus-sonic-universe-featuring-brian-may-on-25th-april/ |work=The Official Queen Website |access-date=6 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703121838/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-tangerine-dream-release-starmus-sonic-universe-featuring-brian-may-on-25th-april/ |archive-date=3 July 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> May performed "We Will Rock You" and "[[Welcome to the Black Parade]]" with the rock band [[My Chemical Romance]] at the [[Reading Festival]] on 26 August 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/my-chemical-romance/58869|title=My Chemical Romance joined by Queen's Brian May at Reading Festival|date=26 August 2011|work=NME|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113132827/http://www.nme.com/news/my-chemical-romance/58869|archive-date=13 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On 10 October, May made an appearance to celebrate the reunion of rock band [[The Darkness (band)|The Darkness]] at an "intimate" [[100 Club]] show with support from [[Dark Stares]].<ref name="The Darkness Wow The 100 Club At Intimate Show">{{cite web |url= http://www.justinhawkinsrocks.co.uk/index.php?start_from=308&ucat=&archive=&subaction=&id=& |title= The Darkness Wow The 100 Club At Intimate Show |date= 11 October 2011 |publisher= [[Justin Hawkins|JustinHawkinsRocks.co.uk]] |access-date= 12 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140222143856/http://www.justinhawkinsrocks.co.uk/index.php?start_from=308&ucat=&archive=&subaction=&id=& |archive-date= 22 February 2014 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="The Darkness @ 100 Club 10 October 2011">{{cite web |url= http://planetmusicreviews.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/the-darkness-100-club-10th-october-2011/ |title= The Darkness @ 100 Club 10th October 2011 |date= 13 October 2011 |publisher= Planet Music Reviews |access-date= 12 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150225231249/https://planetmusicreviews.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/the-darkness-100-club-10th-october-2011/ |archive-date= 25 February 2015 |url-status= live }}</ref> A long-time fan of the group, May performed three songs onstage with The Darkness, including Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down", at the [[Hammersmith Apollo]] on their subsequent "comeback" tour.<ref name="Queen Guitarist Brian May Joins The Darkness On Stage">{{cite web |url= http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-guitarist-brian-may-joins-the-darkness-on-stage/ |title= Queen Guitarist Brian May Joins The Darkness On Stage |date= 26 December 2011 |publisher= [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date= 12 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140912170303/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-guitarist-brian-may-joins-the-darkness-on-stage/ |archive-date= 12 September 2014 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="Queen's Brian May Performs With The Darkness In London">{{cite web |url= http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/queen-s-brian-may-performs-with-the-darkness-in-london-pro-shot-video-available/ |title= Queen's Brian May Performs with the Darkness In London |date= 26 December 2011 |publisher= Blabber Mouth |access-date= 12 September 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140912164641/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/queen-s-brian-may-performs-with-the-darkness-in-london-pro-shot-video-available/ |archive-date= 12 September 2014 |url-status= live }}</ref> At the [[2011 MTV Europe Music Awards]] on 6 November, Queen received the [[MTV Europe Music Award for Global Icon|Global Icon Award]], which [[Katy Perry]] presented to Brian May.<ref name="EMA"/> Queen closed the awards ceremony, with Adam Lambert on vocals, performing "The Show Must Go On", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".<ref name="EMA">{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com.au/news/61c139e8-katy-perry-adam-lambert-honour-queen/|title=Katy and Adam Honour Queen|work=MTV Australia|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912235351/http://www.mtv.com.au/news/61c139e8-katy-perry-adam-lambert-honour-queen/|archive-date=12 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The collaboration garnered a positive response from both fans and critics, resulting in speculation about future projects together.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17100301|title=Adam Lambert to perform with Queen at Sonisphere|work=BBC News|access-date=27 September 2014|date=20 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724202732/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17100301|archive-date=24 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Queen + Adam Lambert]] played two shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, London, on 11 and 12 July 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-play-hammersmith/|title=Press Release: Queen To Play Hammersmith|date=12 April 2012|access-date=12 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414172737/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-play-hammersmith/|archive-date=14 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/497064/queen-adam-lambert-playing-four-shows-this-summer|title=Queen + Adam Lambert Playing Four Shows This Summer|date=9 April 2012|magazine=Billboard|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703083808/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/497064/queen-adam-lambert-playing-four-shows-this-summer|archive-date=3 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Both shows sold out within 24 hours of tickets going on open sale.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-adam-lambert-hammersmith-shows-general-sale-now/|title=Queen + Adam Lambert Hammersmith Shows – Sold Out|date=19 April 2012|access-date=19 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420211545/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-adam-lambert-hammersmith-shows-general-sale-now/|archive-date=20 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> A third London date was added for 14 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/instant-sell-queen-adam-lambert-060000198.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708160118/http://finance.yahoo.com/news/instant-sell-queen-adam-lambert-060000198.html|url-status=dead|title=After 'Instant' Sell-out, Queen and Adam Lambert Add Third London Dat...|date=8 July 2012|archive-date=8 July 2012|website=Archive.today|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref> On 30 June, Queen + Lambert performed in [[Kyiv]], Ukraine at a joint concert with [[Elton John]] for the Elena Pinchuk ANTIAIDS Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-rock-kiev-with-adam-lambert/|title=Queen Rock Kiev With Adam Lambert|work=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]|date=July 2012 |access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115014056/http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-rock-kiev-with-adam-lambert/|archive-date=15 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Queen also performed with Lambert on 3 July 2012 at Moscow's [[Olympic Stadium (Moscow)|Olympic Stadium]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-will-rock-moscow/|title=Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert Will Rock Moscow|date=28 February 2012|access-date=6 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530215425/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-will-rock-moscow/|archive-date=30 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2012/02/adam-lambert-has-second-show-with-queen/1|title=Adam Lambert has second show with Queen|work=USA Today|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430055508/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2012/02/adam-lambert-has-second-show-with-queen/1|archive-date=30 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and on 7 July 2012 at the [[Stadion Miejski (Wrocław)|Municipal Stadium]] in Wroclaw, Poland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-announce-poland-show/|title=Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert Announce Poland Show|date=27 April 2012|access-date=6 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724133952/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-announce-poland-show/|archive-date=24 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Brian May & Roger Taylor @ London - 2012 (36082808132).jpg|thumb|upright|May with Taylor (right) and [[Jessie J]] in August 2012]] In January 2012, May featured on [[N-Dubz]] frontman [[Dappy]]'s solo single "[[Rockstar (Dappy song)|Rockstar]]",<ref name="Dappy 'pays tribute to Amy Winehouse'">{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/queen/61513 |title=Dappy says his hook-up with Queen's Brian May 'pays tribute to Amy Winehouse and 27 club' |work=[[NME]] |date=18 January 2012 |access-date=12 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912163210/http://www.nme.com/news/queen/61513 |archive-date=12 September 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> providing "rumbling guitar riffs which culminate in an electrifying solo".<ref name="'Rockstar' - Single review">{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/review/a366106/dappy-ft-brian-may-rockstar-single-review.html |title=Dappy ft. Brian May: 'Rockstar' – Single review |website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=16 February 2012 |access-date=12 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726190803/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/review/a366106/dappy-ft-brian-may-rockstar-single-review.html |archive-date=26 July 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The pair also collaborated on a performance of "We Will Rock You" for [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Live Lounge]].<ref name="Dappy Will Rock You in the Live Lounge">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pjhv2 |title=Dappy & Brian May perform We Will Rock You in the Live Lounge |publisher=BBC |date=27 February 2012 |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021220851/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pjhv2 |archive-date=21 October 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Queen performed at the [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony]] of the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London on 12 August 2012.<ref name="Olympics2012">{{cite web|url=http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/jessie-j/news/queen-olympics-closing-ceremony/|title=Olympics Closing Ceremony: Jessie J Joins Queen For 'We Will Rock You' Performance|date=12 August 2012|work=[[Capital (radio network)|Capital]]|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816001359/http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/jessie-j/news/queen-olympics-closing-ceremony/|archive-date=16 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> May performed part of the "[[Brighton Rock (song)|Brighton Rock]]" solo before being joined by Taylor and solo artist [[Jessie J]] for a performance of "We Will Rock You".<ref name="Olympics2012"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/london-2012/9470803/Olympics-closing-ceremony-playlist.html|title=Olympics closing ceremony – playlist|date=12 August 2012|work=The Telegraph|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915194025/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/london-2012/9470803/Olympics-closing-ceremony-playlist.html|archive-date=15 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 September 2012, May appeared at the Sunflower Jam charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall, performing alongside bassist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] (of [[Led Zeppelin]]), drummer [[Ian Paice]] (of [[Deep Purple]]), and vocalists [[Bruce Dickinson]] (of [[Iron Maiden]]) and [[Alice Cooper]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/66153|title=Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and Queen band members perform at charity rock show|date=17 September 2012|work=NME|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102102014/http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/66153|archive-date=2 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2013 [[West End theatre|West End]] run of ''[[Spamalot]]'' (the musical adaptation of [[Monty Python]]'s 1975 film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]''), May was among the celebrities who played the part of voicing God for a week in aid of charity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spamalotwestend.co.uk/news |title = Spamalot Latest News Monty Python Spamalot in London 2013 | access-date=13 June 2022 }}</ref> In 2015, May played guitar on the end credits song "One Voice" from the film ''[[A Dog Named Gucci]]''. The song also features the talents of: [[Norah Jones]], [[Aimee Mann]], [[Susanna Hoffs]], [[Lydia Loveless]], [[Neko Case]], and [[Kathryn Calder]]. It was produced by Dean Falcone, who wrote the film's score. "One Voice" was released on [[Record Store Day]], 16 April 2016, with profits from the sale of the single going to benefit animal charities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dvdandblu-rayreleasereport.blogspot.com/2016/03/filmmaker-gorman-bechards-dog-named.html|title=DVD & Blu-Ray Release Report: Filmmaker Gorman Bechard's A Dog Named Gucci To Make Its DVD Debut On Apr. 19|last=Tribbey|first=Ralph|date=19 March 2016|website=DVD & Blu-Ray Release Report|access-date=12 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006093341/http://dvdandblu-rayreleasereport.blogspot.com/2016/03/filmmaker-gorman-bechards-dog-named.html|archive-date=6 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Welsh electronic musician [[Jayce Lewis]] collaborated with May in 2018 on the song ''We Are One'', taken from Lewis' 2018 album release ''Million''. Incorporating a repurposed ''Finger tapping/Hammering'' riff from May's solo track ''Cyborg'' from his album; [[Another World (Brian May album)|Another World]], both artists re-recorded May's guitar at a slower speed, and included it to the new song composition.<ref name="queenonline.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.queenonline.com/news/we-are-one-jayce-lewis-ft-brian-may|title=QueenOnline.com – News|website=queenonline.com|accessdate=25 February 2024}}</ref><ref name="brianmay.com">{{cite web | url=https://brianmay.com/brian-news/2018/01/we-are-one-jayce-lewis-ft-brian-may/ | title='We Are One' – Jayce Lewis ft Brian May | date=9 January 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.queenvault.com/BrianMayCollaborations/ | title=QueenVault – Brian May Collaborations | website=Queen Vault }}</ref> On 29 March 2019, May inducted Def Leppard into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/news/brian-inducts-def-leppard-to-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame|title=Brian Inducts Def Leppard To Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame|work=Queen Online|date=30 March 2019|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506062312/http://www.queenonline.com/news/brian-inducts-def-leppard-to-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame|archive-date=6 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He worked with contemporary metal band [[Five Finger Death Punch]] and blues artist [[Kenny Wayne Shepherd]] to re-record a new version of "[[Blue on Black]]" in support of The [[Gary Sinise]] Foundation in April 2019. The artists came together to merge [[Country music|country]] and [[mainstream rock]] to re-create the classic song originally co-written by Shepherd.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rawmusictv.com/article/amp/2019/Brian-May-Queen-just-released-a-new-song-with-metal-band-Five-Finger-Death-Punch | title = Brian May just released a new song with metal band Five Finger Death Punch | date = 10 April 2019 | access-date = 10 April 2019 | work = Raw Music TV | url-status = live | df = mdy-all | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190412114517/https://www.rawmusictv.com/article/amp/2019/Brian-May-Queen-just-released-a-new-song-with-metal-band-Five-Finger-Death-Punch | archive-date = 12 April 2019 }}</ref> In 2024, May contributed guitar to a re-release of [[Mark Knopfler]]'s "[[Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero]]" in aid of the [[Teenage Cancer Trust]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.nme.com/news/music/mark-knopfler-recruits-bruce-springsteen-brian-may-ronnie-wood-teenage-cancer-trust-single-3584338 | title= Mark Knopfler recruits Bruce Springsteen, Brian May, Ronnie Wood and more for Teenage Cancer Trust single | work=NME | first=Liberty | last=Dunworth | date=8 February 2024 | access-date=4 March 2024}}</ref> ====Queen + Adam Lambert==== {{Main|Queen + Adam Lambert}} Not long after performing with ''American Idol'' finalists Kris Allen and Adam Lambert during the programme's season finale in 2009, May and Taylor began contemplating the future of Queen after the group's amicable split with frontman Paul Rodgers. At the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards, Queen was presented with that year's Global Icon Award, accepted by May. As part of the broadcast, Queen performed a short set with Lambert, receiving an overwhelmingly welcoming response.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Speculation regarding collaboration with Lambert soon arose, with the three formally announcing a short summer tour of Europe in 2012, including three dates at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, as well as shows in Ukraine, Russia and Poland.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/497064/queen-adam-lambert-playing-four-shows-this-summer |title=Queen + Adam Lambert Playing Four Shows This Summer |magazine=Billboard |date=9 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2012/02/adam-lambert-has-second-show-with-queen/1 |title=Adam Lambert has second show with Queen |work=USA Today |date=28 February 2012}}</ref> [[File:Queen And Adam Lambert - The O2 - Tuesday 12th December 2017 QueenO2121217-45 (39066611155).jpg|thumb|left|[[Queen + Adam Lambert]] performing at [[The O2 Arena|the O<sub>2</sub> Arena]] in December 2017]] The collaboration was revived in 2013, when the three performed together at the [[iHeartRadio Music Festival]] at the [[MGM Grand Hotel & Casino]] in Las Vegas on 20 September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lineup-announced-for-the-2013-iheartradio-festival/|title=Lineup announced for the 2013 iHeartRadio festival|date=15 July 2013|publisher=CBS News|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216220758/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lineup-announced-for-the-2013-iheartradio-festival/|archive-date=16 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Five months later, May, Taylor and Lambert announced a 19-date summer tour of North America on ''[[Good Morning America]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/03/adam-lambert-to-join-queen-for-north-american-tour|title=Adam Lambert to join Queen for North American Tour|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620211905/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/03/adam-lambert-to-join-queen-for-north-american-tour/|archive-date=20 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Because of ticket demand, five dates were soon added.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-and-adam-lamberts-tour-opener-5-things-we-learned-20140620|title=Queen and Adam Lambert's Tour Opener: 5 Things We Learned|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=16 June 2015|date=20 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529200359/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-and-adam-lamberts-tour-opener-5-things-we-learned-20140620|archive-date=29 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2014, shows in Australia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/46350/queen-and-adam-lambert-announce-2014-australian-tour|title=Queen and Adam Lambert Announce 2014 Australian Tour|work=[[ARIA Charts]]|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923200023/http://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/46350/queen-and-adam-lambert-announce-2014-australian-tour|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/10274094/Queen-with-Lambert-announce-NZ-show|title=Queen with Lambert announce NZ show|work=Stuff|date=16 July 2014 |access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904041346/http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/10274094/Queen-with-Lambert-announce-NZ-show|archive-date=4 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> were announced, along with festival performances in South Korea<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-to-play-korea-at-super-sonic-2014/|title=Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert To Play Korea at Super Sonic 2014|work=QueenOnline|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609030051/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-to-play-korea-at-super-sonic-2014|archive-date=9 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-confirm-japanese-shows-at-summer-sonic-2014/|title=Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert Confirm Summer Sonic 2014 in Japan|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083756/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-confirm-japanese-shows-at-summer-sonic-2014/|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The tour was extended to the UK and greater Europe in early 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-adam-lambert-european-tour-tickets-on-general-sale|title=Queen + Adam Lambert European Tour: Now On General Sale / New London Date Added!|work=QueenOnline|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207160449/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-adam-lambert-european-tour-tickets-on-general-sale/|archive-date=7 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The group performed together in South America in September 2015, including Queen's first performance at the [[Rock in Rio]] Festival since 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-to-rock-in-rio|title=Queen + Adam Lambert to Rock in Rio – Tickets Now On General Sale|work=QueenOnline|access-date=16 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617024441/http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/press-release-queen-adam-lambert-to-rock-in-rio|archive-date=17 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Brian May Queen Adam Lambert 6 June 2022.jpg|thumb|May performing a solo of [[Antonín Dvořák|Dvořák]]'s ''[[Symphony No. 9 (Dvořák)|New World Symphony]]'' in a planet themed segment during a June 2022 Queen + Adam Lambert concert]] In 2016, the group embarked across Europe and Asia on the Queen + Adam Lambert 2016 Summer Festival Tour. This included closing the [[Isle of Wight Festival 2016|Isle of Wight Festival]] in England on 12 June where they performed "Who Wants to Live Forever" as a tribute to the victims of the [[Orlando nightclub shooting|mass shooting at a gay nightclub]] in Orlando, Florida earlier that day.<ref>{{cite news|title=Isle of Wight Festival: Queen pay tribute to Orlando shooting victims|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-36506969|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=14 June 2016|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827040251/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-36506969|archive-date=27 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> On 12 September they performed at the [[Yarkon Park]] in Tel Aviv, Israel for the first time in front of 58,000 people.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=After Four Decades, Queen Rock Israel with Help From Adam Lambert|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/concerts/7504883/queen-rock-israel-tel-aviv-adam-lambert|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=16 September 2016|access-date=27 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003000312/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/concerts/7504883/queen-rock-israel-tel-aviv-adam-lambert|archive-date=3 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2018 the group had a residency in the MGM Park Theater in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite news|title=Queen + Adam Lambert announces Las Vegas residency|url=https://www.ktnv.com/positivelylv/dining-and-entertainment/queen-adam-lambert-announces-las-vegas-residency|publisher=[[KTNV-TV]]|date=7 May 2018|access-date=6 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006154754/https://www.ktnv.com/positivelylv/dining-and-entertainment/queen-adam-lambert-announces-las-vegas-residency|archive-date=6 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Though the collaboration remains active, there are currently no plans to record a studio album, though the three are willing to do so in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/brian-may-queen-is-not-working-on-new-music-with-singer-adam-lambert|title=Brian May: Queen Is Not Working On New Music With Singer Adam Lambert|work=BlabberMouth.net|access-date=16 June 2015|date=22 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525235416/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/brian-may-queen-is-not-working-on-new-music-with-singer-adam-lambert/|archive-date=25 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On 31 March 2020, Queen + Adam Lambert confirmed that their touring dates were postponed until 2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1262713/Queen-and-Adam-Lambert-UK-tour-cancelled-tickets-2021-Brian-May-Roger-Taylor |title=Queen and Adam Lambert UK tour Postponed to 2021: Brian May and Roger Taylor 'Devastated' |last=Simpson |first=George |date=31 March 2020 |website=Daily Express |url-status=live |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402003726/https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1262713/Queen-and-Adam-Lambert-UK-tour-cancelled-tickets-2021-Brian-May-Roger-Taylor |archive-date=2 April 2020 }}</ref> On 4 June 2022, Queen + Adam Lambert opened the [[Platinum Party at the Palace]] outside Buckingham Palace to mark the [[Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/event/platinum-party-at-the-palace/|title=The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022: BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace|website=UK Government|access-date=13 June 2022}}</ref> Performing a three-song set, May appeared in front of the [[Victoria Memorial, London|Victoria Memorial monument]] as they opened with "We Will Rock You" which had been introduced in a comedy segment where the Queen and [[Paddington Bear]] tapped their tea cups to the beat of the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61690149|title=Pop royalty and Paddington star at Queen's Platinum Jubilee concert|publisher=BBC|date=4 June 2022|access-date=13 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Paddington Bear joins the Queen for afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace – video |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2022/jun/04/paddington-bear-joins-the-queen-for-afternoon-tea-at-buckingham-palace-video |access-date=13 June 2022 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> ==Musicianship== ===Guitar style=== [[File:Koeln1998 Brian May.jpg|thumb|right|upright|May [[tapping]]]] {{Quote box | quote = I can listen to any player and pantomime their sound, but I can't do Brian May. He's just walking on higher ground. | source = —[[Steve Vai]]<ref>{{cite magazine | url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/brian-may-2-154589/ | title= 100 Greatest Guitarists | magazine= Rolling Stone | date= 18 December 2015 | access-date= 19 April 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190322144636/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/brian-may-2-154589/ | archive-date= 22 March 2019 | url-status= live }}</ref> | align = right | width = 25% | style = padding:10px; }} {{Quote box | quote = His tone immediately grabbed me. Brian has his own style and sound, so you can always tell his work. Even in 1971 he had incredible finesse, amazing fluidity. | source = —[[Andy Powell]], [[Wishbone Ash]]<ref name="Jackson2011"/> | align = right | width = 25% | style = padding:10px; }} May has been referred to as a virtuoso guitarist by many publications and musicians.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2007 |title=Queen |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharpe-Young |first=Garry |title=Brian May |publisher=[[RockDetector]] |url=http://www.rockdetector.com/person/may/brian+harold |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904041346/http://www.rockdetector.com/person/may/brian+harold |archive-date=4 September 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Coleman |first=Mark |date=9 October 1986 |title=''A Kind of Magic'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=484 |url=http://rollingstone.com/artists/queen/albums/album/210159/review/5946266/a_kind_of_magic |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001090826/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/queen/albums/album/210159/review/5946266/a_kind_of_magic |archive-date=1 October 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Donaghy |first=James |date=17 February 2007 |title=Not another axe to grind |periodical=[[The Guardian]] |url=http://guardian.co.uk/theguide/music/story/0,,2013600,00.html |location=London |access-date=26 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304213650/http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/music/story/0%2C%2C2013600%2C00.html |archive-date=4 March 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Sutcliffe">{{cite book |last1=Sutcliffe |first1=Phil |title=Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock |date=2009 |publisher=[[Voyageur Press]] |isbn=978-0760337196 |page=164}}</ref> He has featured in various music polls of the greatest rock guitarists, and in 2011 was ranked number 26 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time|100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time]]".<ref name="Rolling Stone"/> In January 2007, the readers of ''[[Guitar World]]'' voted May's guitar solos on "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" and "[[Brighton Rock (song)#Brighton Rock|Brighton Rock]]" into the "top 50 Greatest Guitar Solos of all time" (No.20 and No.41 respectively).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/50-greatest-guitar-solos|title=50 Greatest Guitar Solos|publisher=Guitarworld.com|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170601115757/http://www.guitarworld.com/50-greatest-guitar-solos|archive-date=1 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Former [[Van Halen]] vocalist [[Sammy Hagar]] stated, "I thought Queen were really innovative and made some great sounding records... I like the rockin' stuff. I think Brian May has one of the great guitar tones on the planet, and I really, really love his guitar work."<ref name="Sutcliffe"/> [[Justin Hawkins]], lead guitarist of [[the Darkness (band)|the Darkness]], cites May as his earliest influence, saying "I really loved his tone and vibrato and everything. I thought his playing sounded like a singing voice. I wanted to be able to do that. Whenever I went to guitar lessons, I was always asking to learn Queen stuff."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/26822-the-darkness-justin-and-dan-hawkins-swan-on | title=The Darkness' Justin and Dan Hawkins Swan On | work=[[Premier Guitar]] | first=Tzvi | last=Gluckin | date=15 February 2018 | access-date=26 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526203526/https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/26822-the-darkness-justin-and-dan-hawkins-swan-on | archive-date=26 May 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref> American guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has spoken highly of May's work, saying:{{blockquote|In that whole genre, in that whole period—he's one of the most unique contributors. He doesn't get credit. Because what he does is so rich and so specific, and so deep, it fits so well in Queen music, you just feel it as part of that music. But when you break it down and when you look at it from a guitar player's point of view, it's unique, and nobody to this date could do what he does and make it sound like that. He is an iconic player. His tone, his choice of melody notes, he doesn't just do solos. His solos are melodies, and they're perfectly in place.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/steve_vai_brian_may_doesnt_get_enough_credit_his_solos_are_melodies__theyre_perfectly_in_place.html | title= Steve Vai: Brian May Doesn't Get Enough Credit. His Solos Are Melodies & They're Perfectly in Place | website= [[Ultimate Guitar]] | date= 24 December 2018 | access-date= 30 September 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190929232015/https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/steve_vai_brian_may_doesnt_get_enough_credit_his_solos_are_melodies__theyre_perfectly_in_place.html | archive-date= 29 September 2019 | url-status= live }}</ref>}} Most of May's electric guitar work live and in the studio is done on the [[Red Special]], which he built with his father, an electronics engineer, when he was sixteen years old.<ref name=redspecial/><ref name=Grdn2014/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/09/hey-sound-homemade-guitars|title=Hey, what's that sound: Homemade guitars|first=David|last=McNamee|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=27 September 2014|date=11 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330161424/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/09/hey-sound-homemade-guitars|archive-date=30 March 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|cPD7_hQk7hk|Brian May Interview}} The Music Biz (1992). Retrieved 19 August 2011</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C2341|title=Songwriters Hall of Fame – Brian May Biography|publisher=Songwritershalloffame.org|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025081039/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C2341|archive-date=25 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="rdspecial"/> It was built with wood from an 18th-century fireplace, and was composed of household items such as mother-of-pearl buttons, shelf edging, and motorbike valve springs. While May and his father were building the Red Special, May also produced plans to build a second guitar. However, the Red Special was so successful that May did not need to build another guitar.<ref name="The Spade"/> These plans were eventually given to guitar [[luthier]] Andrew Guyton in around 2004–05. Guyton made some slight modifications and the guitar was built. It was named "The Spade" as the body's shape resembled the form shown on playing cards. The guitar also came to be known as "The Guitar That Time Forgot".<ref name="The Spade">{{cite web|url=http://www.guytonguitars.com/the-spade-guitar.html|title=The 'Spade' guitar|website=Guyton Guitars|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407053706/http://www.guytonguitars.com/the-spade-guitar.html|archive-date=7 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> May commented on the Red Special: {{blockquote|I like a big neck – thick, flat and wide. I lacquered the fingerboard with Rustin's Plastic Coating. The tremolo is interesting in that the arm's made from an old bicycle saddle bag carrier, the knob from the ends of a knitting needle, and the springs are valve springs from an old motorbike.<ref>Mick St. Michael (1992). ''Queen in Their Own Words''. p.62. Omnibus Press, 1992</ref>}} In addition to using his home-made guitar he prefers to use coins (especially [[Sixpence (British coin)|a sixpence]] from the farewell proof set of 1970), instead of a more traditional plastic [[plectrum]], because he feels their rigidity gives him more control in playing.<ref name="Jackson"/> He is known to carry coins in his pockets specifically for this purpose.<ref name="Jackson">Laura Jackson (2011). [https://books.google.com/books?id=9bMW7YFSiuoC&q=brian%20may%20sixpence&pg=PT14 "Brian May: The Definitive Biography"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314151322/https://books.google.com/books?id=9bMW7YFSiuoC&pg=PT14#v=onepage&q=brian%20may%20sixpence |date=14 March 2020 }} Hachette UK, 2011</ref> A meticulous arranger, he focuses on multi-part harmonies, often more [[Counterpoint|contrapuntal]] than parallel—a relative rarity for rock guitar. Examples are found in Queen's albums ''A Night at the Opera'' and ''A Day at the Races'', where he arranged a jazz band for guitar mini-orchestra ("Good Company"), a vocal canon ("The Prophet's Song") and guitar and vocal counterpoints ("[[Teo Torriatte]]"). May explored a wide variety of styles in guitar, including: [[sweep picking]] ("[[Was It All Worth It]]" "Chinese Torture"); [[tremolo]] ("Brighton Rock", "[[Stone Cold Crazy]]", "[[Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)|Death on Two Legs]]", "[[Sweet Lady (Queen song)|Sweet Lady]]", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "[[Get Down Make Love]]", "[[Dragon Attack]]"); [[tapping]] ("[[Bijou (Queen song)|Bijou]]", "[[It's Late (Queen song)|It's Late]]", "[[Resurrection]]", "Cyborg", "Rain Must Fall", "Business", "China Belle", "I Was Born To Love You"); slide guitar ("Drowse", "Tie Your Mother Down"); [[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix]] sounding licks ("[[Liar (Queen song)|Liar]]", "Brighton Rock"); tape-delay ("Brighton Rock", "White Man"); and melodic sequences ("Bohemian Rhapsody", "[[Killer Queen]]", "These Are the Days of Our Lives"). Some of his solos and orchestral parts were composed by [[Freddie Mercury]], who then asked May to bring them to life ("Bicycle Race", "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon", "Killer Queen", "[[Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy]]"). May also performed notable acoustic works, including the finger-picked solo of "White Queen" (from ''[[Queen II]]''), "[[Love of My Life (Queen song)|Love of My Life]]" and the [[skiffle]]-influenced "'39" (both from ''A Night at the Opera''). Aided by the uniqueness of the Red Special, May was often able to create strange and unusual sound effects. For example, he was able to imitate an orchestra in the song "[[Queen II#"Procession"|Procession]]"; in "[[Get Down, Make Love]]" he was able to create various sound effects with his guitar; in "Good Company" he used his guitar to mimic a trombone, a piccolo and several other instruments for the song's Dixieland jazz band feel. Queen used a "No synthesizers were used on this album" sleeve note on their early albums to make this clear to the listeners.<ref>Cunningham, Mark (October 1995). [http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/oct95/queen.html "The Making Of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121141500/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/oct95/queen.html |date=21 November 2008 }}. Sound on Sound. Retrieved 23 May 2012</ref> May also used his guitar to create the chime effect in "Bohemian Rhapsody".<ref name="bohrapchimes">{{YouTube|Z85YsUAU6pA|The Making of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'}}. Retrieved 28 December 2012.</ref> ===Influences=== [[File:Brian May 2017 Guitar_Cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Brian May performing in 2017]] May's early influences included [[Cliff Richard]] and [[the Shadows]], who he says were "the most metallic thing(s) out at the time". Many years later he gained his opportunity to play on separate occasions with the Shadows' lead guitarist [[Hank Marvin]]. He has collaborated with Richard on a re-recording of 1958 hit "[[Move It]]" on Richard's duets album ''[[Two's Company (Cliff Richard album)|Two's Company]]'', which was released on 6 November 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/twos-company-the-duets-mw0000448982|title=Two's Company: The Duets|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905000130/http://www.allmusic.com/album/twos-company-the-duets-mw0000448982|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> May always stated that [[the Beatles]], [[Led Zeppelin]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Prato |first=Greg |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p13633|pure_url=yes}} |title=Brian May at Allmusic |work=AllMusic |date=18 July 2012 |access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref> [[the Who]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]] were the greatest influences on him. On the ''Queen for an Hour'' interview on BBC Radio 1 in 1989, May listed Hendrix, [[Jeff Beck]] and [[Eric Clapton]] as his guitar heroes. In a 1991 interview for ''Guitar World'' magazine, May referred to the Who as "my inspiration", and on seeing Led Zeppelin stated, "We used to look at those guys and think, 'That's the way it should be done.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intellectualonly-mercury.ru/interview/The_Life_Of_Brian.htm |title=The Life of Brian in Guitar World |publisher=Intellectualonly-mercury.ru |access-date=29 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810112604/http://www.intellectualonly-mercury.ru/interview/The_Life_Of_Brian.htm |archive-date=10 August 2011 }}</ref> May told ''[[Guitarist (magazine)|Guitarist]]'' in 2004, "I don't think anyone has epitomised [[Riff#Riff|riff]] writing better than [[Jimmy Page]] – he's one of the great brains of rock music".<ref>"Whole lotta riffs". ''[[Guitarist (magazine)|Guitarist]]''. Issue 247. March 2004.</ref> May also cites [[Rory Gallagher]] as a major influence, saying "He was a magician. He was one of the very few people of that time who could make his guitar do anything, it seemed. I remember looking at that battered Stratocaster and thinking, 'How does that (sound) come out of there?'" According to May, "... it was Rory that gave me my sound, and that's the sound I still have."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/general/brian-may-i-owe-my-sound-to-guitar-hero-rory-gallagher-60430802/|title=Brian May: 'I owe my sound to guitar hero Rory Gallagher'|website=[[Hollywood.com]]|access-date=4 June 2019|date=30 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604074058/http://www.hollywood.com/general/brian-may-i-owe-my-sound-to-guitar-hero-rory-gallagher-60430802/|archive-date=4 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> May was also influenced by [[Steve Hackett]], guitarist of the [[progressive rock]] band Genesis,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-talks-wolflight-phrasing-and-the-nylon-knack-620021|title=Steve Hackett talks Wolflight, phrasing and the nylon knack|first=Matt|last=Frost|work=MusicRadar|date=29 April 2015|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530062816/https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-talks-wolflight-phrasing-and-the-nylon-knack-620021|archive-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> in particular his harmony guitar solo at the end of the band's epic 1971 song "[[The Musical Box (Genesis song)|The Musical Box]]".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://dmme.net/interviews/hackett.html | title= Interview with Steve Hackett | publisher= dmme.net | date= January 2001 | access-date= 23 August 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150928235530/http://dmme.net/interviews/hackett.html | archive-date= 28 September 2015 | url-status= live }}</ref> Hackett said of May, "Equally, his energetic approach to guitar inspired me."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140438/|title=The guitarguitar Interview: Steve Hackett|first=Ray|last=McClelland|website=guitarguitar|date=10 August 2018|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604072235/https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140438/|archive-date=4 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Equipment=== ====Guitars==== [[File:Queen + Adam Lambert 5 (38119549814).jpg|thumb|upright|Brian May (pictured in 2017) playing his custom-made [[Red Special]]]] [[File:Brian May's Signature Red Guitar.jpg|thumb|upright|Replica of May's Red Special in the shop window, [[Denmark Street]], London]] From 1975 onwards, May had some replicas made of the Red Special, some of which were also used for live and recording purposes, others being mainly spares. The most famous replicas were made by John Birch in 1975 (May smashed it during a concert in the US in 1982), [[Greco guitars|Greco]] BM90 (featured in the promo video of "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" in 1977), Guild (back-up from 1984 to 1993), Fryers (1997–1998, used both live and in the studio) and Guyton<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guytonguitars.com/rsintro.php |title=Guitar Builder (Luthier) in East Anglia, UK – High Quality Hand Made Custom Electric Guitars by Andrew Guyton |publisher=Guytonguitars.com |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203025707/http://www.guytonguitars.com/rsintro.php |archive-date=3 February 2014 }}</ref> (back-up from 2003 to present). On stage, May used to carry at least one backup guitar (in case he broke a string). He occasionally would use others for specific songs or parts, such as alternative tunings. Currently, May owns a company that makes guitars whose design is modelled after the original Red Special guitar. *July 1973 – May 1974: [[Fender Stratocaster]] CBS era (thought to be 1972)<ref name="MR"/> *October 1974 – May 1975: [[Gibson Les Paul]] Deluxe, and the Stratocaster from the previous tour.<ref name="MR"/> *November 1975 – May 1976: Same two guitars as before, plus a natural finish John Birch replica of the Red Special.<ref name="MR">{{cite web |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/in-pictures-brian-mays-other-guitars-384279 |title=In Pictures: Brian May's Guitars |website=MusicRadar |url-status=live |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430081212/https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/in-pictures-brian-mays-other-guitars-384279 |archive-date=30 April 2019 }}</ref> *September 1976: Same three as before, plus a Martin D-18 acoustic for "'39". *January 1977 – August 1979: Just the Birch replica plus an Ovation Pacemaker 12-string acoustic on some numbers ("'39", "Love of My Life", "Dreamer's Ball"). *November 1979 – June 1982: Birch replica (back-up), [[Fender Telecaster]] ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love" 2nd verse, middle-eight and solo), Ovation (acoustic numbers). *July – November 1982: Added a [[Gibson Flying V]] as second back-up. On 9 August 1982, May smashed the Birch guitar, so the Flying V became the only spare. *August – October 1984: The Flying V became a second back-up again as his main spare was the Guild replica. He also used Roger Taylor's Gibson Chet-Atkins Classical Electric. *July 1985 – August 1986: Gibson Flying V no longer used. The rest remained the same. May used a Gibson Chet-Atkins guitar on the 1986 Magic Tour.<ref name="MR"/> *In 2012, he received a double-neck replica of the Red Special, with the second neck having 12-strings. He used this guitar at a few gigs with Adam Lambert now being able to play the 12-string part from the studio version of "Under Pressure" live.<ref name="Double-neck Red Special">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/brian-mays-guyton-double-neck-549856|title=Brian May's Guyton Double Neck|author=Simon Bradley|date=23 July 2012 |work=MusicRadar|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701225039/http://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/brian-mays-guyton-double-neck-549856|archive-date=1 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> He currently has a Gibson 12-string SJ200 to replace his Guild 12-string. He previously used an Ovation Pacemaker 1615 model. Some of the non-RS electric guitars he used in the studio included: *[[Burns London|Burns]] Double Six on "Long Away" (1976)<ref name="MR"/> and "Under Pressure" (1981). *Fender Telecaster on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (1979).<ref name="MR"/> May used it for the video (but not the recordings) of "Back Chat" (1982). *Gibson Firebird on "Hammer to Fall" and "Tear It Up" (album versions only, not on stage).<ref>{{cite web |title=Album Data, The Works |url=https://www.queensongs.info/album-data/queen/the-works |website=Queen Songs |access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref> *[[Ibanez JS Series|Ibanez JS]] on "Nothing But Blue" (1991). *[[Parker Fly]] on "Mother Love" (1993–1995). For acoustic, he favoured Ovation,<ref name="MR"/> Martin, [[Tōkai Guitars|Tōkai]] Hummingbird, Godin and Guild. On a couple of videos, he also used some different electric guitars: a Stratocaster copy on "Play the Game" (1980) and a [[Washburn RR-V Tour Series|Washburn RR2V]] on "Princes of the Universe" (1986). In 1984, [[Guild Guitar Company|Guild]] released the first official Red Special replica for mass production and made some prototypes specifically for May. However, the solid-body construction (the original RS has hollow cavities in the body) and the pick-ups (DiMarzio) that were not a replica of the Burns TriSonic did not make May happy. The production of the guitars stopped after just 300 guitars. In 1993, Guild made a second replica of the RS, made in just 1000 copies, of which May has some and used as a back-up. At the moment, he uses the two guitars made by Greg Fryer—the luthier who restored the Old Lady in 1998—as back-up. They are almost identical to the original, except for the Fryer logo on the headstock (May's original one has a sixpence). ====Amplifiers and effects==== [[File:VOX AC30 Twin.jpg|thumb|The [[Vox AC30]] amplifier]] {{Quote box | quote = I've never heard a guitar sound so loud! He had a wall of AC30s cranked, and it was like a jumbo jet taking off. It was phenomenal. | source = —[[Marillion]] guitarist [[Steve Rothery]] on sharing a stage with May in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.vintageguitar.com/30070/steve-rothery/ | title= Steve Rothery | work= [[Vintage Guitar (magazine)|Vintage Guitar]] | first= Greg | last= Prato | date= February 2017 | access-date= 19 April 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190419201015/https://www.vintageguitar.com/30070/steve-rothery/ | archive-date= 19 April 2019 | url-status= live }}</ref> | align = right | width = 27% | style = padding:10px; }} May has used [[Vox AC30]] amplifiers almost exclusively since a meeting with his long-time hero [[Rory Gallagher]] at a gig in London during the late 1960s/early 1970s.<ref>Rick Wakeman's Face To Face interview programme, available at rockondigital.com</ref> In the mid-1970s he used six of them, with an [[Echoplex]] delay (with extended delay time) plugged into a separate amplifier, and a second Echoplex plugged into yet another amp; he used a homemade booster, his only effects pedal, which was on all the time.<ref name="reply">{{cite news|title=Pro's Reply: Brian May|date=August 1975|work=[[Guitar Player]]|page=154}} (repr. January 2014)</ref> His choice is the model AC30TBX, the top-boost version with Blue Alnico speakers, and he runs the amp at full volume on the Normal channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brianmaycentral.net/bms.html |title=Vox AC30 Brian May |publisher=Brianmaycentral.net |access-date=27 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029011512/http://www.brianmaycentral.net/bms.html |archive-date=29 October 2014 }}</ref> [[File:Fryer Brian May Treble Booster Touring, true bypass & LED mod by Cluster.jpg|thumb|upright|left|May [[treble booster]]]] May also customises his amps by removing the Brilliant and Vib-trem channels (leaving only the circuitry for the Normal). This alters the tone slightly, with a gain addition of 6–7 dB. He always used a [[treble booster]] which, along with the AC30 and his custom '[[Deacy Amp]]' transistor amp, built by Queen bass player John Deacon, went a long way in helping to create many of his signature guitar tones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://queenwillrockyou.weebly.com/deacy-amp.html|title=The Legendary Deacy Amp|publisher=queenwillrockyou.weebly.com|access-date=12 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016064332/http://queenwillrockyou.weebly.com/deacy-amp.html|archive-date=16 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> He used the Dallas Rangemaster for the first Queen albums, up to ''[[A Day at the Races (album)|A Day at the Races]]''. Effects designer [[Pete Cornish]] built for him the TB-83 (32 dB of gain) that was used for all the remaining Queen albums. He switched in 2000 to the Fryer's booster, which actually gives less boost than the TB-83. When performing live, May uses banks of Vox AC30 amplifiers, keeping some amps with only guitar and others with all effects such as delay, [[flanger]] and chorus. He has a rack of 14 AC30s, which are grouped as Normal, Chorus, Delay 1, Delay 2. On his pedal board, May has a custom switch unit made by Cornish and subsequently modified by Fryer that allows him to choose which amps are active. He uses a [[Boss Corporation|BOSS]] pedal from the '70s, the Chorus Ensemble CE-1, which can be heard in "[[Sheer Heart Attack|In The Lap of The Gods]]" (''[[Live at Wembley '86]]'') or "Hammer to Fall" (slow version played live with P. Rodgers). Next in the chain, he uses a Foxx Foot Phaser ("We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions", "Keep Yourself Alive", etc.), and two delay machines to play his trademark solo in "Brighton Rock". ====Piano and other instruments==== As a child, May was trained on classical piano. Although Freddie Mercury was the band's primary pianist, May would step in occasionally (such as on "Save Me"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUyPyTn-IS4 |title=Queen Save Me (Live) |via=YouTube |date=11 May 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303064815/https://www.youtube.com/watch?index=5&list=RDf8usNj4x9NA&v=yUyPyTn-IS4&app=desktop |archive-date=3 March 2020 }}</ref> and "Flash").<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sheetmusic-free.com/flash-theme-sheet-music-queen/ |title=Flash Theme Sheet Music Queen |website=sheetmusic-free.com |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> He mostly used Freddie Mercury's 1972 Steinway piano. From 1979 onwards, he also played synthesisers, organ ("Wedding March",<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Es5NDQAAQBAJ&q=brian+may+synthesiser+and+organ+on+wedding+march+on+flash&pg=PT148 |title=Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic |last=Blake |first=Mark |date=12 September 2016 |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |isbn=9781783237784 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> "[[Let Me Live]]") and programmed drum-machines for both Queen and outside projects (such as producing other artists and his own solo records). In the studio, May used [[Yamaha DX7]] synths for the opening sequence of "One Vision"<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAV0DwAAQBAJ&q=may+yamaha+dx7+synth+on+one+vision&pg=PA173 |title=Queen: Album by Album |last=Popoff |first=Martin|date=27 November 2018 |publisher=[[Voyageur Press]] |page=173 |isbn=9780760362839 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> and the backgrounds of "Who Wants to Live Forever"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://equipboard.com/pros/brian-may/yamaha-dx7-synthesizer |title=Brian May Yamaha-DX7 |website=equipboard.com |url-status=live |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626145144/http://equipboard.com/pros/brian-may/yamaha-dx7-synthesizer |archive-date=26 June 2018 }}</ref> (also on stage), "Scandal" and "The Show Must Go On". The first instrument May learned to play was the [[Banjo uke|banjolele]]. He used a "genuine [[George Formby]] Ukulele-Banjo" in "[[Bring Back That Leroy Brown]]" and [[A Night at the Opera (Queen album)|"Good Company"]]. Occasionally, May would also record on other string instruments such as harp (one chord per take, then copied and pasted by the engineer to make it sound like a continuous performance) and bass (on some demos and many songs in his solo career, and the Queen + Paul Rodgers album). May was keen on using some toys as instruments as well. He used a [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] plastic piano in "Teo Torriatte"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/a-day-at-the-races.htm |title=A Day At The Races |website=ultimatequeen.co.uk |url-status=live |access-date=10 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115231741/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/a-day-at-the-races.htm |archive-date=15 November 2019 }}</ref> and a toy mini [[koto (musical instrument)|koto]] in "The Prophet's Song".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZ5ZCgAAQBAJ&q=may+mini+koto+prophets+song&pg=PA189 |title=The Bible in Music: A Dictionary of Songs, Works, and More |last1=Long |first1= Siobhán Dowling |last2=Sawyer |first2=John F.A. |date=3 September 2015 |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |page=189 |isbn=9780810884526 |access-date=10 April 2020}}</ref> ====Vocals==== May is also an accomplished singer. From Queen's ''[[Queen II]]'' to ''[[The Game (Queen album)|The Game]]'', May contributed lead vocals to at least one song per album. May co-composed a mini-opera with [[Lee Holdridge]], ''Il Colosso'', for [[Steve Barron]]'s 1996 film, ''[[The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996 film)|The Adventures of Pinocchio]]''. May performed the opera with [[Jerry Hadley]], [[Sissel Kyrkjebo]], and [[Just William]]. On-screen, it was performed entirely by puppets. ==Scientific career== [[File:Rock Star and Astrophysicist Brian May Visits Paranal.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.3|May in 2015 at the [[Paranal Observatory]] in the [[Atacama Desert]] in Chile]] {{See also|List of celebrities with advanced degrees}} May studied physics and mathematics at Imperial College London, graduating with a BSc (Hons) degree and [[Associate of the Royal College of Science|ARCS]] in physics with [[Second-class honours|Upper Second-Class Honours]]. From 1970 to 1974, he studied for a PhD degree<ref name=mayphd/> at Imperial College, studying reflected light from [[interplanetary dust]] and the velocity of dust in the plane of the Solar System. When Queen began to have international success in 1974, he abandoned his doctoral studies, but nonetheless co-authored two [[peer review|peer-review]]ed research papers,<ref name=HicksMay1972>{{cite journal|last1=Hicks|first1=Tom R.|last2=May|first2=Brian H.|last3=Reay|first3=N. Ken|title=MgI Emission in the Night Sky Spectrum|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=240|issue=5381|year=1972|pages=401–402|issn=0028-0836|doi=10.1038/240401a0|bibcode = 1972Natur.240..401H |s2cid=4193025}}</ref><ref name=HicksMay1974>{{cite journal|last1=Hicks|first1=T. R.|last2=May|first2=B. H.|last3=Reay|first3=N. K.|last4=Ring|first4=J.|title=An Investigation of the Motion of Zodiacal Dust Particles—I: Radial Velocity Measurements on Fraunhofer Line Profiles|journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]|volume=166|issue=2|year=1974|pages=439–448|issn=0035-8711|doi=10.1093/mnras/166.2.439|bibcode=1974MNRAS.166..439H|doi-access=free}}</ref> which were based on his observations at the [[Teide Observatory]] in Tenerife. In October 2006, May re-registered for his doctorate at Imperial College, and he submitted his thesis in August 2007 (one year earlier than he estimated it would take to complete). As well as writing up the previous work he had done, May had to review the work on zodiacal dust undertaken during the intervening 33 years, which included the discovery of the zodiacal dust bands by [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]]'s [[IRAS]] satellite. After a [[Oral exam|viva voce]], the revised thesis (titled "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud")<ref name=mayphd/> was approved in September 2007, some 37 years after it had been commenced.<ref name="Queen star hands in science PhD"/><ref name=buzzcocksphd>{{cite episode| series=Never Mind The Buzzcocks| station=BBC| series-no=21| number=10| minutes=25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/biog.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525083058/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/biog.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2012 |title=BRIAN MAY – Official Biography |work=Brianmay.com |access-date=24 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| last =May| first =Brian| title =News| url =http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsjul07.html| archive-url =https://archive.today/20120720094841/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsjul07.html| url-status=dead| archive-date =20 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Queen star celebrates doctorate |work=BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6961171.stm |access-date=25 August 2007 | date=23 August 2007 }}</ref> He was able to submit his thesis only because of the minimal amount of research on the topic during the intervening years and has described the subject as one that became in-demand again in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Queen Guitarist (And Astrophysicist) Brian May On His Work With NASA|last=Kluger|first=Jeffrey|date=2 January 2019|url=https://time.com/5492147/brian-may-ultima-thule/|access-date=8 October 2020|magazine=Time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022061131/https://time.com/5492147/brian-may-ultima-thule/|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-date=22 October 2020}}</ref> In his doctoral research, he investigated [[radial velocity]] using [[absorption spectroscopy]] and [[doppler spectroscopy]] of [[zodiacal light]] using a [[Fabry–Pérot interferometer]] based at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife. His research was initially supervised by Jim Ring,<ref name=mathgene/> Ken Reay<ref name=mathgene/> and in the latter stages by [[Michael Rowan-Robinson]].<ref name=mayphd/> He graduated at the awards ceremony of Imperial College held in the Royal Albert Hall on 14 May 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title=Imperial College Graduation|url=https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/37754/imperial-college-graduation/|agency=Imperial College London|date=23 May 2018|access-date=23 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180524080822/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/37754/imperial-college-graduation/|archive-date=24 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Lintott, Moore, May.jpg|thumb|left|May (right) with [[Patrick Moore]] and [[Chris Lintott]] at [[Astronomy Now#AstroFest|AstroFest]] in 2007]] In October 2007, May was appointed a visiting researcher in Imperial College and he continues his interest in astronomy and involvement with the Imperial Astrophysics Group. He is co-author, with Sir [[Patrick Moore]] and [[Chris Lintott]], of ''Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe''<ref name=bang>{{cite book |last1=May |first1=Brian |author-link1=Brian May |last2=Moore |first2=Patrick |last3=Lintott |first3=Chris |title=Bang! The Complete History of the Universe |url=https://archive.org/details/bangcompletehist0000mayb |date=2006 |publisher=[[Carlton Publishing Group|Carlton]] |isbn=1-84442-552-5 |url-access=registration }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 March 2007 |title=Queen star hands in science PhD |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |access-date=2 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229174815/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6929290.stm |archive-date=29 December 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''The Cosmic Tourist''.<ref name=tourist>{{cite book |last1=May|first1=Brian |author-link1= Brian May|last2=Moore |first2=Patrick |last3= Lintott|first3= Chris |title=The Cosmic Tourist |date=2012 |publisher=[[Carlton Publishing Group|Carlton]] |isbn=978-1-84732-619-5 }}</ref> May appeared on the 700th episode of ''[[The Sky at Night]]'' hosted by Sir Patrick Moore, along with Chris Lintott, [[Jon Culshaw]], Professor [[Brian Cox (physicist)|Brian Cox]], and the [[Astronomer Royal]] [[Martin Rees]] who, on departing the panel, told Brian May, who was joining it, "I don't know a scientist who looks as much like [[Isaac Newton]] as you do."<ref name="Guardian-2011">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/monroe-james-nesbitt-brian-cox|title=Wonders of the Universe; The Sky at Night|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=23 May 2012|location=London|first=Andrew|last=Anthony|date=13 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218230417/http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/mar/13/monroe-james-nesbitt-brian-cox|archive-date=18 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> May was also a guest on the first episode of the third series of the BBC's ''[[Stargazing Live]]'', on 8 January 2013. On 17 November 2007, May was appointed chancellor of [[Liverpool John Moores University]],<ref name="New Chancellor confirmed">{{cite web|url=http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_92016.htm |title=New Chancellor confirmed |work=Ljmu.ac.uk |publisher=Liverpool John Moores University |date=23 November 2007 |access-date=24 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906210108/http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NewsUpdate/index_92016.htm |archive-date=6 September 2010 }}</ref> and he was installed in 2008 having also been awarded an honorary fellowship from the university for his contribution to astronomy and services to the public understanding of science.<ref name="May installed as uni chancellor">{{cite news|title=May installed as uni chancellor |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |date=14 April 2008 |access-date=14 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415225512/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7345958.stm |archive-date=15 April 2008 }}</ref> He held the post until 2013.<ref name="Guardian-2011"/> Asteroid [[52665 Brianmay]] was named after him on 18 June 2008<!-- MPC 63173 --> on the suggestion of Patrick Moore (probably influenced by the asteroid's provisional designation of {{mp|1998 '''BM'''|30}}).<ref name="rdspecial">{{cite web |url=http://www.brianmayworld.com/Brian_May.htm |title=the may-keeters homepage |last=May |first=Brian |year=2004 |publisher=brianmayworld.com |access-date=2 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206023000/http://www.brianmayworld.com/Brian_May.htm |archive-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=52665 |title= JPL Small-Body Database Browser |author= NASA |access-date= 19 July 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130821231555/http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=52665 |archive-date= 21 August 2013 |url-status= live }}</ref> [[File:Brian May (NHQ201812310024) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|May at Johns Hopkins University on 31 December 2018 before the ''[[New Horizons]]'' flyby of the Kuiper belt object [[486958 Arrokoth]]]] In 2014, May co-founded [[Asteroid Day]] with [[Apollo 9]] astronaut [[Rusty Schweickart]], [[B612 Foundation]] COO Danica Remy and German filmmaker [[Grigorij Richters]]. Asteroid Day is a global awareness campaign where people from around the world come together to learn about [[asteroids]] and what we can do to [[Asteroid impact avoidance|protect our planet]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2015/jun/30/brian-may-asteroid-day-can-help-protect-the-planet |title=Brian May: Asteroid Day can help protect the planet |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |author=Dr. Stuart Clark |access-date=3 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702175840/http://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2015/jun/30/brian-may-asteroid-day-can-help-protect-the-planet |archive-date=2 July 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> May was a guest at the 2016 Starmus Festival where he also performed on stage with composer [[Hans Zimmer]]. The theme was ''Beyond The Horizon: A Tribute To Stephen Hawking''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Starmus 3 full schedule announced |url=http://cs.astronomy.com/asy/b/daves-universe/archive/2016/05/16/starmus-3-full-schedule-announced.aspx |access-date=6 January 2019 |agency=CS.Astronomy.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720194949/http://cs.astronomy.com/asy/b/daves-universe/archive/2016/05/16/starmus-3-full-schedule-announced.aspx |archive-date=20 July 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the ''New Horizons'' Pluto flyby NASA press conference held on 17 July 2015 at [[Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab]], May was introduced as a science team collaborator. He told the panel "You have inspired the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGwxl7FZWw&t=6m18s|title=NASA News Conference on the New Horizons Mission|last=NASA|date=17 July 2015|access-date=6 April 2018|via=YouTube|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325122314/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAGwxl7FZWw&t=6m18s|archive-date=25 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/feature/rock-starastrophysicist-dr-brian-may-goes-backstage-with-new-horizons|title=Rock Star/Astrophysicist Dr. Brian May Backstage With New Horizons|first=Tricia|last=Talbert|date=21 July 2015|website=Nasa.gov|access-date=6 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206154006/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/rock-starastrophysicist-dr-brian-may-goes-backstage-with-new-horizons/|archive-date=6 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> From 31 December 2018 until 1 January 2019, May was in attendance at the watch party for the New Horizons flyby of the Kuiper belt object, [[486958 Arrokoth]], and performed an updated version of his "New Horizons" celebratory song.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Sarah |title=NASA's New Horizons spacecraft just visited the farthest object ever explored |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/12/31/most-distant-space-encounter-history-is-happening-now/ |access-date=1 January 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101031117/https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2018/12/31/most-distant-space-encounter-history-is-happening-now/ |archive-date=1 January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> As part of May's role as a collaborator with NASA's science team on the New Horizons mission, he worked on the first [[Anaglyph 3D|stereoanaglyph]] based on images of (486958) Arrokoth that were captured by the spacecraft.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=3 January 2019 |title=NASA New Horizons, Ultima Thule: press briefing on the results from the flyby |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypKY4WGaeu8&t=16m33s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ypKY4WGaeu8 |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=4 January 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone |publisher=CBS News}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2019, he was awarded the [[Lawrence J. Burpee Medal]] of the [[Royal Canadian Geographical Society]] for outstanding contributions to the advancement of geography.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/queens-brian-may-receives-rcgs-medal-toronto|title=Queen's Brian May receives RCGS medal in Toronto|publisher=[[Royal Canadian Geographical Society|RCGS]]|access-date=24 October 2019|date=26 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001042139/https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/queens-brian-may-receives-rcgs-medal-toronto|archive-date=1 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, he participated in the team that contributed the stereography images of numerical simulations of asteroid disruptions and re-accumulations in a publication in the peer-reviewed journal [[Nature Communications]] by [[Patrick Michel|Michel, P.]] et al. (2020) presenting a scenario of formation of the asteroids [[101955 Bennu|(101955) Bennu]] and [[162173 Ryugu|(162173) Ryugu]], visited by NASA [[OSIRIS-REx]] and JAXA [[Hayabusa2]] probes, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu |journal=Nature Communications |year=2020 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z |last1=Michel |first1=P. |last2=Ballouz |first2=R.-L. |last3=Barnouin |first3=O. S. |last4=Jutzi |first4=M. |last5=Walsh |first5=K. J. |last6=May |first6=B. H. |last7=Manzoni |first7=C. |last8=Richardson |first8=D. C. |last9=Schwartz |first9=S. R. |last10=Sugita |first10=S. |last11=Watanabe |first11=S. |last12=Miyamoto |first12=H. |last13=Hirabayashi |first13=M. |last14=Bottke |first14=W. F. |last15=Connolly |first15=H. C. |last16=Yoshikawa |first16=M. |last17=Lauretta |first17=D. S. |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=2655 |pmid=32461569 |pmc=7253434 |bibcode=2020NatCo..11.2655M }}</ref> He was awarded the JAXA Hayabusa2 Honor Award for his contribution by making stereoscopic images of Ryugu.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2018/07/04 What's new? |url=http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180704je/index_e.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=JAXA Hayabusa2 project |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Patrick Michel on LinkedIn: #hayabusa2 #JAXA #hayabusa2 |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/patrickmichelcnrs_hayabusa2-jaxa-hayabusa2-activity-6887031209151479810-9zL5 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ブライアン・メイ氏のアートブックに「はやぶさ２」が出現！ – Hayabusa2 is featured in the Brian May art book! – |url=https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/gallery/feature/isas/isas_20220617_en.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=宇宙科学研究所 |language=ja}}</ref> [[File:Brian May receives Stephen Hawking medal at Starmus IV Festival Yerevan, Armenia.jpg|thumb|May (second from left) receives the [[Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication]] at the [[Starmus Festival|Starmus IV festival]] in Armenia in 2022]] In 2021, he contributed the stereography images of the structural stability of double asteroid [[65803 Didymos|(65803) Didymos]], the target of the NASA [[Double Asteroid Redirection Test|DART]] and ESA [[Hera (space mission)|Hera]] missions, in a publication in the peer-reviewed journal [[Icarus (journal)|Icarus]] by DART and Hera team members.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yun |last2=Michel |first2=Patrick |last3=Richardson |first3=Derek C. |last4=Barnouin |first4=Olivier S. |last5=Agrusa |first5=Harrison F. |last6=Tsiganis |first6=Kleomenis |last7=Manzoni |first7=Claudia |last8=May |first8=Brian H. |date=1 July 2021 |title=Creep stability of the DART/Hera mission target 65803 Didymos: II. The role of cohesion |journal=Icarus |language=en |volume=362 |pages=114433 |doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114433 |bibcode=2021Icar..36214433Z |s2cid=233701042 |issn=0019-1035|doi-access=free |url=https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-03381684/file/1-s2.0-S0019103521001172-main.pdf }}</ref> He is also on the advisory board of the [[NEO-MAPP]] project ([[Near-Earth object|Near-Earth-Object]] Modelling and Payloads for Protection), funded by the European Union.<ref>{{cite web |last=Neo-Mapp |title=Brian May, Ph.D. |url=https://neomapp.eu/advisory_board/brian-may-ph-d/ |access-date=1 March 2022 |website=NEO MAPP |language=en-US |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301121810/https://neomapp.eu/advisory_board/brian-may-ph-d/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2022, May was awarded a [[Doctorate of Science]] honoris causa by Professor Brad Gibson in the EA Milne Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Hull.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congratulations to all our students who are graduating at the University of Hull |url=https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2022/congratulations-to-all-our-students-who-are-graduating-at-the-university-of-hull.aspx |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=hull.ac.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Unable to attend in person, he joined the graduation ceremony via video link.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Branniganpublished |first=Paul |date=14 July 2022 |title=Queen's Brian May is now a Doctor of Science: watch his acceptance speech |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/queens-brian-may-is-now-a-doctor-of-science-watch-his-acceptance-speech |access-date=16 July 2022 |website=loudersound |language=en}}</ref> At the [[Starmus Festival|Starmus IV festival]] in [[Yerevan]], [[Armenia]] in September 2022, May was awarded the [[Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication]].<ref>{{cite news |title=STARMUS VI: Brian May awarded with Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in Yerevan |url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1091778.html |access-date=5 September 2022 |agency=Armenpress |date=5 September 2022}}</ref> In December 2022 May was made a [[Knight Bachelor]] in the [[2023 New Year Honours]], the first list of [[Charles III|King Charles III]]'s reign.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Sarah |last=Bell |date=30 December 2022 |title=New Year Honours 2023: Brian May and Lionesses on list |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64125449 |work=BBC News |access-date=5 March 2023}}</ref> In March 2023, May was officially knighted by the King.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64960536 | title=Brian May knighted by King at Buckingham Palace | date=15 March 2023 | work=BBC News |access-date=15 March 2023}}</ref> ==Personal life== From 1976 to 1988, May was married to Christine Mullen.<ref name=whoswho/> They had three children.<ref name=whoswho>{{Who's Who |title=May, Dr Brian Harold |id=U247368 |year=2022 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U247368}}</ref> They separated in 1988. May met actress [[Anita Dobson]] in 1986. She inspired him to write the 1989 hit "I Want It All". They married on 18 November 2000.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120829083922/http://www.bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing/2011/dancers/celebrity/anita_dobson.shtml Anita Dobson]. BBC</ref> He has said in interviews that he had depression in the late 1980s and early 1990s, to the point of contemplating suicide,<ref>{{cite web| last =May| first =Brian|url =http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsdec05.html|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20060504184823/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsdec05.html|url-status=dead|archive-date =4 May 2006| title= News December 2005 | access-date=14 August 2007}}</ref> for reasons having to do with his troubled first marriage, his perceived failure as a husband and father, and the deaths of Mercury and his father Harold.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/magsandpress/okjun98/okjun98.html |title=The Legendary Rock Star at home in Surrey, 19 June 1998 |work=Brianmay.com |date=19 June 1998 |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829005931/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/magsandpress/okjun98/okjun98.html |archive-date=29 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]]'' [[Sunday Times Rich List|Rich List]] of 2019, May is worth £160 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48204955|title=Ed Sheeran tops Adele as Stormzy joins Sunday Times Rich List|work=BBC News|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=9 May 2019|date=9 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611175234/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48204955|archive-date=11 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He has homes in London and [[Windlesham]], Surrey.<ref>{{cite news | first = Rachel | last = Cooke | date = 5 September 2010 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/05/brian-may-interview-blogging | title = Brian May: The Interview | newspaper =[[The Guardian]] | location = London | access-date = 8 October 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131110055153/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/05/brian-may-interview-blogging | archive-date = 10 November 2013 | url-status = live }}</ref> May's father Harold was a long-time heavy cigarette smoker.<ref name=Grdn2014/> As a result, May dislikes smoking,<ref>{{cite web|last=May |first=Brian |url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb06.html#07 |title=Smoking: We Do Not Have to Wait!! |work=Brian's Soapbox 6 Feb |date=6 February 2006 |access-date=27 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408214545/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbfeb06.html |archive-date=8 April 2008 }}</ref> to the point where he was already prohibiting smoking indoors at his concerts before many countries imposed [[List of smoking bans|smoking ban]]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Queen wants Moscow sports complex to become non-smoking area|work=Queen News June 2008|agency=Regnum News Agency|url=http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsjun08b.html#19|date=19 June 2008|access-date=27 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727004014/http://www.brianmay.com/queen/queennews/queennewsjun08b.html#19|archive-date=27 July 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> A vegan since taking part in the 2020 [[Veganuary]] challenge,<ref>{{cite web|date=2 February 2020|title=Brian May To Stay Plant-Based After 'Loving' Veganuary|url=https://www.plantbasednews.org/news/brian-may-to-stay-plant-based-after-loving-veganuary|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204201054/https://www.plantbasednews.org/news/brian-may-to-stay-plant-based-after-loving-veganuary|archive-date=4 February 2020|access-date=22 February 2020|website=plantbasednews.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=15 April 2020|title=Brian May backs widespread veganism after coronavirus crisis: "Eating animals has brought us to our knees"|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/brian-may-backs-widespread-veganism-after-coronavirus-eating-animals-has-brought-us-to-our-knees-2646320|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415093246/https://www.nme.com/news/music/brian-may-backs-widespread-veganism-after-coronavirus-eating-animals-has-brought-us-to-our-knees-2646320|archive-date=15 April 2020|website=NME}}</ref> May has stated that meat eating is responsible for the [[COVID-19]] pandemic despite there being no evidence of such.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brian May blames meat-eating for rise of coronavirus|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/15/brian-may-blames-meat-eating-for-rise-of-coronavirus|newspaper=The Guardian|date=15 April 2020}}</ref> May describes himself as "not belonging to an organized religion, but feels there is a god of some kind which we know very little about".<ref>{{cite web|last1=RT|title=Brian May to RT: I still feel Freddie's around|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBm1Qfpa_nY|via=YouTube|access-date=11 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724025940/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBm1Qfpa_nY|archive-date=24 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> May is a long-term champion of woodland as a haven and "corridor" for wildlife—both in Surrey, where he has a house,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/queen-guitarist-brian-blasts-greed-9845399|title=Brian May: 'Case for development is weak and motivated by money'|last=Neal|first=Charlotte|date=13 August 2015|work=[[GetSurrey]]|access-date=8 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108175017/http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/queen-guitarist-brian-blasts-greed-9845399|archive-date=8 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and elsewhere. In 2012, he bought land threatened by building development at [[Bere Regis]], Dorset, and, in 2013 and with the enthusiastic support of local villagers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/NEWS/10706506.Queen___s_Brian_May_plants_first_tree_in_Dorset_woodland/|title=Queen's Brian May plants first tree in Dorset woodland|website=[[Bournemouth Echo]]|date=30 September 2013 |language=en|access-date=8 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108175021/http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/NEWS/10706506.Queen___s_Brian_May_plants_first_tree_in_Dorset_woodland/|archive-date=8 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> initiated a project to create an area of woodland, now called May's Wood (or "the Brian May Wood").<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21427374|title=Brian May unveils woodland vision|date=12 February 2013|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=8 January 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023214032/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21427374|archive-date=23 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The wood consists of {{convert|157|acres|ha}}, formerly under the plough, planted by May's team of co-workers with 100,000 trees. May's Wood is said to be flourishing.<ref>{{Citation|last=Linda Lamon|title=Brian May's Wood First Anniversary, Bere Regis, Dorset|date=18 September 2014|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy8j-Lq7Fys |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/fy8j-Lq7Fys| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=8 January 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Linda Lamon|title=May's Wood third anniversary of inaugural tree planting.|date=28 September 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHNIWNBYxV0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/RHNIWNBYxV0| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=8 January 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2013, a new species of the genus ''[[Heteragrion]]'' (Odonata: Zygoptera) from Brazil was named ''Heteragrion brianmayi''—one of four ''Heteragrion'' flatwing [[Damselfly|damselflies]] named after the bandmates, paying tribute to the 40th anniversary of Queen's founding.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03685p080f.pdf|title = Diagnoses and discussion of the group 1 and 2 Brazilian species of Heteragrion, with descriptions of four new species (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae). Zootaxa 3685 (1): 001–080.|date = 9 July 2013|access-date = 26 September 2015|website = Zootaxa|publisher = Magnolia Press – Auckland, New Zealand|last = Lencioni|first = F.A.A.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081459/http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03685p080f.pdf|archive-date = 4 March 2016|url-status = live}}</ref> May experienced a small heart attack in May 2020. It required the insertion of three [[stent]]s into three blocked arteries. May said he had been "very near death".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/25/brian-may-queen-near-death-heart-attack-gardening |title=Brian May was 'near death' after suffering heart attack while gardening |first=Laura |last=Snapes |date=25 May 2020 |access-date=25 May 2020 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> In September 2024, he revealed that he had suffered a minor stroke which rendered him temporarily without use of his left arm, though May noted he was still able to play guitar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Abdul |first=Geneva |date=4 September 2024 |title=Queen guitarist Brian May reveals he recently had minor stroke |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/sep/04/queen-guitarist-brian-may-reveals-he-recently-had-minor-stroke |access-date=4 September 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> ===Activism=== [[File:Brian May filming for the BBC's 'The One Show'.jpg|thumb|right|May filming for the BBC's ''The One Show'' in 2011 for an anti–badger culling campaign.]] Though a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] voter most of his life,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8730078.stm | work=[[BBC News]] | title=Brian May on saving the fox | date=9 June 2010 | access-date=9 June 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306040808/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8730078.stm | archive-date=6 March 2012 | url-status=live }}</ref> he has stated that their policies on [[fox hunting]] and the [[Badger culling in the United Kingdom|culling of badgers]] meant he did not vote for them in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 UK general election]]. In 2013, May joined French guitar player [[Jean-Pierre Danel]] for a charity Danel launched for the benefit of [[animal rights in France]]. The guitarists signed guitars and art photos together, and were joined by Hank Marvin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsapr13a.html#07 |title=Brian News – April 2013 |publisher=Brianmay.com |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330162802/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/briannews/briannewsapr13a.html#07 |archive-date=30 March 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Brianmaywestminster.jpg|thumb|upright|left|May outside the [[Houses of Parliament]] in London during a June 2013 anti-badger cull demonstration]] Prior to the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], it was reported that May was considering standing as an [[Independent politician|independent Member of Parliament]]. It was also revealed that May had started a "Common Decency" project "to re-establish common decency in our lives, work and Parliament". May said he wanted to "get rid of the current government" and wished to see a [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] containing "individuals voting according to their conscience".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brian-may-could-stand-as-an-independent-mp-queen-guitarists-spokesperson-drops-tenuous-hints-about-political-intentions-10023508.html | title=Brian May 'could stand an Independent MP': Queen guitarist's spokesperson drops tenuous hints about political intentions | work=[[The Independent]] | first=Jenn | last=Selby | date=4 February 2015 | access-date=18 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722230820/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brian-may-could-stand-as-an-independent-mp-queen-guitarists-spokesperson-drops-tenuous-hints-about-political-intentions-10023508.html | archive-date=22 July 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> May was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]]'s [[Caroline Lucas]] at the election.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/24/celebrities-sign-statement-support-caroline-lucas-not-green-party | title=Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas – but not the Greens | work=[[The Guardian]] | location=London | first=Jessica | last=Elgot | date=24 April 2015 | access-date=22 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003042244/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/24/celebrities-sign-statement-support-caroline-lucas-not-green-party | archive-date=3 October 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref> He also endorsed a Conservative Party candidate, [[Henry Smith (British politician)|Henry Smith]], on the grounds of his animal welfare record.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.crawleynews.co.uk/Queen-legend-Brian-urges-Crawley-residents-vote/story-26243354-detail/story.html?r1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crawleynews.co.uk%2FQueen-legend-Brian-urges-Crawley-residents-vote%2Fstory-26243354-detail%2Fstory.html | title= Queen legend Brian May urges Crawley residents to vote Conservative at General Election | work= Crawley News | date= 27 March 2015 | access-date= 22 July 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150723035853/http://www.crawleynews.co.uk/Queen-legend-Brian-urges-Crawley-residents-vote/story-26243354-detail/story.html?r1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crawleynews.co.uk%2FQueen-legend-Brian-urges-Crawley-residents-vote%2Fstory-26243354-detail%2Fstory.html | archive-date= 23 July 2015 | url-status= live }}</ref> In July 2015, May criticised UK Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] for giving members of parliament a free vote on amending the ban on fox hunting in England and Wales. During a live television interview, he described the pro-hunting organisation the [[Countryside Alliance]] as "a bunch of lying bastards" for their support for a change to the law.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/a-bunch-of-lying-bastards--brian-may-and-paul-mccartney-hit-out-at-david-camerons-cruel-and-unnecessary--bid-to-bring-back-fox-hunting-10380869.html | title='A bunch of lying b*****ds' – Brian May and Paul McCartney hit out at David Cameron's 'cruel and unnecessary' bid to bring back fox hunting | work=[[The Independent]] | first=Matt | last=Dathan | date=10 July 2015 | access-date=12 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712202052/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/a-bunch-of-lying-bastards--brian-may-and-paul-mccartney-hit-out-at-david-camerons-cruel-and-unnecessary--bid-to-bring-back-fox-hunting-10380869.html | archive-date=12 July 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> The government postponed the vote following the intervention of the [[Scottish National Party]]'s Westminster MPs, who committed to vote to keep the ban as it existed. May told anti-hunt protesters in a rally outside Parliament that it was "a very, very important day for our democracy" but added "we have not yet won the war, there's no room for complacency".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brian-may-hails-important-day-for-democracy-after-vote-on-foxhunting-ban-is-postponed-10388195.html | title=Brian May hails 'important day for democracy' after vote on foxhunting ban is postponed | work=[[The Independent]] | first=Emily | last=Beamen | date=14 July 2015 | access-date=18 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717034615/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/brian-may-hails-important-day-for-democracy-after-vote-on-foxhunting-ban-is-postponed-10388195.html | archive-date=17 July 2015 | url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2017, May endorsed [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] in the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]]. May shared an article on Twitter by ''[[The Independent]]'' headlined "Jeremy Corbyn says Fox hunting is 'barbarity' and pledges to keep it banned"<ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=Oppenheim|first=Maya|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/News/uk/home-news/election-2017-celebrities-vote-party-ballots-comedians-actors-footballers-steve-coogan-danny-devito-a7779151.html|title=Election 2017: The surprising and not-so surprising ways celebrities will be casting their ballots today|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=8 June 2017|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624143521/http://www.independent.co.uk/News/uk/home-news/election-2017-celebrities-vote-party-ballots-comedians-actors-footballers-steve-coogan-danny-devito-a7779151.html|archive-date=24 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and captioned it: "Well, I guess that just about clinches it !! Anyone see any good reason not to prefer the evidently decent Corbyn over the weak and wobbly Mrs May? Bri".<ref>{{cite news |title=What celebrities including JK Rowling, Stephen Hawking and Brian May had to say about the general election |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/celebrities-including-jk-rowling-stephen-hawking-brian-may-had/ |access-date=13 June 2022 |work=The Telegraph}}</ref> In October 2018, May said, "I don't like all this separatist stuff and you know this sort of illusion that we can all stand on our own, to me the future lies in co-operation. I get up every day and put my head in my hands about [[Brexit]] – I think it's the stupidest thing we ever tried to do." He also said that Prime Minister [[Theresa May]] was "driven by vanity and thirst for power".<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/queen-gutarist-brian-may-says-brexit-is-stupid-1-5757026|title = Brian May: 'Brexit is the stupidest thing we ever tried to do'|work = [[The New European]]|first = Jonathon|last = Read|date = 30 October 2018|access-date = 18 December 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181218193400/https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/queen-gutarist-brian-may-says-brexit-is-stupid-1-5757026|archive-date = 18 December 2018|url-status = live}}</ref> In the run-up to the [[2019 United Kingdom general election]] May criticised what he saw as the poor conduct of the media and declined to endorse either candidate, stating that he found it "impossible" to vote for either Jeremy Corbyn or [[Boris Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbnov19b.html |title=Bri's Soapbox |last=May |first=Brian |date=22 November 2019 |website=brianmay.com |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225181438/https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbnov19b.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the election in which the Conservatives won a majority, May vowed to continue fighting for animal welfare but in an [[Instagram]] and blog post he urged his followers to congratulate Johnson and "wish Boris a decent chance to rebuild Britain" before praising reforms to animal welfare laws made by [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] Environment Secretary [[Michael Gove]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbdec19b.html |title=Bri's Soapbox |last=May |first=Brian |date=26 December 2019 |website=brianmay.com |access-date=5 January 2020 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225224449/https://brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbdec19b.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Queen's Brian May on Boris Johnson winning General Election 'give him benefit of doubt' |access-date=5 January 2020 |date=14 December 2019 |website=Daily Express |first=George |last=Simpson|url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1217310/Queen-Brian-May-Boris-Johnson-general-election-2019-Freddie-Mercury-Michael-Gove }}</ref> In 2021 May criticised Johnson for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it inadequate.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/brian-may-boris-johnson-covid-b1898230.html |title=Brian May attacks Boris Johnson over handling of Covid pandemic: 'At every point, he did too little, too late' |work=The Independent |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |date=7 August 2021 |access-date=23 August 2021 }}</ref> In the lead up to the [[2019 Okinawan referendum]] on [[Relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma#Henoko Bay plan|landfill work at Henoko Bay]] for the expansion of the base in Okinawa, Japan, May advocated voting in opposition to the landfill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190107/p2a/00m/0na/016000c|title=Queen guitarist May seeks signatures for petition against Okinawa base transfer work|first=Maki|last=Nakajima|work=[[Mainichi Shimbun]]|date=7 January 2019|access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref> ===Animal welfare=== In 2010, May formed an animal welfare organisation [[Save Me (animal welfare)|Save Me]] (named after the [[Save Me (Queen song)|May-written Queen song]]). It campaigns for the protection of wild animals with a particular emphasis on preventing hunting of foxes and the culling of badgers. May has commented that "to this day, nobody has been able to prove a mechanism for the transfer of [[Mycobacterium bovis|bTB]] from badger to cow" and has suggested that culling badgers has no benefit.<ref name="animal welfare">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jul/12/badger-cull-wales-brian-may | location=London | work=[[The Guardian]] | title=Kill the cull, not the badgers | first=Brian | last=May | date=12 July 2010 | access-date=11 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426073000/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jul/12/badger-cull-wales-brian-may?showallcomments=true#start-of-comments | archive-date=26 April 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> The group's primary concern is to ensure that the [[Hunting Act 2004]] and other laws protecting animals are retained in situ.<ref name="save-me.org.uk"/> In an interview in September 2010 with [[Stephen Sackur]] for the BBC's ''[[HARDtalk]]'' program, May said that he would rather be remembered for his animal welfare work than for his music or scientific work.<ref>HARDtalk {{YouTube|MZ4eeS5D8dc|"clip of May's interview"}}, [[BBC]], 22 September 2010.</ref> May is supporter of the [[International Fund for Animal Welfare]], the [[League Against Cruel Sports]], [[PETA UK]] and the Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue. In March 2012, May contributed the foreword to a target paper published by the think tank the [[Bow Group]], urging the government to reconsider its plans to cull thousands of badgers to control [[bovine TB]], stating that the findings of Labour's major badger culling trials, several years earlier, show that culling does not work. The paper was authored by Graham Godwin-Pearson with contributions by leading [[tuberculosis]] scientists, including [[John Krebs, Baron Krebs|Lord Krebs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bowgroup.org/content/bow-group-urges-government-scrap-badger-cull-plans |title=Bow Group urges the Government to Scrap Badger Cull plans |publisher=Bow Publishing |date=25 March 2012 |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428121850/http://www.bowgroup.org/content/bow-group-urges-government-scrap-badger-cull-plans |archive-date=28 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/mar/26/badger-cull-bovine-tb-cattle-vaccination |title=Badger Cull divides Tories |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=26 March 2012 |access-date=8 May 2012 |location=London |first=Patrick |last=Barkham |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827100729/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/mar/26/badger-cull-bovine-tb-cattle-vaccination |archive-date=27 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Tories-calling-badger-cull-scrapped/story-15704061-detail/story.html |title=Now even Tories are calling for the badger cull to be scrapped |work=[[Western Morning News]] |date=3 April 2012 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831003704/http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Tories-calling-badger-cull-scrapped/story-15704061-detail/story.html |archive-date=31 August 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> This prefaced his 2024 documentary, ''Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me,'' the culmination of a four-year investigation into whether badger culling is necessary for bovine TB prevention.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mangan |first=Lucy |date=23 August 2024 |title=Brian May: The Badgers, the Farmers and Me review – the Queen star could save so many animals' lives |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/aug/23/brian-may-the-badgers-the-farmers-and-me-review-the-queen-star-could-save-so-many-animals-lives |access-date=4 September 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In October 2010, May received an award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare in recognition of his animal welfare work.<ref>{{Cite web|year=2010|title=Queen guitarist Brian May recognised by animal charity|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11558588|website=BBC News|language=en-GB|archive-date=|archive-url=}}</ref> In May 2013, May teamed up with actor [[Brian Blessed]] and [[Flash animation|Flash]] cartoonist [[Jonti Picking|Jonti "Weebl" Picking]], as well as animal welfare groups including the [[RSPCA]], to form Team Badger, a "coalition of organisations that have teamed up to fight the planned cull of badgers".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teambadger.org.uk/about_teambadger.html |title=About TeamBadger |publisher=Teambadger.org.uk |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629142202/http://teambadger.org.uk/about_teambadger.html |archive-date=29 June 2014 }}</ref> With Weebl and Blessed, May recorded a single, "[[Save the Badger Badger Badger]]"—a [[Mashup (music)|mashup]] of Weebl's viral 2003 Flash cartoon [[Internet meme|meme]], "[[Badger Badger Badger]]", and Queen's "[[Flash (song)|Flash]]", featuring vocals by Blessed. On 1 September 2013, "Save the Badger Badger Badger" charted at No. 79 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 39 on the UK [[iTunes]] chart<ref name="digitalspy">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a511347/brian-mays-save-the-badger-badger-badger-song-climbs-itunes-chart.html|title=Brian May's 'Save the Badger Badger Badger' song climbs iTunes chart|website=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=2 September 2013|date=30 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902200043/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a511347/brian-mays-save-the-badger-badger-badger-song-climbs-itunes-chart.html|archive-date=2 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and No. 1 on the iTunes Rock chart.<ref name="theguardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/30/badger-protest-song-brian-may|title=Badger protest song by Brian May reaches charts|newspaper=[[Newsquest|The Guardian]]|access-date=2 September 2013|date=30 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901161808/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/30/badger-protest-song-brian-may|archive-date=1 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2013 naturalist Sir [[David Attenborough]] and rock guitarist [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] joined May to form a supergroup, Artful Badger and Friends, and released a song dedicated to badgers, "Badger Swagger".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jun/04/slash-david-attenborough-brian-may-badger-swagger | title=Slash and David Attenborough join Brian May in pro-badger supergroup | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=4 June 2013 | access-date=16 June 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827184207/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jun/04/slash-david-attenborough-brian-may-badger-swagger | archive-date=27 August 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> May is a former vice-president of the RSPCA. In September 2024, he resigned his position as vice-president after "damning evidence" emerged of animal welfare failings at [[RSPCA Assured]] farms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Prior |first1=Malcolm |title=Queen's Brian May quits RSPCA over its food welfare label |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy97y5y3wjo |website=[[BBC News]] |access-date=4 October 2024 |date=27 September 2024}}</ref> ===Stereophotography=== May has had a lifelong interest in collecting Victorian [[Stereoscopy|stereophotography]]. In 2009, with co-author Elena Vidal, he published his second book, ''A Village Lost and Found,''<ref name=lostandfound/> on the work of English stereophotography innovator T. R. Williams.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Village Preserved, Green and All: Brian May's Photographic Recovery |first=Randy |last=Kennedy |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 July 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/arts/design/24may.html |access-date=24 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111173250/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/arts/design/24may.html |archive-date=11 January 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was awarded The [[Royal Photographic Society]]'s Saxby Medal in 2012 for achievement in the field of three-dimensional imaging.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rps.org/annual-awards/Saxby-Award |title=Royal Photographic Society's Saxby Award Accessed 29 October 2012 |publisher=Rps.org |access-date=27 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231031111/http://www.rps.org/Annual-awards/Saxby-Award |archive-date=31 December 2013 }}</ref> May made a significant technical contribution to the book to accompany the exhibition 'Stereoscopic Photographs of Pablo Picasso by [[Robert Mouzillat]]', held at the [[Holburne Museum]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], England, from February to June 2014. The book provides photographs of Picasso in his studio, at a bullfight at [[Arles]], and in his garden. May's 3D Owl viewer is used to view the photographs in 3D. The purchase of his first card in 1973 started May on a lifelong and worldwide search for [[Les Diableries]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mojo4music.com/8322/brian-mays-visions-hell/|title=Brian May's Visions Of Hell|work=MOJO|date=31 October 2013 |access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826072331/http://www.mojo4music.com/8322/brian-mays-visions-hell/|archive-date=26 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> which are stereoscopic photographs depicting scenes of daily life in Hell. On 10 October 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.londonstereo.com/books.html|title=Retrieved 8 March 2014|publisher=Londonstereo.com|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811121552/http://www.londonstereo.com/books.html|archive-date=11 August 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> the book ''Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell'' by Brian May, Denis Pellerin and Paula Fleming was published.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10401890/Brian-May-theres-life-in-the-old-devil-yet.html|title=Brian May: there's life in the old devil yet|date=25 October 2013|work=The Telegraph|access-date=27 September 2014|last1=Middleton|first1=Christopher|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114230525/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10401890/Brian-May-theres-life-in-the-old-devil-yet.html|archive-date=14 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, May published ''Queen in 3-D'',<ref>{{Cite book|last=May|first=Brian|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1002896816|title=Queen in 3-D|date=2017|others=London Stereoscopic Company|isbn=978-0-9574246-8-5|location=[London, England]|oclc=1002896816}}</ref> chronicling the group's 50-year history. It contains over 300 of his own stereoscopic photos and is the first book about the band published by one of its members. Included with the book is May's patented OWL Stereoscopic Viewer.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kreps|first=Daniel|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-may-unveils-queen-history-in-expansive-3-d-photo-book-w491949|title=Brian May Unveils Queen History in Expansive 3-D Photo Book|date=12 July 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702064526/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-may-unveils-queen-history-in-expansive-3-d-photo-book-w491949|archive-date=2 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2021, May was awarded an honorary fellowship and Denis Pellerin was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Literature from the Royal Holloway College, University of London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/news/musician-dr-brian-may-cbe-is-made-an-honorary-fellow-and-photo-historian-denis-pellerin-made-an-honorary-doctor-by-royal-holloway/|title= Musician, Dr Brian May CBE is made an Honorary Fellow and photo-historian, Denis Pellerin made an Honorary Doctor by Royal Holloway|access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://brianmay.com/brian-news/2021/07/brian-hon-fellowship-royal-holloway-then-home-to-flood/|title=Brian Hon Fellowship Royal Holloway – then home to flood 13 July 2021|date=13 July 2021 |access-date=15 July 2024}}</ref> The conferred degrees recognised their work to preserve Victorian stereoscopy through the London Stereoscopic Company. It recognises their contribution to photography and preservation. ==Portrayal in film== In the 2018 biographical film [[Bohemian Rhapsody (film)|''Bohemian Rhapsody'']], he was portrayed by [[Gwilym Lee]].<ref>[https://deadline.com/2017/08/queen-movie-cast-ben-hardy-gwilym-lee-joe-mazzello-bohemian-rhapsody-1202153081/ Queen Pic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Finds Bandmates In Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee & Joe Mazzello] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115200628/https://deadline.com/2017/08/queen-movie-cast-ben-hardy-gwilym-lee-joe-mazzello-bohemian-rhapsody-1202153081/ |date=15 January 2019 }}. Retrieved 22 August 2017.</ref> May himself served as a creative and musical consultant for the film, and worked especially closely with Lee.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brian May says Rami Malek deserves Oscar nomination for turn as Freddie Mercury|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/brian-may-says-rami-malek-deserves-oscar-nomination-for-turn-as-freddie-mercury-37556576.html|access-date=14 January 2018|work=The Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210458/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/brian-may-says-rami-malek-deserves-oscar-nomination-for-turn-as-freddie-mercury-37556576.html|archive-date=14 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> ==Discography== '''With Queen''' {{Main|Queen discography}} {{div col|colwidth=35em}} * ''[[Queen (Queen album)|Queen]]'' (1973) * ''[[Queen II]]'' (1974) * ''[[Sheer Heart Attack]]'' (1974) * ''[[A Night at the Opera (Queen album)|A Night at the Opera]]'' (1975) * ''[[A Day at the Races (album)|A Day at the Races]]'' (1976) * ''[[News of the World (album)|News of the World]]'' (1977) * ''[[Jazz (Queen album)|Jazz]]'' (1978) * ''[[The Game (Queen album)|The Game]]'' (1980) * ''[[Flash Gordon (soundtrack)|Flash Gordon]]'' (1980) * ''[[Hot Space]]'' (1982) * ''[[The Works (Queen album)|The Works]]'' (1984) * ''[[A Kind of Magic]]'' (1986) * ''[[The Miracle (album)|The Miracle]]'' (1989) * ''[[Innuendo (album)|Innuendo]]'' (1991) * ''[[Made in Heaven]]'' (1995) * ''[[The Cosmos Rocks]]'' (as [[Queen + Paul Rodgers]]) (2008) {{div col end}} '''Solo discography''' {{Main|Brian May discography}} *''[[Back to the Light]]'' (1992) *''[[Another World (Brian May album)|Another World]]'' (1998) *''[[Furia (album)|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 (Kerry Ellis album)|Anthems]]'' (with [[Kerry Ellis]]) (2010) *''[[Acoustic by Candlelight]]'' (with Kerry Ellis) (2013) *''[[Golden Days (Brian May and Kerry Ellis)|Golden Days]]'' (with Kerry Ellis) (2017) *''We are One'' (with [[Jayce Lewis]]) (2018)<ref name="brianmay.com"/><ref name="queenonline.com"/> *"[[Blue on Black]]" (with [[Five Finger Death Punch]], [[Kenny Wayne Shepherd]], and [[Brantley Gilbert]]) (2019) *"[[Floating in Heaven]]" (single with [[Graham Gouldman]]) (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |first=Irwin |last=Corey |title=Hear Brian May's New Space-Inspired Song 'Floating in Heaven' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-may-floating-in-heaven/ |access-date=12 July 2022 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |date=12 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref> *"[[Fought & Lost]]" (single with [[Sam Ryder]]) (2023) ==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== *{{Wikiquote-inline}} *{{Commons category-inline}} *[https://www.heramission.space/team The ESA's Hera space mission members' list] *[https://neomapp.eu/team/ The EU Horizon 2020 NEO-MAPP project members' list] {{S-start}} {{s-aca}} {{S-bef|before=[[Cherie Blair]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University]]|years=2008–2013}} {{S-aft|after=Sir [[Brian Leveson]]}} {{s-end}} {{Brian May}} {{Navboxes |title= Articles related to Brian May |list = {{Queen}} {{Queen + Paul Rodgers}} {{Queen + Adam Lambert}} {{2001 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}} {{Chancellors of Liverpool John Moores University}} }} {{Portal bar|Biography|Music|Astronomy|Stars|Education|England}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:May, Brian}} [[Category:Brian May| ]] [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:20th-century English astronomers]] [[Category:20th-century English guitarists]] [[Category:20th-century English male singers]] [[Category:20th-century English singer-songwriters]] [[Category:21st-century British astronomers]] [[Category:21st-century English guitarists]] [[Category:21st-century English male singers]] [[Category:21st-century English singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Alumni of Imperial College London]] [[Category:British animal welfare workers]] [[Category:British astrophysicists]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:English agnostics]] [[Category:English heavy metal guitarists]] [[Category:English male guitarists]] [[Category:English male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English male writers]] [[Category:English multi-instrumentalists]] [[Category:English people of Scottish descent]] [[Category:English record producers]] [[Category:English rock guitarists]] [[Category:English rock keyboardists]] [[Category:English male rock singers]] [[Category:Hollywood Records artists]] [[Category:Ivor Novello Award winners]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:English lead guitarists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians awarded knighthoods]] [[Category:Musicians from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]] [[Category:People associated with Liverpool John Moores University]] [[Category:People educated at Hampton School]] [[Category:People from Hampton, London]] [[Category:Progressive rock guitarists]] [[Category:Queen (band) members]] [[Category:Queen + Adam Lambert members]] [[Category:Queen + Paul Rodgers members]] [[Category:Singers awarded knighthoods]] [[Category:People associated with Guns N' Roses]]
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