Brian May

Sir Brian Harold May is an English musician, astrophysicist, and animal welfare activist who achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen. Known for his distinctive sound created through layered guitar work and his home-built electric guitar, the Red Special, he co-founded Queen in 1970 alongside singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor.

Born on 19 July 1947 in Hampton Hill, Middlesex, May is the only child of Ruth Irving and Harold May. He attended Hanworth Road primary school and Hampton Grammar School, where he formed his first band, 1984, with Tim Staffell. After completing his secondary education, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics with honours from Imperial College London in 1968. Deciding to remain in London to continue playing music, he later completed his PhD in astrophysics at Imperial College in 2007.

May began his professional music career in 1968 by forming the progressive rock band Smile with Staffell and Taylor. After Staffell departed in 1970, Mercury joined to form Queen, with bass guitarist John Deacon completing the lineup in 1971. Queen achieved international stardom with their album A Night at the Opera and the single "Bohemian Rhapsody." May wrote numerous iconic songs for the band, including "We Will Rock You," "Fat Bottomed Girls," "I Want It All," "Save Me," and "The Show Must Go On." He also performed backing and occasional lead vocals on various tracks.

Following Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, May pursued solo projects and formed The Brian May Band, releasing solo studio albums such as Back to the Light in 1992 and Another World in 1998. He also contributed to Queen's final studio album, Made in Heaven, released in 1995. May later re-partnered with Taylor to tour under the Queen name, performing alongside vocalist Paul Rodgers from 2004 to 2009 and later with Adam Lambert beginning in 2011.

Throughout his musical career, May has contributed to numerous side projects, working with artists such as Eddie Van Halen, Steve Hackett, Anita Dobson—whom he married in 2000—Black Sabbath, and Guns N' Roses. He has been recognized in several publication polls as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. As a member of Queen, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

In addition to music, May has maintained an active career in science and activism. He served as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013, co-founded Asteroid Day, worked as a science team collaborator on NASA's New Horizons mission, and contributed to NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample collection mission. Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named in his honor. He is also a prominent animal welfare activist campaigning against fox hunting and badger culling in the UK. May was appointed a CBE in 2005 and was knighted by King Charles III in 2023 for his services to music and charity.