Brian May - amazing facts of life. Brian May - guitars and equipment

It turns out that Brian Harold May is not only outstanding musician. He is an astrophysicist. After graduating from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Imperial College London, he published several scientific articles in astronomy. Moreover, I received academic degree Doctor of Science, defending his dissertation on a topic related to astronomical research in the infrared range. True, Brian succeeded in this only 30 years after writing it - his musical career had not previously allowed it.

“When music called me in the early 70s, I could not help but respond,” the musician recalled in an interview. – It’s as if a sixth sense gave a hint, and intuition did not disappoint. After all, if I had not used this opportunity then, this door would have closed forever. Therefore, I am sure that by abandoning astronomy in favor of music, I made the right choice.” But May’s decision to return to science and complete her dissertation was just as correct. “Having accomplished this, I experienced great relief,” he shared his feelings. “I’m very pleased that I was able to bring a job started many years ago to completion.”

Rector of the University of Liverpool. John Moores Brian Harold May. Photo: Josh Parry/LJMU

In 2008, for May's outstanding achievements in astrophysics, asteroid No. 52665, Brianmay, was named in his honor. In the same year, Mr. May took up the position of Rector of the University of Liverpool. John Moores and remained there for more than 5 years. To this day, he is a research astronomer and continues to conduct scientific activities in the field of mathematics and theoretical physics. He co-authored a book: “ Big bang! Full story Universe." Brian also has a lifelong passion for historical stereo photography and has amassed a substantial collection.

Guitar made of mother-of-pearl buttons

The first children's guitar Brian May Received it as a birthday present when I was 7 years old. By this time, he already knew how to play the ukulele quite well, following his father’s example. And at the age of 16 the guy had a real acoustic guitar. There was no money in the family to buy a decent instrument, so future musician Together with his father (Harold was an electronics engineer by profession, and a jack of all trades at home), he designed it himself, by hand. As May recalled: “From all the junk lying around in Dad’s workshop.” That is: from an oak beam from an 18th-century fireplace, parts from an old wardrobe, motorcycle valves, a knife blade, and mother-of-pearl buttons. And pickups were made from magnets and wire stuck into my father’s homemade radio. The work lasted more than two years and cost the future musician only 8 pounds. This guitar, Red Special, remains Brian May's main instrument to this day and is heard more often than any other in Queen's hits.

Photo: twitter.com

Get paid by Brian May

Another “trick” of May is that instead of a pick, he uses a sixpence coin all his life, which he holds between his thumb and bent index finger. A particularly curious detail: in the early 1970s, such coins with jagged edges were withdrawn from circulation, but in 1993 the Royal Mint minted a special batch of them: personally Brian May with his image - in anticipation of the famous musician's solo tour.

Brian May Personalized Coin

About the high and eternal

In the Queen group, Brian May is taller than all the participants: his height is 188 centimeters. His innovative, unique guitar skills, combined with the exceptional vocals of Freddie Mercury, created a unique style famous rock band. At the same time, May is not only a composer and guitar virtuoso. He often performed as a keyboard player, played organ and synthesizers, and also performed as lead vocalist. In addition, Brian is a poet who has become the author of such brilliant hit songs and ballads as: “We Will Rock You”, “The Show Must Go On", "Too Much Love Will Kill You", "Who Wants to Live Forever", "39", "Save Me", "Hammer To Fall..." and many others.

May also writes musical accompaniment for films, TV series and television projects. His filmography includes several dozen. By the way, “Queen” turned out to be the first rock band to author a soundtrack for a full-length film: it was the 1980s fantasy action adventure film “Flash Gordon” - about a total solar eclipse. In a surprising way, this picture was intertwined with another fantasy film - the cult “Highlander,” which was released six years later and laid the foundation for many sequels of the same name. The instrumental compositions for it were written by Michael Kamen, and the songs were again written by the group Queen.

Queen group. Photo: East News

Director Russell Mulcahy asked musicians to write the soundtrack for his Highlander. The band members watched the 40-minute version of the film, and Brian May was most strong impression produced a scene in which main character, the immortal Connor MacLeod, holds a mortal woman in his arms - his dying wife. Already on the way home, the composer began sketching the future hit “Who Wants to Live Forever,” which was heard not only in the film - in that very episode, but later in different parts television series "Highlander".

Recalling this trip, May told British journalists: “I heard this composition in my head, and then, in the car, it was almost finished. My manager, to whom I sang it when he brought me home, was very surprised. He asked, “Where did that come from?”, and I answered, “I don’t even know...” A remarkable detail: the title of this symphonic ballad was taken by Brian from the movie “Flash Gordon.” And one more interesting point: In Highlander the song is sung by Freddie Mercury, but on the record May sings the first verse and a few lines from the third verse.

Great Depression

In the late 1980s, after the death of his father, with whom Brian was very close, and the beginning of divorce proceedings from his first wife, the musician fell into a deep depression. One day he openly admitted that he was contemplating suicide. A particularly acute mental crisis occurred in 1991, after the death of Freddie Mercury, which followed his incurable illness (AIDS). Realizing that he is unable to cope with his state of mind on his own, May went to a psychiatric clinic. Explaining his actions later, he said: “I felt completely sick - exhausted and torn to pieces... I grieved for a long time. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of irreparable loss... I had a complete breakdown..."

Brian did not try to get out of the psychological impasse with the help of drugs. Unlike many of his emotionally unbridled rock musician colleagues, May did not use drugs. “I never even smoked weed, although I inhaled a lot of smoke from others,” said the guitarist. And he commented on his position as follows: “I felt that under no circumstances should I become addicted to drugs. This is dangerous, especially during periods of depression when I lost emotional control over myself and my life.”

With Freddie Mercury. Photo: twitter.com

Peace, work, May!

The legendary guitarist leads a very restrained lifestyle: he does not eat meat at all, and occasionally eats fish. Among alcoholic drinks, he prefers Guinness beer and Baileys liqueur. Smoking is taboo (as opposed to my father, who was a heavy smoker). Not seen in promiscuous sexual relationships. Does not accept beach holiday. He is actively involved in charity work: he provides assistance to various foundations and makes considerable donations to various projects related to global problems. He especially ardently protects nature and animals, selflessly fights for their rights.

In an interview, Brian explained his position as follows: “In my youth, I didn’t really believe the “starlets” who said that they adore animals and fight for their rights. And now I’m doing it myself.” The musician actually goes to the authorities, collects signatures, and obtains audiences with high-ranking officials. “It takes a lot of nerves and strength,” May once admitted in an interview. - But when I return home in the evening and lie down on the sofa with a can of beer, I realize that the day was not lived in vain. Essentially, by advocating for animal rights, I do the same thing when I create something in music. And I also rejoice at success if it happens - no matter how pompous it may sound...”

In addition, May constantly participates in charity concerts. Recently, in the company of other legendary musicians: Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, and others, he recorded a video in support of people affected by the huge fire that broke out on June 14 in London in a 27-story residential building. All proceeds from sales and broadcasts will go to the victims and families of the victims.

Brian tied himself to family ties twice. In 1976, he married Chrissie Mullens. The marriage, which lasted 8 years, gave the musician three children: his son Jimmy (James) was born in ’78, three years later his daughter Louise was born, and five years later his second daughter, Emily Ruth.

With wife Anita Dobson and son Jimmy. Photo: twitter.com

With daughters Emily and Louise. Photo: twitter.com

For many years, May officially remained a bachelor, although since the early 90s he had been living in a civil marriage with actress Anita Dobson. And according to the tabloid media, he began dating her much earlier, while still married. In 2000, Anita became Brian's legal wife and remains so to this day.

With wife Anita Dobson. Photo: Global Look Press

From Brian May:

I have neither the desire nor the need to do anything for money. And I don’t need fame anymore - I’ve seen enough of it, I’m fed up with it and I’ve seen enough of what it can do to people. The question is, why am I doing so many different things? Only because I love it so much and I just can’t stop..."

Knowing that Queen's music has impacted the lives of people all over the world makes me happy. It's an honor for me.

In life you always need to take steps, but not small ones, but big ones. Because if you move in tiny steps or, which is really bad, don’t do anything at all, nothing in life will change. You will mark time, not developing, and years later you will regret that you wasted your time. This is my life philosophy.

Music and art bring people together better than anything else.
- In rock music, in order not to die out, you cannot repeat yourself. You need to look forward and be open to everything new. This is the only way to feel the fullness of life.

• He attended Hampton High School. Graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Imperial College London. He has a number of publications on astronomy, and also wrote a Ph.D. thesis and defended it only almost 40 years later, since the fame of the Queen group set aside the musician’s scientific career.
• I became interested in the guitar at the age of 7. In 1963, he began building his own guitar with his father. Money for a Fender Stratocaster young musician there wasn't, but that didn't stop Brian. I came across a beam from an 18th century fireplace and parts from an old wardrobe. Buttons and parts from an old motorcycle were also used. Two years later the product was ready. This is how the Red Special guitar was born, which cost the musician only 8 pounds.
• Brian said about the creation of his guitar: “I started with a classical spanish guitar and started experimenting to see how the sound changed. I didn't want my guitar to sound like a Fender. I also knew I wanted 24 frets, and I could never understand why people settled on 22."
• Brian May's musical career began in 1968. At first he was in the group Smile, which later became Queen.
• Brian May on the band's favorite album: "They were all important milestones our development. My personal favorite will always be Queen II because it was a huge leap forward...the biggest leap we've ever taken in our history. Suddenly we had the ability to control all the power and knowledge that we had accumulated, and we also had the money and time to use it.”
• Now I'm Here, We Will Rock You, Dragon Attack, I Want It All, God Save The Queen, Hammer To Fall and many other Queen songs were written by Brian May.
• His main instrument to this day is the Red Special, but the musician uses a number of other guitars during performances and in the studio: Gibson Flying V, Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Firebird and Ibanez JS. The guitarist's favorite amplifier is the Vox AC30.
• A sixpence coin instead of a pick - business card Brian May: “I feel like it gives me closer contact with the strings and more control over them when playing. I hold it loosely between my thumb and forefinger, with my index finger bent.” The coin was withdrawn from circulation in the early 1970s, but in 1993 the Royal Mint specially minted a batch of these coins for Brian May, featuring the guitarist himself.
• May on the main thing for a musician: “I believe that the job of a musician is to go everywhere, entertain people and tell the truth as you see it.”
• Brian is the most tall member Queen: His height is 188 cm.
• May on the activity: “I’m not one of those who sit on the beaches. I love creating, making things and solving problems. If I wasn't busy, it would be a disaster."
• Brian May about his gastronomic preferences: “Yes, I’m a vegetarian, but not a strict one. I don't eat meat at all and I hardly eat fish. Well, except for those cases when there is no choice... But I believe that we are all, one way or another, trying to take some kind of conscious position on this issue.”
• He loves Guinness beer and Baileys liqueur, but otherwise does not abuse alcohol, smoking or drugs. Leads a fairly restrained lifestyle.
• The musician is an ardent defender of wildlife, donates funds to various projects and helps foundations. Asteroid 52665 Brianmay was named in his honor in 2008.

Biography of Brian May / Brian May

Brian Harold May born July 19, 1947 in Hampton, a suburb of London. He began playing guitar at the age of seven, and at 15 he was rehearsing with amateur groups. Your famous guitar Red Special Brian May designed it himself with the help of his father. Oak boards from a 200-year-old fireplace, parts from an old motorcycle and mother-of-pearl buttons were used. Red Special took part in the recording of most of Queen's songs and faithfully serves her creator to this day.

Musical career of Brian May / Brian May

Brian May Graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of London Imperial College. In 1964, he organized a student group called " 1984 "in honor of the novel George Orwell. In 1968 the group broke up, and together with the vocalist and bassist Tim Staffel Brian May decided to assemble a new line-up. I responded to the ad Roger Taylor, dental student at Imperial College. New group was named Smile. They performed in London pubs and educational institutions and gained their own fans.

Slime left in 1970 Tim Staffel, and took his place Freddie Mercury. The updated group was renamed queen. It existed with unchanged composition until 1991.

Queen's first album was released in 1973, including four songs written by Brian May. World fame brought the musicians a second disc called queenII, and the album released in 1975 ANightAtTheOpera created a real sensation and is still considered one of the best albums of all times and peoples.

Brian May has written many of Queen's hits. He wrote the song " WeWillRockYou", which has become the anthem of many football clubs and has been repeatedly used in films and television. Brian May also owns the composition " Fat Bottomed Girls», « 39 », « Tie Your Mother Down», « Who Wants to Live Forever" And " I Want It All" He is also the author of the hit " ShowMustGoOn", which has become one of the most famous songs in rock music.

Brian May uses a sixpence piece as a pick. They went out of circulation in the late 70s, but in 1993, the Royal Mint released a small batch especially for the musician.

After Queen split in 1991, Brian May began solo career. His album " BackToTheLidht"was released in 1992 and was a great success. Later the disc " Resurrection", and as part of the album tour " AnotherWorld» Brian May visited Russia for the first time, giving concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Mid 2000s Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor decided to revive queen. They invited Paul Rogers, former soloist groups Free And Bad Company, and went on a world tour in 2005. In 2008, a new album was recorded entitled “ The Cosmos Rocks" Simultaneously with the release of the album, a world tour began, during which the musicians visited Kyiv and Moscow. In 2012 Brian May And Roger Taylor went on tour again, this time they were accompanied by American singer Adam Lambert, reality show finalist American Idol.

Brian May is the founder of the Save Me Foundation and has been working to protect animals from cruelty for many years. In particular, the musician opposes the repeal of the law prohibiting the “blood sport” of hunting foxes and other animals with dogs.

Personal life of Brian May / Brian May

The musician's first wife was Chrissie Mullens, their marriage lasted from 1976 to 1988. They have three children: Jimmy (1978), Louise (1981) and Emily Ruth (1987). In the early 90s, Brian May began dating an actress Anita Dobson, at the end of 2000 they legalized their relationship.

Brian May's solo discography

Star Fleet Project (1983).
Back To The Light (1992).
Resurrection (1994, released only in Japan).
Live At The Brixton Academy (1994).
Another World (1998).
Red Special (1998, released only in Japan).
Furia (2000).

Tell me, Brian, how did it happen that a serious guy, an astrophysics student, one day acquired an electric guitar, and then turned his self-indulgence into a profession?
I began to be interested in music and astronomy at the same time, around the age of eight. They got along well in me, so I can’t say that I left one hobby for another. West London, where I grew up, was a musical hotbed in the early sixties. Two members of the Yardbirds went to my school, and the Rolling Stones played once a week at a club in Richmond, a five-minute walk from my house.

And so one fine day you came up with the fateful idea of ​​making yourself a guitar.
No, buddy, I'm older than you think. I built my own guitar much earlier. I really liked the sound The group Shadows, which Cliff Richard started with, and I wanted to reproduce it on my instrument.

How did you meet Freddie Mercury?
Fred was friends with Tim Staffel, the guy who sang and played bass in my university band, Smile. We had a group of three: Tim, Roger Taylor and myself. They played prog rock, and they could easily stretch out five songs over three hours. Tim left us when he was invited to another team. After this, Freddie declared: “I will be your singer!” And we responded: “Oh, well?”

You just admitted that you didn’t immediately recognize Mercury as one of the sweetest breaths of rock music.
And so it was. He then worked in a clothing store in Kensington Market. When we met, Mercury started sticking his pom-poms in my face. Freddie was then studying to be a designer and most of time painted portraits of Jimi Hendrix. I still have a few of them lying around somewhere. Freddie was a pretty rough guy at the time. It was later that he turned into a refined connoisseur of beauty, and then he rushed around the room like a madman and shouted something all the time. Many people thought he was crazy, and we often asked ourselves the question: “Is he really the right guy for us?”

So when did your doubts disappear?
Freddie had several qualities that convinced me: his overflowing enthusiasm and amazing faith in himself and all of us. In addition, he enjoyed working on his mistakes: it was as if a strict teacher was sitting in his head, hitting him on the hands with a ruler every time. So Freddie was very easy to work with.

Is that why you merged so successfully into a single whole?
We're lucky. We got along well with each other and never quarreled on tour. In the studio it was the other way around: everyone stood their ground to the death. While working on the albums, everyone was constantly slamming the door and threatening to leave the group. We are all, contrary to popular belief, very modest and shy people, and Freddie was the shyest of all. Naturally, he fought this by portraying the Lord God on stage!

Do you think Freddie's penchant for theatrical effects was a function of his sexual orientation?
Freddie was an extremely colorful character, but for quite some time I had no idea that he was gay. He started taking men backstage already in the eighties. IN early years when traveling, he and I constantly shared hotel room, and at that time mostly girls stayed with us at night. Freddie had plenty of them, and many were hopelessly in love with him. Then we thought that Freddie, in modern terms, was a metrosexual. Clothes and hairstyles worried him first of all. Us, however, too, but Freddie would give anyone a head start in this matter.

Apart from your full head of hair, all other components of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle seem to have passed you by.
No, I bit off my piece of the threshold. But back in college, I decided to never take drugs, because I wanted to be sure that everything that happened to me was really happening. I value my spiritual subtlety. I'm very emotional person. Music blew my mind once and I don't need anything else. To this day, I have not tried a single drug. I'm also afraid of aspirin.

How about a drink?
Well, I won’t lie, I’ve drunk a couple of beers in my life, whatever. But I haven’t drunk before performances since 1974. We were playing a gig in an open field on a farm in Pennsylvania. Mott the Hoople opened for us, and the organizers couldn't decide who to release first - us or Aerosmith. While the trial is pending, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and I decided to have a glass - and ended up drinking a bottle. When I went on stage, for a long time I could not figure out why the first chord I played lasted ten minutes. In addition, the field stank of manure. I remember thinking at the time: “Brian, this is all wrong, let’s not do this again.”

After which success overtook you quickly and irrevocably.
We slept sweetly for many nights before waking up famous. On the eve of recording “A Night at the Opera,” the group almost broke up. We've already made a ton of money, but none of us have ever seen a penny. The situation was desperate. Freddie's piano was rented. Roger was told to save his drumsticks. All this disgrace continued until John Reed, Elton John's manager, bought out our contract and signed us to another label. After that everything went uphill.

And then “Bohemian Rhapsody” arrived very opportunely...
The success of “Rhapsody” made us very happy, but the main thing was the feeling of ecstasy in which we lived while working on it. I remember Freddie running into the studio with a bunch of pieces of paper (he stole them from his father from work), which he covered with notes, and then began to pound the keys madly. Freddie played the piano much like everyone else plays the drums. The song was full of holes, but Freddie said that here there would be a gorgeous operatic piece, and here there would be a powerful solo... He had already thought of everything in his head.

Punks hated Bohemian Rhapsody. How did you yourself perceive the advent of punk rock?
I didn't have any problems with him. When we were working on News of the World, The Sex Pistols were recording in the studio next door, and I was constantly talking about something in the hallway with Johnny Rotten. He turned out to be a very sane guy, completely devoted to his music. One day Sid Vicious came into our studio and said to Freddie: “Aren’t you the same guy who brings opera to the masses?” To which Freddie replied: “Yes, but you seem to be Simon Feroches or something like that!” In short, they got along. I honestly think Never Mind the Bullocks is one of the best rock albums of all time. The only thing I disagree with is the statement that there was no good rock music before punk. This is stupid: Never Mind the Bullocks is a classic mainstream rock album. Listen to the early ones The Who and The Rolling Stones. Punk rock was not a revolution, but an evolution.

By the end of the seventies, Queen had established a reputation as the kings of parties. People still remember the party in New Orleans in 1978 on the occasion of the release of your album “Jazz”. Well, there are transsexual strippers, midgets with trays of coke on their heads and all that.
When we came to New Orleans, there were always a lot of freaks hanging around us, so we decided to launch the disc there. Many memories of that party are, of course, exaggerated, but I will not debunk any myths. In fact, consider me, I was not at that party. You see, I'm an incurable romantic and that night I drove around New Orleans looking for the girl I fell in love with on one of my visits there. I didn’t find the girl then. Like this: no sex, no drugs, no rock and roll.

In June 2002, you performed “God Save the Queen” on guitar at the Queen’s jubilee on the roof of Buckingham Palace. What were you thinking at that moment?
It was very scary. Not because I was afraid of falling, but because it was impossible to make mistakes. During rehearsals, we never managed to play everything perfectly. Then, when we were about to go up to the roof, the doors of the old creaky elevator did not want to open. I had to go down and go up again - up the stairs. I remember walking through corridors lined with paintings by old masters and praying. Looks like my prayers have been answered. Everything went well on the roof. Now every time I drive past I get goosebumps.

When you think about Freddie Mercury now, what comes to mind first?
Where to start... I miss his sense of humor, the wild fire in his eyes, his incorrigible depravity. But above all, I miss the very fact of his presence in this world. I often have the same dream, which leaves me completely convinced that Freddie is still alive. Then I remember that this is not true, and then I feel really lonely.

Brian Harold May Born July 19, 1947 in the UK (Hampton, Middlesex). His music education started quite early. When Brian was five years old, his parents enrolled the boy in a music school to study piano. He hated these classes, since they took place on Saturdays, when ordinary children could play in peace. Brian's father was himself a capable musician and, in addition to the piano, could play the ukulele. He decided to teach his son the same thing when he was six years old. Brian really enjoyed learning to play the ukulele, so he wanted to have his own. He received the treasured instrument as a gift from his parents on his seventh birthday. The guitar turned out to be, unfortunately, too big and needed modification. With the help of his father, Brian managed to adjust the instrument to the tedious dimensions. Since the boy loved electric sound, he also made a sound pickup consisting of a copper wire wound around 3 small magnets.

Over time, Brian's interest in music increased, especially after he listened to records by the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. From time to time he tried to find the chords of their songs, gradually switching to a homemade solo. Gradually, he began to analyze and disassemble the songs like puzzles that he had to solve. Despite the fact that the boy hated the piano, he attended classes until he was 9 years old and until he passed the 4th level of theory and passed practical exams. At this point, Brian decided to stop taking piano lessons. From now on, since he had previously been forced to play, he began to get a bit of pleasure from the instrument.

Brian did not give up the guitar, but he felt that his instrument was inadequate to the music he was trying to imitate. Money was tight at the time, so Brian was unable to afford the new Les Paul or Stratocaster that many of his friends owned. However, the craftsmanship of Brian and his father came to the rescue: in 1963, they decided to build the guitar themselves to suit Brian's individual needs. Particular difficulties were caused by the selection and search of parts for the guitar. So the neck, for example, was hand-carved by Brian from an old mahogany mantelpiece. The deck had to be made partly from oak and whatever wood they could find. A button box was used for the frets. Problems were caused by homemade pickups that could not produce the desired sound. I had to purchase 3 pieces that were manually configured. The bridge was hand-cut from steel, and the tremolo system consisted of two motorcycle springs. Brian and his father created a true masterpiece - a guitar known as the Red Special.

In 1965, Brian graduated from school and soon began studying astronomy at Imperial College London. At the same time, Brian actively performed with a group called "1984", whose repertoire included everything from Snake Dancer. The group existed until 1968. However, soon Brian, along with Tim Steffel, vocalist and bassist of “1984”, decided to assemble a new line-up. According to the announcement, Roger Taylor came to them. In the same year, May composed her first melody. Later Freddie Mercury came to them, and the group was renamed Queen.

Over 30 years of musical career, Brian May has earned himself world history rock has a place of honor. Brian can be called one of the most successful producers and poets of his generation. The list of songs Bayan wrote along the way includes such hits as "Fat Bottomed Girls", "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down", "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "I Want It All". For his musical abilities, he is often called a virtuoso. To date, 22 compositions written by Brian May have been in the top 20 world charts.

In the summer of 1984, Guild Guitars released a copy of Brian's homemade guitar under the name "BHM1". Mei was directly involved in the entire production process. Unfortunately, however, in 1985, Guild Guitars and Brian had disagreements regarding the design of the instrument, so production of the BHM1 soon ceased.

In October 1991, Brian became the organizer of the rock part of the Seville festival "Guitar Legends". For performances he selected Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Satriani, Steve Way, Joe Welsh and many others. In April of the same year, an advertising agency in London asked Brian to write music for a Ford car advertisement. "Driven By You" proved so popular that it was released as a solo single by Brian on November 25th. This composition entered the top 10 of the British chart. In addition, for "Driven By You" Brian received an Ivor Novello award in the category " Best Music to advertising." In September 1992, Brian's long-awaited album "BACK TO THE LIGHT" was released. And throughout 1993, in support of his album, Brian gave a series of performances throughout the USA and Europe, including several concerts that were held by The Brian May Band as support group for Guns'n'Roses. Soon Brian went on tour again with his The Brian May Band, and in 1994 a video and audio version was released live album, which was recorded during a performance at Brixton Academy.

Plus, Brian is great at writing. musical accompaniments to films. Queen became the first to write a soundtrack for full-length film. It was a fantastic "Flash Gordon". In 1986, music was written for cult film"Highlander", and in 1996 - operas for the film "Pinnochio" by Steve Baron. Brian has also been involved in the world of theater: he wrote and performed the music for the Red and Gold Theater Company's Macbeth, which was staged at the Riverside Theater in London in 1987. Brian's solo career was marked by the release of two highly successful albums: Back To The Light in 1991, which included the Ivor Novello Award-winning songs "Too Much Love Will Kill You" and "Driven By You", and "Another World" in 1998. Over the years, Brian's songs have been a source of inspiration for many bands and performers. Def Leppard, Ted Nugent, George Michael, Five, Elaine Paige, Shirley Bassey and Metallica have recorded their versions of his songs.

One of Brian's latest musical achievements is the soundtrack to the art film "Furia" (France). In addition, Brian constantly collaborates with young artists. He also wrote the themes for the TV shows "Fun At The Funeral Parlour" and "The Scratch". IN recent years Brian released 3 collections under the series “The Best Air Guitar Album In The World”, which included his favorite things different groups. In addition, he contributed to the surround sound work on two Queen albums - "The Game" and "A Night At The Opera". Very often, Brian and Roger Taylor took part together in charity concerts that are aimed at solving various global problems of our time.

In November 2002, the University of Hertfordshire awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. As an “amateur professor,” he took part in the BBC program “Sky at night,” hosted by his longtime friend Patrick Moore. In co-authorship with the presenters of the program, he published a book: “Big Bang! The Complete History of the Universe." The publication was published in Russian in 2007. On April 14, 2008, he was appointed rector of Liverpool John Moores University. In 2011, Brian May took part in the recording of the track “You and I”, which was included on the singer’s album Lady Gaga"Born This Way"

Amplifiers

Vox AC30/6TB Top Boost Combo / 2x12

Guitars

Home-Made "Red Special" Electric Guitar

Guitar effects

Dunlop Original CryBaby Wah Pedal
Glen Fryer Treble Booster Brian May Model
Rocktron Midimate Foot Controller