Guitarist of the legendary Queen. Brian May - amazing facts of life You will sing yourself

Brian May(Brian May) - legendary guitarist of the band QUEEN, whose guitar playing was business card group as much as Freddie Mercury's vocals ( Freddie Mercury). Many believed that on the first albums the musicians used synthesizers - Brian's guitar sounded so diverse. How did he achieve such a unique sound? That's what his guitar sounds like whole orchestra from different instruments, then with the effect of a three-voice unison. Where did this extraordinary guitar come from?

B Ryan Harold May was born on July 19, 1947 in Hampton, Middlesex, England. At the age of five he began learning to play the piano and banjo. However, Brian soon switched to the guitar, which seemed to him a more expressive and “yielding” instrument. For his seventh birthday, he received an acoustic guitar as a gift, but the new instrument was too big for his childish fingers. Then Brian started reworking it to suit himself and give it an electric sound. He put pickups on it and played through a homemade amplifier. Some time passed, and Brian was no longer satisfied with playing an acoustic guitar with pickups; he dreamed of a Fender Stratocaster, but his family could not afford it. So Brian decided to make his own guitar, calling on his father to help.

Both had experience working in wood and metal, and Brian also had a penchant for physics. Brian decided that if he was going to make his own guitar, it should completely satisfy him in every way. "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 could never understand why people settled on 22... "

His guitar, called the Red Special, took two years to complete. Two years of experimenting with sound and form. The neck was made from a piece of mahogany wood cut from a 200-year-old fireplace beam, the body was made from solid oak, the tuning heads were made from old mother-of-pearl buttons, and the metal parts were made from parts from an old motorcycle. The cost of all these materials was only £8. After much experimentation, Brian realized that instead of a standard pick, it was more convenient for him to play with an ordinary English six-pence coin. “I feel like it gives me closer contact with the strings and more control over them when playing.” This coin has been out of circulation since the early 70s. But in 1993, the Royal Mint agreed to print coins with Brian's image so that he could continue to use them as a pick. The Red Special is featured on almost all of QUEEN's studio hits, and Brian still prefers to use his fireplace guitar in the studio and live.

Sometimes Brian picked up other guitars - a Fender Telecaster for the song "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", an acoustic twelve-string for "Love Of My Life" and "Is This The World We Created?.."; sometimes played branded copies of his guitar and other electric guitars.

And yet, the matter did not end with the production of Red Special. Brian was not satisfied with the sound of any amplifier. "I had an exact idea of ​​what I wanted my guitar to sound like, but I could never quite achieve it. I was lucky that, thanks to my father, I knew roughly what was going on inside these amps. I wanted the amp to sound clean and expressive on low tones and the individual notes sounded less like distortion and more like a violin. I tried a friend's Vox AC30 one day and knew it was it from the moment I got it home and plugged it in. what love! Soon I bought another Vox AC30, and then another, and as the size of the room where we performed grew, so did the number of amplifiers. Of course, in very large rooms we used monitors, making do only. one amplifier." The band's bass player John Deacon helped Brian perfect the Vox AC30. Brian still uses these amps today.

Meanwhile, Brian, while studying music, did not even think about neglecting his studies. He entered the Faculty of Astrophysics at Imperial College, won a scholarship and completed his studies with flying colors. But, having received a degree in physics, he did not stop. Brian began to specialize in the field infrared radiation in astronomy. His second passion after music was astronomy, and he kept it “in reserve.” Later, when asked what he would be doing now if he had not met the members of QUEEN, he will say that he would be an astronomer. But a different fate awaited him.

We can say that Brian is the founder of the group QUEEN, although the name was invented by Freddie Mercury. Brian was invited to other groups, but he never betrayed his “Queen”. In addition to QUEEN, he played in the group "1984" and "Smile", which featured another member of the future QUEEN - Roger Taylor. Brian May is the author of such hits as "Keep Yourself Alive", "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Save Me", "Who Wants To Live Forever". The idea to write the songs "I Can't Live With You", "I Want It All" and "The Show Must Go On" also came to his mind.

Despite the flow of energy emanating from him on stage, in life Brian May is most often a serious, slightly sentimental and vulnerable person. He did not always get along with the extravagant lead singer and handsome drummer of the group. Several times, due to these conflicts, the group's existence was called into question. But respect for each other and love for music kept them together.

When QUEEN disbanded following the tragic death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Brian began his solo career. True, back in 1983 he recorded an album with other famous musicians - “Star Fleet Project”. Other works include the album "Back To The Light" (1992), "Live At The Brixton Academy" (1994) and the latest album in 1998 - "Another World". This album contains a lot different material: from the rather heavy "Cyborg" to the lyrical ballads "Why Don't We Try Again" and "Another World". Soon after the release of the album, Brian May went on a world tour, during which he visited Russia for the first time. "We wanted to go to Russia in the 80s, when QUEEN still existed, but they didn’t let us in. Elton John and Cliff Richard had already performed there, and we were too wild a group for them." And in November 1998, Brian May and his band performed in St. Petersburg and Moscow. He was accompanied on tour by no less famous musicians: Eric Singer (Kiss), James Moses (Duran Duran), Neil Murray (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake). The folk group "White Day" played as a warm-up act and amazed everyone with their performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" on balalaikas and harmonicas. In addition to songs from the new album, Brian also performs famous QUEEN songs. In an interview after the concerts, Brian said that he was amazed by the warmth of his reception by Russian QUEEN fans.

Brian recently recorded the soundtrack for the film Pinnochio. He is no stranger to the classics; he wrote the music for the play Macbeth based on Shakespeare. Although the guitar is his favorite instrument, Brian, like the rest of QUEEN, can play the piano and keyboards. Brian once said, "I love playing the guitar. I sometimes start doing something else, go away from it a little, but then I think, 'God, I can't live without the guitar,' and I go back to the guitar. It's my favorite instrument." .

Brian, there are rumors about a new Queen album...

We thought there was nothing left like that. But then a few things came up and even I was surprised that they survived. These are unfinished entries. With new technologies we can complete them without Freddie, as we already did on the Made in Heaven album. We hope to release it before the end of the year.

Will you sing yourself?

What from Queen's days do you miss most?

Well, definitely not touring nine months a year... I still feel like a member of the family that Queen was for all of us. There is no substitute for this. And, of course, I miss Freddie himself. It was like I had lost my own brother.

How was the real Freddie Mercury different from the one we imagine him to be?

From the outside it might seem that he is frivolous and has his head in the clouds. But he was very collected and specific, always formulated his thoughts very clearly, separating what was important to him and what was not. This sometimes seemed not very polite. If at the wrong moment someone came up to him and asked “Can I have an autograph?”, Freddie could say: “No, you can’t.” And if he was very busy, he could put it even stronger: “Fuck off, darling.” And many people reacted like this: “Wow! Freddie Mercury himself told me “Fuck off”! Great!" I remember we were supposed to play South America, there were a quarter of a million viewers. And before the concert, the interviewer asked him: “What is it like to perform in front of such a huge audience?” Freddie replied: “I don’t know, we haven’t performed yet,” which made us laugh a lot.

You wrote half of Queen's hits, but to the average person, Queen is Freddie. Isn't it offensive?

No. Freddie was the face of the group and it was a conscious decision between us. I myself came up with the design of the cover of the first disc, and if you remember, we are not there, only him in the spotlight.

Brian, you're not your typical rock star: an astronomer, no drugs, no alcohol, no hooliganism.

Perhaps it's true, I'm not exactly typical. Although we were all atypical in our own way. But no one has ever come to me and said, “Why didn’t you trash the hotel room? You're a rock star! Yes, we did fun parties, but the issue of alcoholism and drug addiction was not on our agenda.

Hero's hit list

Hobby: old stereo photos

Drink: Guinness beer

Actor: Clint Eastwood

We're still blown away by your performance with George Michael at the Freddie tribute. Have you ever thought about inviting him to perform with you?

We are very Good friends with George, and he's a great singer, but we're too different musically and stylistically. So the answer is: no. In addition, he has his own career, which he is unlikely to want to give up.

How do you feel when they sing your We Will Rock You at the stadium?

I am very proud... And I always smile, and maybe also blush a little. At such moments I feel that the music can sink into human soul much deeper than is commonly thought about the songs that are played on the radio.

So, Brian, tell us what we can expect from your concert with Kerry Ellis? Is this for your fans, Queen fans or just music lovers?

I think this is for both, and for others, and for others. Our performances with Kerry are not like Queen concerts, although we will perform many songs from the Queen repertoire. This is something intimate, free and changing from time to time. It's like it's happening at home in the living room: we're interacting with the audience, candles are burning, Kerry is singing, and I'm playing guitar and a little bit of keys. In this context, old songs take on unexpected new power. There will be not only acoustics, a little electricity too.

It is clear what to expect from Brian May in Moscow. What does Brian May expect from Moscow?

Since childhood, Red Square has been a symbol of enemy territory for all of us, something very frightening. And now, being on Red Square and feeling the warm attitude of people towards me, I still feel some kind of mystery. And this applies to all of Moscow. Over the years, Moscow has become Europeanized, but I wouldn’t want it to lose this mystique.

You've gotten comfortable in the new digital world: you blog, you're on Twitter...

I have to! Maybe this was easy for me, because, as you know, I am also an astrophysicist and scientist. I communicate a lot virtually, although during Queen’s time I had little contact with the world, I didn’t even respond to fan letters - I thought I didn’t have time for that. And now I write a tweet and dozens of people answer me, and I answer them. I am involved in charity work, animal rights, and without the Internet I simply would not be able to conduct this activity.

Brian Harold May was born on July 19, 1947, in Hampton, London. He attended the local Hampton School and graduated in Physics and Mathematics from Imperial College. May named his first band, Nineteen Eighty-Four, after George Orwell's novel of the same name.

The next musical group, Smile, appeared in 1968. In addition to Brian, the band was represented by Tim Staffell, and later by Roger Taylor, also a member of Queen. The legendary Queen formed in 1970: with Freddie Mercury, pianist and lead vocalist; May, guitarist and vocalist; John Deacon, bass guitarist; and Roger Taylor, drummer and vocalist.

Brian wrote international hits for Queen such as "We Will Rock You", "Fat Bottomed Girls", "Who Wants To Live Forever", "I Want It All" and "The Show Must Go On", as well as such iconic compositions , like “Save Me”, “Hammer to Fall”, “Brighton Rock”, “The Prophet’s Song”, etc. As a rule, most of the songs from Queen albums were written by either Mercury or May.

After Mercury's death in 1991, May voluntarily came to a clinic in Arizona. He explains his decision: "I considered myself sick, completely sick. I was exhausted and in pieces. I fell into a deep depression. I was consumed by a sense of loss." Determined to cope with his pain, Brian tried to fulfill himself as best he could, including finishing his solo album"Back to the Light" and went on a promotional tour. The guitarist often noted that he considered creativity “the only form of independent therapy.”

At the end of 1992, The Brian May Band was officially created, which on February 23, 1993, with a renewed lineup, went on a world tour - both as a headliner and as an opening act for Guns N "Roses. In December 1993, May returned to the studio, where he worked with Roger Taylor and John Deacon on the tracks included in "Made In Heaven", the final studio album Queen.

May received an honorary Doctor of Science degree in November 2002 from the University of Hertfordshire. The musician took part in the BBC program "Sky at night", hosted by Brian's longtime friend, English astronomer Patrick Moore. Friends, co-authored with Chris Lintott, released the book “Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe”.

In 2007, Brian completed his dissertation in astrophysics and successfully passed the oral exam. On April 14, 2008, May became rector of Liverpool John Moores University, where he remained until March 2013. The musician was awarded the Armenian Order of Honor in 2009, and the following year received an award International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW) for their contributions to animal welfare.

April 18, 2011 Lady Gaga ( Lady Gaga) confirmed that May will play guitar on her track "You and I" from the album "Born This Way". In June 2011, Brian performed in Tenerife with the German band Tangerine Dream at the Starmus festival, organized in honor of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first space flight.

Best of the day

In August 2012, Queen performed at the closing ceremony Olympic Games in London. May played a solo segment of "Brighton Rock" before joining Taylor and Jessie J for their timeless hit "We Will Rock You."

The very first musical instrument The one Brian learned to play was the banjolele that appears in the song "Bring Back That Leroy Brown" by Queen. For "Good Company," May used a ukulele that he bought in Hawaii. The musician also used other strings, such as a harp, and bass instruments in recording tracks (for some demos, solo works and albums from the Queen + Paul Rodgers project).

Although Queen's main pianist remained Freddie Mercury, May occasionally served as keyboardist, including on the songs "Save Me", "Who Wants To Live Forever" and "Save Me". Since 1979, Brian has played synthesizers, organ (tracks "Let Me Live" and "Wedding March") and programmable drum machines - both for Queen and for third-party projects, his own and others.

May is an excellent vocalist. From Queen II to Queen's The Game, Brian was always the lead vocalist for at least one song. He was the composer, along with Lee Holdridg, of the mini-opera Il Colosso for Steve Barron's 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. This opera was performed by May together with Jerry Hadley and Sissel Kyrkjebo.

From 1974 to 1988, Brian was married to Chrissie Mullen. The couple had three children: James (better known as Jimmy), Louise and Emily Root. Brian and Chrissie's divorce was made public by British tabloid newspapers. The media claimed that the musician had an affair with actress Anita Dobson, whom he met in 1986. Dobson and May formalized their relationship on November 18, 2000.

Brian stated in an interview that he suffered from severe depression in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The condition was so serious that the Queen guitarist considered solving his problems by committing suicide. May's peace of mind was shaken by problems in his first marriage; a painful feeling that he is unable to properly fulfill the duties of a father and husband; absence touring activities, as well as the death of his father Harold and the illness and death of Freddie Mercury.

Throughout its entire May's life collects stereo photographs from the Victorian era.

The asteroid 52665 Brianmay and the dragonfly Heteragrion brianmayi are named after the musician.

A 2012 Guitar World reader poll ranked May second on its list of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Brian Harold May Born July 19, 1947 in the UK (Hampton, Middlesex). His musical education started quite early. When Brian was five years old, his parents enrolled the boy in music school in piano class. 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, played 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 form 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.

For 30 years musical career Brian May has earned himself a place of honor in the world history of rock. 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 " The 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 held by The Brian May Band as a support group for Guns'n'Roses. Soon Brian went on tour with his The Brian May Band again, 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 the cult film "Highlander", and in 1996, operas were written 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. Solo career Brian's album saw 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 last 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 in charity concerts, which are aimed at solving various global problems modernity.

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 Lady Gaga’s album “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

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. The new group was named Smile. They performed in London pubs and educational institutions and acquired their own fans.

Slime left in 1970 Tim Staffel, and took his place Freddie Mercury . 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 became 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 disbanded in 1991, Brian May pursued a solo career. His album " BackToTheLidht"was released in 1992 and had big 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).