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- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Brian May is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential, innovative, technically gifted and recognisable guitarists in the history of rock. He is also a prolific songwriter, responsible for writing or co-writing many international hits with Queen. He was educated at Hampton Grammar School in London. He then graduated with a degree in Maths and Physics from one of Britain's top universities, Imperial College London.
As a child, May built his own guitar with his father, partly out of an old fireplace. Unusually, the guitar was designed to feedback. He formed the band Smile while at university with drummer Roger Taylor. They were later joined by flamboyant singer and pianist Freddie Mercury, who renamed the band Queen. The addition of bass player John Deacon completed the line-up of a band which would go on to become one of the most successful in the history of popular music. May's guitar playing would become an integral part of Queen's sound.
May was influenced as a guitarist by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, who had dazzled audiences with their technical skills and volume, but he was also an admirer of the melodic skills of George Harrison of The Beatles and the original British rock and roll guitar hero, Hank B. Marvin of The Shadows.
What made May stand out as a guitarist was his combination of virtuoso technique but also melodic awareness. Unlike some virtuosos, who only play to showcase their ability, May always played to serve the songs. If a song only required minimal soloing, that's all he would do. His multi-tracking of guitar solos has also made him one of the most unique sounding guitarists in the world. Nowhere was this better exemplified than on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", the song which came to define the band more than any other and has become one of the most celebrated recordings in the history of rock music. May's solos are a big part of what gives the track its enduring appeal and emotional power.
May's legacy in music history is assured. He will be remembered along with the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as one of the most important and influential guitarists to come out of England. His songs for Queen were often their harder rock tracks, such as "We Will Rock You", "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Hammer to Fall", but he also wrote emotional songs such as "Save Me" and the symphonic "Who Wants to Live Forever", which proved his versatility as a songwriter.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Brian May rates highly as one of the best film music composers in the history of Australian cinema. May's scores are distinguished by their full, rich and supremely melodic orchestration. Brian was born on July 28, 1934 in Adelaide, South Australia. He studied as a pianist, violinist and conductor at the Adelaide Elder Conservatorium. May joined the ABC Adelaide in 1957 so he could form and conduct the well-regarded ensemble the ABC Adelaide Big Band. At age 35 Brian moved to Melbourne to become the conductor and arranger of the ABC's Melbourne Show band. Brian began his career providing the themes for such TV programs as "Bellbird," "Countdown," and "New Wave" prior to breaking into the movie business. His score for the dramatic series "Rush" in particular is considered one of his finest musical accomplishments. Brian achieved his greatest commercial success with the thrilling and powerful scores for the first two "Mad Max" futuristic science fiction action features, supplying raw, potent and thunderous music which added immensely to the on-screen drama and excitement. May deservedly received an Australian Film Institute Award for his outstanding work on "Mad Max." His scores for "Roadgames," "Mad Max 2," and "Frog Dreaming" were also nominated for Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Score. Brian collaborated on four pictures with director Richard Franklin: ""The True Story of Eskimo Nell," "Patrick," "Roadgames," and "Cloak & Dagger." (Franklin originally wanted to work with May again on "Psycho II," but wound up ultimately using Jerry Goldsmith instead.) Moreover, Brian provided the music for a handful of movies made by producer Anthony I. Ginnane: "Patrick," "Snapshot," "Harlequin," "The Survivor," "The Race for the Yankee Zephyr," and "Turkey Shoot." May composed the chillingly effective scores for the horror films "Nightmares," "Blood Moon," "Dr. Giggles," and "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare." Brian May died at age 62 from a heart attack on April 25, 1997.- Producer
- Production Manager
- Location Management
Brian True-May is known for Midsomer Murders (1997), Ultimate Force (2002) and The Broker's Man (1997).- Producer
- Additional Crew
Brian is a Canadian indie film producer attached to over 57 film projects (36 IMDb listed as of Dec. 2023) of varied genres with creators from Great Britain, Australia, U.S. and Canada. A complete list of his credits are compiled on his website.
In recent years, Brian has focused his interests and funding to specifically support, encourage and empower female-identifying BIPOC filmmakers and creatives to tell emotional, thought-provoking, female-driven stories of inclusion, self-reliance, acceptance and understanding. His most rewarding film projects have propelled further discussion after leaving the theatre, or in the classroom.
Having been interested in television media from a very young age, Brian excelled in Grade 12 Film Arts, being one of only two class students to receive a special Certificate of Proficiency from Peterborough, Ontario's Crestwood Secondary School in 1974. It was at that point that he entered the television broadcasting field, where he obtained a lifetime wealth of knowledge and experience spanning an over 48 year career path of control room and studio environments involving video editing, graphics, directing, copy writing, program promotion, and social media/web publishing. In 2018, five years before he left broadcast production, that Brian began privately funding indie films.
In his time away from indie film endeavors, Brian enjoys landscaping and gardening projects while vibing to his curated Pop/House/EDM/R&B music playlists on his 3/4 acre property located in rural Ontario, Canada. As the weather permits, Brian embarks on sunset bike rides through the neighboring rural countryside, which he photographs and shares on some of his social media feeds to the delight of some of his regular followers.
Brian is based in Cavan Monaghan, Ontario, Canada. (Approximately 100 kilometres north east of Toronto.)- Actor
- Director
- Editor
Brian May is an American actor and filmmaker who hails from New Jersey. When filmmaking, he frequently experiments within the short film format as a manageable means of honing directorial craft & playing with tone through writing, genre, etc. He often performs in and edits his own movies. Brian has had films play at festivals in New York City, New Jersey, Toronto, and Paris.- Sound Department
Brian May is known for Foursquare Day (2010).- Brian May is known for Club 3DO: Station Invasion (1994).
- Sound Department
Brian May is known for One Last Box (2015).- Additional Crew
Brian May is known for The Chaser's War on Everything (2006), Catalyst (2001) and Gruen Planet (2011).- Additional Crew
Brian May is known for Littlemore (2001).- Brian May is known for The Day After Stonewall Died (2013).
- Visual Effects
- Music Department
Brian May is known for The Fusion: Being Physically Spiritual, Spiritually Physical (2016) and Beauty Kills (2019).- Additional Crew
Brian May is known for The Trouble with St Mary's (2011).- Brian May is known for The Caregiver (2009).
- Editorial Department
- Sound Department
- Art Department
Brian May Gibson is known for Vice (2013).- Soundtrack
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Brian May is known for Do Not Disturb (2011), George & Brad Live Long and Prosper (2013) and I Owe My Life to Corbin Bleu (2010).