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IMDbPro

Brian May(II)

  • Actor
  • Music Department
  • Composer
IMDbProStarmeter
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Brian May
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer0:31
Queen: A Night in Bohemia (2016)
4 Videos
99+ Photos
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.
BornJuly 19, 1947
  • More at IMDbPro
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BornJuly 19, 1947
IMDbProStarmeter
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  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award

Photos134

Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Roger Taylor, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Roger Taylor, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May, Freddie Mercury, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May, John Deacon, and Queen in Queen: Live at the Rainbow (1992)
Brian May in Summiting the Solar System Part 2: Approaching Ultima (2018)
Brian May and Queen in Queen Live at Wembley '86 (1986)
Brian May and Queen in Queen Live at Wembley '86 (1986)

Known for

Brian Blessed, Max von Sydow, and Sam J. Jones in Flash Gordon (1980)
Flash Gordon
6.5
  • Music Department(additional music, uncredited)
  • 1980
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody
7.9
  • Music Department
  • 2018
Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Moulin Rouge!
7.6
  • Soundtrack("The Show Must Go On")
  • 2001
John Cusack and Minnie Driver in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Grosse Pointe Blank
7.3
  • Soundtrack("Under Pressure")
  • 1997

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Andy and the Band (2020)
    Andy and the Band
  • Bohemian Rhapsody Experience (2016)
    Bohemian Rhapsody Experience
  • Queen and Adam Lambert in Queen & Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live (2015)
    Queen & Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live
  • Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik in BBC Music: God Only Knows (2014)
    BBC Music: God Only Knows
  • Band Aid 20: Do They Know It's Christmas? (2004)
    Band Aid 20: Do They Know It's Christmas?
  • Zucchero Feat. Vanessa Carlton: Indaco dagli occhi dal cielo
  • Roger Taylor, Brian May, Abz Love, J. Brown, Sean Conlon, Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Queen, and Five in Five + Queen: We Will Rock You (2000)
    Five + Queen: We Will Rock You
  • Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith in Alas Smith & Jones (1984)
    Alas Smith & Jones
  • Queen: No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young) (1998)
    Queen: No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)
  • Queen: You Don't Fool Me (1996)
    Queen: You Don't Fool Me
    • (singing voice, as Queen)
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
    The Adventures of Pinocchio
    • (voice)
  • George Michael and Queen in Queen & George Michael: Somebody to Love (1992)
    Queen & George Michael: Somebody to Love
  • Queen: These Are the Days of Our Lives (1991)
    Queen: These Are the Days of Our Lives
  • Queen: Headlong (1991)
    Queen: Headlong
  • Hale & Pace: The Stonk (1991)
    Hale & Pace: The Stonk

Music Department

  • Marching Mustangs: Queen Medley
  • The Oscars (2019)
    The Oscars
  • The Dream Quest: 'Frog Dreaming' Shooting Locations Revisited (2018)
    The Dream Quest: 'Frog Dreaming' Shooting Locations Revisited
  • Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
    Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Queen + Adam Lambert: VR the Champions (2017)
    Queen + Adam Lambert: VR the Champions
  • Poster design by Jon Pink. All rights with Films United Ltd.
    51 Degrees North
  • The Spit, the Stunts, the Sex, the Gore: Behind the Scenes of 'Patrick' (2014)
    The Spit, the Stunts, the Sex, the Gore: Behind the Scenes of 'Patrick'
  • The Alps (2007)
    The Alps
  • Picture Gallery on Angel Street
    • (uncredited)
  • L.A. Guns: Tie Your Mother Down
  • Fun at the Funeral Parlour (2001)
    Fun at the Funeral Parlour
  • Rise 2: Resurrection (1996)
    Rise 2: Resurrection
  • Queen: You Don't Fool Me (1996)
    Queen: You Don't Fool Me
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)
    The Adventures of Pinocchio
  • Rise of the Robots (1994)
    Rise of the Robots

Composer

  • Queen: Face It Alone (2022)
    Queen: Face It Alone
  • Queen: Face It Alone (Lyric Version) (2022)
    Queen: Face It Alone (Lyric Version)
  • Marching Mustangs: Queen Medley
  • Caroline Cossey Let Me Live (2019)
    Caroline Cossey Let Me Live
  • Loving the Alien: A Tribute to Philip Sayer
  • Queen: A Night in Bohemia (2016)
    Queen: A Night in Bohemia
  • Poster design by Jon Pink. All rights with Films United Ltd.
    51 Degrees North
  • One Night in Hell (2014)
    One Night in Hell
  • Brian May and Kerry Ellis in Brian May & Kerry Ellis: The Candlelight concerts - Live at Montreux 2013 (2014)
    Brian May & Kerry Ellis: The Candlelight concerts - Live at Montreux 2013
  • The Stretch (2000)
    The Stretch
  • Furia (1999)
    Furia
  • Queen: No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young) (1998)
    Queen: No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)
    • (music by)
  • Sarah Brightman: Who Wants to Live Forever
  • Dune: Who Wants to Live Forever (1996)
    Dune: Who Wants to Live Forever
  • Queen: Mother Love (1996)
    Queen: Mother Love
    • (music by)
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos4

IMDbrief: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' & the Top 5 Music Biopics
Clip 2:15
IMDbrief: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' & the Top 5 Music Biopics
'Bohemian Rhapsody' ... So Far: Fast Facts on the Queen Biopic
Clip 1:20
'Bohemian Rhapsody' ... So Far: Fast Facts on the Queen Biopic
Official Trailer
Trailer 0:48
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 0:31
Official Trailer

Personal details

Edit
    • Official Site
    • July 19, 1947
    • Hampton, Middlesex, England, UK
    • Anita DobsonNovember 18, 2000 - present
  • Other works
    Also released some solo albums. In 1983 he made the mini-album "Star Fleet Project" with Van Halen among others. Other May-albums are "Back to the Light" (1992), "Live at the Brixton Academy" (1993), "Another World" (1998) and he also worked on "Furia" in 2000 (an album with music for a French movie). He had hits with "Too Much Love Will Kill You", "Driven By You" and "Back To The Light".
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Biographical Movie
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Portrayal
    • 8 Interviews
    • 2 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    After more than 30 years lapsed since first starting doctoral studies, he earned his doctorate from Imperial College London in astrophysics after a successful thesis defense on August 23, 2007. The thesis is entitled, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud".
  • Quotes
    I wanted to do an album on [paradoxes]. The band told me I was a pretentious fart. They were right.
    • Plays his guitar (the Red Special) with a sixpence coin

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