Biography
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Born
19 July 1947 (age 77)
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Born In
Hampton, Richmond upon Thames, London, England, United Kingdom
There are at least two artists with the name Brian May.
1) Brian Harold May was born on July 19, 1947, in Feltham, England. He is best known as the guitarist for the English rock band Queen. Within the band, he introduced multi-layered guitar harmonies, often performed on his custom-built guitar known as the "Red Special." In 2002, he played "God Save the Queen" on the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
May has also released solo material, including the albums "Back to the Light" and "Another World," and composed the soundtrack for the film "Furia." He has collaborated with various artists, including Paul Rodgers, Ian Hunter, and Eddie Van Halen.
In addition to his music career, May is an astrophysicist. He earned a doctorate in astrophysics, completing a thesis he began in the 1970s prior to Queen's rise to fame. In 2006, he co-authored the book "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe" with Sir Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, which has been translated into several languages.
In the 2000s, May toured with Queen & Paul Rodgers alongside fellow Queen member Roger Taylor. This collaboration resulted in three live albums: "Return of the Champions" (2005), "Super Live in Japan" (2006), and "Live in Ukraine" (2009), as well as the studio album "The Cosmos Rocks" (2008). The group later disbanded amicably, although future collaborations remain possible. In 2010, May was also involved in non-musical projects, including a potential film adaptation of the musical "We Will Rock You."
2) Brian May, born in Adelaide in 1934 and unrelated to Brian Harold May of Queen, was an Australian composer known for his work in film scores. He studied piano, violin, and conducting at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide. In 1957, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where he founded the ABC Adelaide Big Band. He later moved to Melbourne in 1970 to lead the ABC’s Melbourne Show Band.
May became prominent in the Australian film industry during a period of growth in international recognition. He composed scores for several films, including "Mad Max," "The Road Warrior (Mad Max II)," "Race for the Yankee Zephyr," "Road Games," "Cloak and Dagger," "Death Before Dishonor," "Missing in Action 2," "Sky Pirates," "Steel Dawn," "Dr. Giggles," "Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare," and "Blindside." He won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Score for "Mad Max" and received other honors, including a Golden Award from the Australian Performing Rights Association.
May continued composing until 1993 and created music for more than 30 films and numerous television programs, often orchestrating his own work. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 63.
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