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Brian May Facts & Worksheets

Brian May was one of the key persons responsible for the fame and success of the rock band Queen

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Brian May was one of the key persons responsible for the fame and success of the rock band Queen. They produced several worldwide famous songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “I Want To Break Free,” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

See the fact file below for more information on Brian May or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Brian May worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Life

  • Brian May was born in Hampton Hill, Twickenham, in London, on July 19, 1947.
  • He was an only child of Ruth Irving and Harold May, a draftsman at the Ministry of Aviation.
  • He went to Hanworth Road state primary school and attended Hampton Grammar School after he got a scholarship.
  • He went to Imperial College London to pursue a degree in Physics and Mathematics and graduated with honors in 1968.
  • After graduating, Sir Bernard Lovell personally invited him to work at Jodrell Bank Observatory while taking his doctorate program.
  • He preferred staying at Imperial College as he didn’t want to part from his band, Smile, to which he belonged during that time.
  • Brian May was also an active supporter of animal rights, a vegetarian, and disliked smoking.
  • In May 2010, he established the group Save Me, which aimed to protect animals from cruelty and emphasized stopping fox hunting and badger culling.
  • After joining the 2020 Veganuary challenge, Brian May decided to become a vegan.
  • In one of his interviews, he mentioned that instead of being remembered as someone who makes music or his scientific works, he would want to be remembered for his contribution to animal rights.
  • He married Christine Mullen in 1974 and had three children, James, Louisa, and Emily Ruth.
  • Their relationship lasted until 1988.
  • Through interviews, he mentioned that he had suffered from depression during the late 1980s to early 1990s due to his tough first marriage, being a failed husband and father, and his father and friend’s death. 
  • He also mentioned that he even had suicidal thoughts.
  • In 1986, he met Anita Dobson, the actress he eventually married on November 18, 2000.
  • Brian May is a Victorian stereo photograph collector and has co-authored books with this content, such as “A Village Lost and Found,” “Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell,” and “Queen in 3-D.”

Brain May and His Musical Career

  • In 1968, May established the band Smile, which included singer and bassist Tim Staffell. Later, drummer Roger Taylor (who went on to play with Queen) joined, but they disbanded in 1970.
  • The band continued its musical activities with Freddie Bulsara, a friend of Tim Staffell, replacing him as the lead vocal of the group and recruiting Mike Grose, Roger Taylor’s friend, as bassist.
  • With the suggestion of Freddie Bulsara, who was later on called Freddie Mercury, they changed the name of the band to Queen.
  • Their bassist, Mike Grose, left the group and was replaced by Barry Mitchell and Doug Bogie consecutively.
  • Eventually, they recruited John Deacon, a talented bassist and a good fit for the band. 
  • Brian May was the guitarist and a backing vocalist of the band.
  • He also wrote and composed various songs for the band, like “We Will Rock You,” “Save Me,” “I Want It All,” and “The Show Must Go On.”
  • In 1989, Queen released “The Miracle,” an album credited to the whole band.
  • Brian May personally composed the songs “I Want It All” and “Scandal” included in this album.
  • On their next album, “Innuendo,” he composed and arranged most of the songs.
  • The songs “Headlong” and “I Can’t Live With You,” originally for his solo album, became a project for Queen.
  • He also supervised the remastering of the band’s albums.
  • In 1983, the band had different solo projects. 
  • Brian May made a mini-album, “Star Fleet Project,” when he was in the studio with Eddie Van Halen, which was initially not meant for release.
  • He also collaborated and played for other artists, such as Steve Hackett, Anita Dobson, and Black Sabbath.
  • Soon after the revelation by Freddie Mercury about his AIDS status, he died on November 24, 1991, due to bronchial pneumonia, which was a complication of his illness.
  • To cope with the loss, Brian May kept himself busy with work.
  • He released his first solo album, “Back to the Light,” which featured the popular song “Too Much Love Will Kill You,” and he also performed on worldwide tours.
  • Later, a version of the song that included Freddie Mercury’s voice was released and earned the Ivor Novello Award for 1996’s Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
  • As part of his solo activities, he formed the Brian May Band in late 1992. In 1993 he took it on tour to the US.
  • The tour also included venues in North America, Europe, and Japan, and they completed their tour performances in December 1993.
  • Brian May immediately returned to the studio to make their last album entitled “Made in Heaven,” together with the remaining members, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
  • During 1995, Brian May continued performing in films, on TV projects, collaborations, and worked on his new solo album, “Heroes,” which contained covers.
  • The death of one of The Brian May Band members had an impact on the world tour that was about to take place.
  • They recruited Steve Ferrone on short notice to record the drum tracks and he joined them on the early dates of the tour.
  • Brian May’s projects flourished as he was able to make more TV shows, collaborations, tours, and various performances. 
  • He was active as a soloist and a member of Queen together with Roger Taylor.
  • The music influences of Brian May include Cliff Richard and the Shadows, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Hackett, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton.
  • His musical abilities and skills in playing the guitar were highly acknowledged by other artists such as Rory Gallagher and Steve Hackett.
  • In 2005, he was appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II because of his contribution to the music scene and his notable charity works.

Brian May, an Astrophysicist

  • Before he left his doctoral studies to focus on his music career, Brian May co-authored two peer-reviewed research papers on his observations at the Teide Observatory.
  • He continued his Ph.D. in October 2006, submitted his thesis in August 2007, and a month later his revised thesis entitled “A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud” was approved.
  • He was finally awarded his Ph.D. in astrophysics on May 14, 2008, at the Royal Albert Hall.
  • It took him a long time to finish his Ph.D. due to his popularity and busy schedule.
  • In 2007, he co-authored books such as “Bang – The Complete History of the Universe and The Cosmic Tourist.”
  • Brian May also appeared on programs as a guest, such as “The Sky at Night” and BBC’s “Stargazing Live.”
  • For his contribution in astronomy and services to science, John Moores University appointed him their Chancellor.
  • In June 2008, an asteroid was named after him, and in 2014 he also co-established Asteroid Day intending to spread awareness globally about asteroids and ways of protecting the planet.
  • Brian May was introduced as a science team collaborator in the New Horizons Pluto flyby NASA press conference at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab held on July 17, 2015.
  • Another award he was given in 2019 was the Lawrence J. Burpee Medal for his contributions to geography.

Brian May Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Brian May across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Brian May who was one of the key persons responsible for the fame and success of the rock band Queen.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Brian May Facts
  • Connection
  • Gossip
  • Interview
  • Solo Albums
  • Queen
  • Singing Pictures
  • The Brian Songs
  • Collaborations
  • Famous Songs
  • The Influences

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brian May really a doctor?

Yes, Brian May is a founding member of Queen, as well as a Doctor in Astrophysics. He has also produced and starred in many shows, 3-D stereoscopic photographic authority, and is an outspoken animal rights activist.

What is Brian May’s guitar called?

Brian May and his father Harold created the Red Special electric guitar in Brian’s teen years, the early 1960s. The instrument is also known as The Fireplace or Old Lady by May.

What tuning did Brian May use?

May changes guitars during a regular show. For Fat Bottomed Girls, he plays a Red Special replica that is green and was built by Guyton, who is a British luthier.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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