HIS TONE IS unmistakable, his solos are breathtaking and his influence is boundless. Even if somehow, some way, you’ve managed to make it this far without knowing his name, undoubtedly, Brian May’s music — most likely with Queen — has been a part of your life. With his trusty, self-built Red Special guitar in hand and a sixpence pick between his fingers, May — beside Freddie Mercury, his partner in crime — charged through soaring guitar solos and melodic riffs soaked through cuts like “We Will Rock You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Hammer to Fall.”
Mercury has been gone since 1991, but that hasn’t stopped May from championing the music that Queen created. Since 2011, he’s toured the world as Queen + Adam Lambert with Queen’s original drummer, Roger Taylor, plus vocalist Adam Lambert, the 2009 American Idol runner-up who was tasked with upholding a legacy that was impossible to replicate.
“Freddie would love it,” May says. “I often wish Freddie was around and could share the joy of putting these shows together. But Freddie is with us; he makes little appearances in the shows. So he’s always in there, and I think it should be that way.
He’s part of what we built together all those years and will always be massively important.”
Having just finished another slate of mega-shows, you’d assume May would opt for some downtime, but in February — to the surprise of many — he turned up at the grand opening of the Gibson Garage London (aka, “The Ultimate Guitar Experience,” a place where visitors can “try out a guitar, take a lesson, learn about Gibson’s history or see a live show”). Why, you ask? At the very least, for some hobnobbing with fellow legends Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi; beyond that, we do know May will have a new Gibson coming out in early 2025 — but we’ll just have to wait for the details.
Anyway, mega-tours, top-notch hobnobbing and Gibson collaborations are great, but after more than 50 years in the business, the thing that really brings a smile to May’s face is family. “I’ve just had a Red Special made for a dear relative,” he says. “When I got it and I opened the box, I thought, ‘Oh, geez, I really don’t want to give this away. I want to keep this.’ But I will give it away. I don’t think I’m ruining the surprise by saying this, but my grandson said he wanted a Brian May guitar for his birthday. He knew the exact specifications he wanted, so I got our guys to make him something super special.
“He’s taken the bit between his teeth and really wants
