<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar Player in Queen ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/tag/queen Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:36:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “What the heck is a demo?” How Sylvester Stallone accidentally created one of rock’s biggest hits ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/what-the-heck-is-a-demo-how-sylvester-stallone-accidentally-created-one-of-rocks-biggest-hits Nme2F4QTqSrCWRzmNWHuCg Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:36:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He could hardly stand, but he said ‘I’ll f***ing do it, darling!’” Brian May on Freddie Mercury’s most defiant recording ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/he-went-ill-f-ing-do-it-darling-brian-may-says-freddie-mercury-was-too-weak-to-stand-but-insisted-on-singing-the-show-must-go-on fiZ78RCaKaZqtifuFZsiq8 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:32:29 +0000 Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:54:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He said, ‘My dear, I just wrote this in the bath.’” Brian May on the chart-topping Queen hit Freddie Mercury composed while getting ready one morning ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/he-said-my-dear-i-just-wrote-this-in-the-bath-brian-may-on-the-chart-topping-queen-hit-freddie-mercury-composed-while-getting-ready-one-morning aLsGEGFT88YSWVpnARkvF6 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’m not going to be here long. Just give me stuff to sing.” Brian May on Freddie Mercury’s last days ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/im-not-going-to-be-here-long-just-give-me-stuff-to-sing-brian-may-on-freddie-mercurys-last-days PAvuTELhCK4YP3ESbfKjna Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:45:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Freddie said, 'No, no, no, no — it's a piano song!’” Freddie Mercury didn’t want a guitar solo. Brian May fought for it — and created one of Queen’s most celebrated moments on record ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/freddie-mercury-didnt-want-a-guitar-solo-brian-may-fought-for-it-and-created-one-of-queen-s-most-celebrated-moments-on-record p2EkPYyFcQFywEgGnwfkqF Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:05:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “America is a dangerous place at the moment.” Brian May says Queen will not perform in the U.S. “Everyone is thinking twice” ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/america-is-a-dangerous-place-at-the-moment-brian-may-says-queen-will-not-perform-in-the-u-s-everyone-is-thinking-twice Tusbq7ZESjbd8PLRDcsuRm Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:49:15 +0000 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:52:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “They are still being killed for years, so that’s the reason we’re missing out on it.” Brian May on the surprising reason Queen refuse to play one of summers’ most celebrated music festivals ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/they-are-still-being-killed-for-years-so-thats-the-reason-were-missing-out-on-it-brian-may-on-the-surprising-reason-queen-refuse-to-play-one-of-summers-most-celebrated-music-festivals gEURrLjrJcqD7HpD8YUEj Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Our initial sense was that it was very big-headed. We all looked at Fred and said, ‘Really?’”Brian May on Freddie Mercury and the mega-hit that changed Queen’s relationship with their audience ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/brian-may-on-freddie-mercury-and-we-are-the-champions 6hapUJCzjNQ6H843swcE9X Sat, 10 Jan 2026 16:19:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I let him tell me the whole story and then said, ‘Brian, that was me.’” How Steve Vai shocked Brian May by revealing their early 1970s encounter ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/steve-vais-full-circile-moment-with-brian-may pxirgApdTGtzwMMuH4FBnc Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:23:25 +0000 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:36:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s what’s keeping me going. That’s what's keeping me alive.” Queen guitarist Brian May gives an update on his health as he calls his stroke “a wake-up call” ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/queen-s-brian-may-gives-major-health-update dM2pcq75mgRjwbzs5G6hsD Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:14:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He was beyond belief. Nobody could play like that in those days.” Queen’s Brian May on the “fireball” guitarist who affected him like no other ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-on-the-fireball-guitarist-ritchie-blackmore QTQS2WgsAwnEtAmvpBUg4L Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:01:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “As soon as he did it, that was it — the place imploded.” Brian May on the time Freddie Mercury shocked Queen onstage — and stole the spotlight from the biggest show on Earth ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/brian-may-on-freddie-mercury-s-shocking-show-stealing-moment hjfRbdcwP9fAYFzaKjib6U Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:57:38 +0000 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:58:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s a bit mad, but it’s got everything in it” Brian May says Queen's biggest hit seemed like nothing out of the ordinary to him — until the fans went crazy for it ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-didnt-think-bohemian-rhapsody-was-special bhEMZcCAmJv3SDkHpFu958 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:17:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s one of the best rock songs ever.” Brian May says the spirit of Queen’s Freddie Mercury lives on in these modern glam rockers. Now he’s helped them remake their breakthrough hit ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-on-reworking-could-have-been-me-with-the-struts NytpKoxsAG7Yk7XtuBeELb Wed, 03 Sep 2025 18:31:59 +0000 Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:02:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He’s never forgiven me.” Brian May is still upset about the controversial B-side to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” single ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/music/albums-singles/hes-never-forgiven-me-roger-taylor-says-brian-may-is-still-upset-about-the-controversial-b-side-to-queens-bohemian-rhapsody-single bbdw5WtUdNHRW4k8UzFkNd Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:26:41 +0000 Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:29:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He’s pushing up the guitar more and more, and I’m going, ‘Freddie, are you not overdoing it?’” Brian May on why one of Queen’s most triumphant tracks didn’t need a guitar solo ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-on-why-we-are-the-champions-doesnt-have-a-guitar-solo yWZfpgt43rLsuNfuNkkGwP Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:57:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I thought, 'Oh, my God. This guy is doing everything that I was trying to do.' He just made me feel like I couldn't play.” Brian May on the mind-blowing difference between seeing Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix perform in the 1960s ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/i-thought-oh-my-god-this-guy-is-doing-everything-that-i-was-trying-to-do-he-just-made-me-feel-like-i-couldnt-play-brian-may-on-the-difference-between-seeing-eric-clapton-and-jimi-hendrix-perform-in-the-1960s LZzhGQi4FuHu3j9aVaRMfP Fri, 30 May 2025 12:47:53 +0000 Fri, 30 May 2025 15:34:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I always thought it has a strange, unique magic to it.” Brian May picks a deep Queen cut as his favorite — but it's never played live out of respect for Freddie Mercury ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-mays-favorite-queen-songs pAGXpZGiEQGbBpLefqkB35 Thu, 22 May 2025 14:30:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He always has a stack of older six-penny pieces he could rely on.” Why old coins proved the perfect guitar pick for Brian May ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-six-penny-guitar-picks WA3eMJbDbgqaBdCeJmbSQW Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:58:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Literally, a star is born. I have never, ever seen anything like that in my life." 11-year-old shredder Olly Pearson blows away the competition with his medley of AC/DC, Van Halen and Queen songs ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/literally-a-star-is-born-i-have-never-ever-seen-anything-like-that-in-my-life-11-year-old-shredder-olly-pearson-blows-away-the-competition-with-his-medley-of-ac-dc-van-halen-and-queen-songs P3UAJggZp2xNpLjuyriYzN Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:56:24 +0000 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:37:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ "I have a Mercury on the guitar now, which makes me very happy.” Brian May’s new signature Gibson SJ-200 features a subtle tribute to the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitars/acoustic-guitars/brian-may-gibson-sj-200-freddie-mercury-tribute qfDsiaSsPoUHB7WbKy6uHc Wed, 05 Mar 2025 21:33:49 +0000 Fri, 07 Mar 2025 17:20:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “This might just be the greatest recorded piece of guitar in the world. Ever.” Queen’s Brian May on Jeff Beck and the guitar tone that changed his life ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/brian-may-guitar-tone-jeff-beck AL9t24KFWkJNNXXk4ecakX Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:39:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ "They sort of appear as if they are out there in the air. The best ones do. But I don’t know how they get there." David Gilmour talks soloing in Guitar Player's guide to the Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/the-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time gviGFZB7g47jARwMjHQS8g Sun, 27 Oct 2024 18:09:56 +0000 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:24:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ "Please welcome Mr. Slash!" Watch Brian May and the Guns N' Roses guitarist jam Queen's “Tie Your Mother Down” on Jay Leno in 1993 ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/new/brian-may-jams-with-slash-jay-leno cXcBrt78NqZom8vCtRchUj Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:55:39 +0000 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:10:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When you would bend the strings across the fingerboard, the pickups would make this kind of rushing sound because the polepieces went north-south, north-south, north-south”: Brian May on the trials and tribulations of building the Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-building-the-red-special RcY7xF9Yft62NP3paUvgv7 Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:56:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “In the heat of the battle, all those tiny little peculiarities count, but there's one pedal that does a very good job of simulating my sound”: Brian May on the one pedal that has come close to nailing his sound ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-pedal-that-comes-close-to-nailing-his-sound ac8o9ufXQB5CGbTocb3pY7 Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:53:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s not out of the question... to have some made in the States would be wonderful”: Brian May is in talks with Gibson to produce new Red Special replicas ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-gibson-red-special 6cqWUgyosv5UnCJmeYQoy5 Tue, 11 Jun 2024 19:52:15 +0000 Tue, 11 Jun 2024 20:00:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He’d put his right hand onto a fret and make this beautiful singing sound... I said, ‘I’m going to nick that!’”: The guitarist who inspired Brian May’s tapping techniques reflects on pivotal chance meeting ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-rocky-athas-tapping b9twDZySNupCWpS5j8jxdQ Wed, 29 May 2024 15:48:10 +0000 Wed, 29 May 2024 21:05:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ One of the rarest and most sought-after Japanese-made Teiscos, the 1968 May Queen is a guitar designed for players, not just beginners ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/teisco-may-queen MPuXV3ciu9QwoFaEXMMGeY Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:17:35 +0000 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:10:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I Kind of Stole Ed...And That Wasn’t Something That Happened Very Often”: Brian May Expounds on Eddie Van Halen’s Role in the Fabled ‘Star Fleet Project’ ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/brian-may-star-fleet-project q34CkggEJbsCT8FPyqG5WX Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:34:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I Think We Might Look Back on 2023 as the Last Year When Humans Really Dominated the Music Scene”: Brian May Shares His Hopes and Fears About the Impact of AI ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-artificial-intelligence-star-fleet-project-interview-guitar-player-2023 hiWbnX5iAWQJG5wgZ8d62M Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:59:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ 50 Years Ago, Rock and Roll Experienced One of Its Greatest Years: Here’s Why ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/1973-albums nnhgLe7PfkoTKcQx2JjeYG Thu, 06 Jul 2023 17:59:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ Half a Century of Killer Guitar Tone and Now More Popular Than the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones on Spotify, Queen Are Still Delivering their Unique Kind of Magic ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/Queen-Brian-May-50th-anniversary-debut-album EnBRmx7auPvJM445qPZAna Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:36:32 +0000 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:10:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ The Ultimate Brian May Lead Guitar Lesson ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/the-ultimate-brian-may-lead-guitar-lesson STx96XawWsD7FhzRQZokiS Thu, 02 Feb 2023 14:50:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May: "When Queen Heard Led Zeppelin, We Thought, ‘Oh My God, This is Where We’re Trying to Get to, and They’re Already There!’" ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-when-queen-heard-led-zeppelin-we-thought-oh-my-god-this-is-where-were-trying-to-get-to-and-theyre-already-there U9Ni7F9KWJDxzQvz7aR5Wm Mon, 23 Jan 2023 20:18:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Arielle’s Freewheeling “’73” Music Video ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/watch-arielles-freewheeling-73-music-video YEWhACkUacEKbajNVRE6FH Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:58:59 +0000 Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:30:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “So Much of It Is in the Fingers, but the Guitar Is Still Your Closest Thing”: Brian May Talks Tone, Building the Red Special, Early Queen and More in This Unmissable Podcast ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/so-much-of-it-is-in-the-fingers-but-the-guitar-is-still-your-closest-thing-brian-may-talks-tone-building-the-red-special-early-queen-and-more-in-this-unmissable-podcast ifS4y5oFkf8k2Zgejb4Uvj Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:28:41 +0000 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:32:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ Listen to the Soft Boys’ “Queen of Eyes” – a Track That Helped Launch the Neo-Psychedelic Revolution ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/listen-to-the-soft-boys-queen-of-eyes-a-track-that-helped-launch-the-neo-psychedelic-revolution vM5SpjyrubaksDRideuJX9 Fri, 04 Nov 2022 20:30:41 +0000 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:10:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I Said I Would Like to, Effectively, Sing a Verse On The Guitar”: Brian May Reveals the Studio Secrets of His Legendary “Bohemian Rhapsody” Solo ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/i-said-i-would-like-to-effectively-sing-a-verse-on-the-guitar-brian-may-reveals-the-studio-secrets-of-his-legendary-bohemian-rhapsody-solo qU83gyhrBCWiZ4qYd5DkBN Tue, 28 Dec 2021 08:30:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May Reveals the Magic Behind His Recording Studio Wizardry ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/brian-may-reveals-the-magic-behind-his-recording-studio-wizardry nKtWB5EiiP4GmcnJ8AoyW9 Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:51:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ Guitar Tech to the Stars Warns Guitarists of Pitfalls ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/guitar-tech-to-the-stars-warns-guitarists-of-pitfalls WYrMuVpVMHoDRQz4sKmQKj Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:59:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ Nancy Wilson: My Career in 5 Songs ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/nancy-wilson-my-career-in-5-songs fMie75z5rKxW4o8BVhGU5f Fri, 24 Sep 2021 16:44:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May Says His Next Solo Album Might be Instrumental ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/brian-may-says-his-next-solo-album-might-be-instrumental WVE8EAZknq2qCDqdAFcJ9e Mon, 13 Sep 2021 20:07:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Brian May’s Remastered “Too Much Love Will Kill You” Official Music Video ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/watch-brian-mays-remastered-too-much-love-will-kill-you-official-music-video 7zHVXPXhtavJzu6Y9TfkLj Fri, 30 Jul 2021 14:36:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May: The Guitar Player Interview ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/brian-may-discusses-queens-back-catalogue-legacy-and-his-iconic-tone 8RdbZEkH347mzL4LbfH5XQ Mon, 19 Jul 2021 11:03:53 +0000 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:05:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Queen’s Historic “Bohemian Rhapsody” Live Aid Performance ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/watch-queens-historic-bohemian-rhapsody-live-aid-performance u7WyHZHwE8XrjGkwEqqKvX Tue, 13 Jul 2021 17:18:01 +0000 Sat, 17 Jul 2021 08:48:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May Reflects on 50 Years of Queen's Regal, Operatic, and Peerless Rock Sound ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/player/Queen-Brian-May QUaG9b9T4tE3TfSZhUgmig Mon, 28 Jun 2021 20:45:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ The 10 Most Underrated Queen Songs ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/the-10-most-underrated-queen-songs WuUB9UuqDuQCbyynHejhGh Fri, 25 Jun 2021 11:39:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ Arielle on Her Friendship With Brian May, Making an All-New Signature Guitar, and Following Her Own Star ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/features/arielle-analog-girl-in-a-digital-world uCqFrcEvrN5e3T87CKRgw6 Thu, 24 Jun 2021 09:07:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May Reflects on His Debut Solo Album, and How It Made Him Doubly In Awe of Freddie Mercury's Peerless Vocals ]]> https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/brian-may-reflects-on-his-debut-solo-album-and-how-it-made-him-doubly-in-awe-of-freddie-mercurys-peerless-vocals 5iLMzXvhE9L2APXsqCwDj6 Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:16:41 +0000