Residing amongst the premier league of unrivalled guitar virtuosos, it would be a gross understatement to remark that Brian Harold May CBE DSc is a truly gifted individual. Born in Hampton, Middlesex on July 19th 1947, Brian May forged a huge reputation for himself as the guitarist with international heavyweights QUEEN. Meticulously crafting pseudo-orchestral guitar harmonies, as brilliantly witnessed in the seminal 'Bohemian Rhapsody', a tune immediately distinguishable to an entire generation, most of this man's signature tunes were diligently committed to audio tape courtesy of the custom 'Red Special', a studiously handmade construction made in poignant collaboration with his father. In visible yet fitting contrast to the impromptu live flamboyance of late QUEEN vocalist Freddie Mercury, the iconic portrait of him in casual jeans while smoothly strutting the 'Red Special' will go down in the annals of fondly recited rocklore.

For the budding musician, the financial costs of purchasing a regular production line guitar proved too high, not to mention musically dissatisfying, so during August 1963, Brian, in a documented collaboration with his electrical engineer father Harold, commenced work on a proposed custom made guitar. Now known to fans globally as the uniquely distinctive 'Red Special', its adopted moniker eventually generated due to its concluding adjustments - its entire anatomy became wholly entrenched in a mahogany lamination, smeared a profound brick-red tainting and then ultimately painted in Rustin's plastic coating, wound up through binding pooled from readily accessible shelf edging.

Despite heavy activity on the QUEEN front during 1977, BRIAN MAY did manage to session for Birmingham Heavy Metal band QUARTZ. The guitarist laid down tracks on the song 'Circles' alongside BLACK SABBATH men TONY IOMMI and OZZY OSBOURNE. Quite incredibly the track was left off the album only appearing as an afterthought B side.

In taking time out from QUEEN in 1983, May gained back some of the credibility he had perhaps lost through QUEEN's increasing flirtation with Pop music by not only appearing with DEF LEPPARD as an onstage guest but also produced the HEAVY PETTIN' album 'Lettin' Loose'.

More importantly, Brian recorded material in Los Angeles with another legendary guitarist, Eddie Van Halen no less. Other musicians on the sessions that would become known as the STAR FLEET PROJECT included REO SPEEDWAGON drummer Alan Gratzer, former HEADSTONE and ROD STEWART bassist Phil Chen and keyboardist Fred Mandel.

Brian May would then flirt with further solo work when he issued a single ('Talking Of Love') in 1987 featuring a lead vocal from 'Eastenders' TV soap star Anita Dobson, who was quickly to become his wife. However, amongst May's other non QUEEN accomplishments, the production work he undertook on Spoof Metal troupe BAD NEWS' debut album the same year does not (perhaps intentionally) rank amongst his best ...

A high profile union that excited fans would be a solo spot on BLACK SABBATH's 'Headless Cross' offering, May being included on the epic 'When Death Calls'. The guitarist offered the track 'Who Wants To Live Forever' from the movie 'Highlander' to the school act IAN MEESON & BELINDA GHILETT in 1989 for a single on EMI. May then featured guest guitar on the D-ROK album, 'Oblivion', released by Warhammer Records in 1990. This latter donation was by way of a barter, May's son receiving a glut of Games Workshop fantasy figures in exchange for May's contributions.

In 1991 May scored an impressive hit with the single 'Driven By You', which had been given added promotion impetus by it's heavy usage in the Ford TV commercials for which it was originally written. The same year May aided the PHENOMENA project on the 'Phenomena III: Inner Vision' album. The 'Driven By You' track would then take its place amongst a collection of new songs recorded for Brian's first real solo album, 'Back To The Light' in 1992. May also guested on BLACK SABBATH vocalist TONY MARTIN's 1992 solo album 'Back Where I Belong'.

A live set would follow in 1993, recorded at the Brixton Academy in South London. May's band for these dates including the veteran CARMINE APPICE on drums. Slash of GUNS N' ROSES fame also guested at the Brixton Academy show.

May's second solo album proper, 'Another World', had guests drummers COZY POWELL and the FOO FIGHTERS Taylor Hawkins, MOTT THE HOOPLE's Ian Hunter and ex-WHITESNAKE bassist Neil Murray.

The B side to his 1998 single 'FBI', a cover of the SHADOWS tune, saw May battling guitars with STATUS QUO's Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi. May put in a guest appearance on the 2000 'Aura' album by ASIA. The guitarist put in a public appearance alongside LED ZEPPELIN's JIMMY PAGE as panel judge for the 'UK Riffathon' in March of 2004. Held at the University of Surrey, by coincidence the venue for LED ZEPPELIN's first ever British gig in October of 1968, ten guitarists, winners of nationwide heats, were put through their paces to determine the winner. 14-year old Tommy Hubbard walked away with the prize, a £5,000 Gibson guitar.

In June 2005 the guitarist was granted a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the music industry. Brian May participated in a world record breaker with an act of charity later that year. In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster Canadian Rocker BRYAN ADAMS initiated the signing of a white Fender Stratocaster guitar by a host of guitar legends and Rock stars. Amongst the fellow signees would be LED ZEPPELIN's JIMMY PAGE, Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, TONY IOMMI of BLACK SABBATH, Ritchie Blackmore of RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE, members of DEF LEPPARD, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards from the ROLLING STONES, ERIC CLAPTON, DAVID GILMOUR, JEFF BECK, Pete Townshend of THE WHO, Mark Knopfler, Ray Davies, Liam and Noel Gallagher of OASIS, Paul McCartney, Sting, and BRYAN ADAMS himself. Quite incredibly the instrument was auctioned in November for a staggering $1.6 million dollars, proceeds of which went to the 'Reach Out To Asia' foundation.

Following QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS appearance at May 2006 'VH1 Rock Honors' show, May went into the studio with MEAT LOAF to lay down guitar tracks on a song 'Bad For Good' included on the 'Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose' opus.