Brian May

Brian May是一位英国音乐家、天体物理学家和动物权利活动家，他最为人所知的身份是Queen乐队的首席吉他手和联合创始人。他独特的吉他音色、多层次的和声以及歌曲创作定义了摇滚史上最具标志性的乐队之一。他创作了Queen乐队的一些热门歌曲，包括《We Will Rock You》、《The Show Must Go On》和《Who Wants to Live Forever》。他拥有天体物理学博士学位，并为NASA的新视野号任务做出了贡献。2023年，May因其在音乐和慈善事业上的贡献而被授予爵士头衔。截至2026年，May在音乐和科学领域依然活跃，继续与Adam Lambert合作进行Queen巡演，并倡导动物福利。[编辑]

Brian Harold May于1947年7月19日出生在英国米德尔塞克斯郡汉普顿希尔。他的成长岁月在米德尔塞克斯郡汉普顿度过，在那里，他的科学好奇心得到了他担任电气工程师的父亲Harold的深刻培养。May从小就表现出非凡的学业天赋；年仅11岁时，他就获得了汉普顿文法学校的奖学金，并在物理和数学方面始终取得优异成绩。除了课堂学习，他还培养了对天文学的浓厚兴趣，致力于制造望远镜并积极参与当地的天文俱乐部。

为了获得能够发出他所设想的独特声音的吉他，年轻的Brian May，当时还是个青少年，开始了他与父亲一次非凡的合作。1963年，他们从零开始，一丝不苟地制造了他传奇的“Red Special”吉他。这件标志性的乐器巧妙地利用了随处可见的家用材料，包括壁炉的木制装饰和珍珠母纽扣。 “Red Special”很快成为他的标志性乐器，与定义他音乐生涯的独特音色紧密相连。在校期间，May积累了他的第一支乐队经验，组建了一个名为1984的乐队。

他后来继续深造，在伦敦帝国理工学院攻读物理学，并成功获得了理学学士学位。正是在1968年帝国理工学院学习期间，他与鼓手Roger Taylor共同创立了Smile乐队。Smile乐队在许多大学进行了演出，甚至获得了Mercury Records的录音机会，但尽管他们付出了努力和抱负，乐队最终未能取得重大的商业突破。随着Smile乐队的主唱Tim Staffell决定退出，情况发生了重大转变。这促使May和Taylor与极具魅力的主唱Freddie Mercury联手，这次合作对于1970年全球闻名的Queen乐队的成立起到了至关重要的作用。[编辑]

Queen乐队于1974年凭借《Killer Queen》取得突破，1975年的专辑《A Night at the Opera》收录了May的《39》和不朽名曲《Bohemian Rhapsody》。May为1977年的专辑《News of the World》创作了《We Will Rock You》，这首歌成为了全球体育场的圣歌。乐队1985年在Live Aid上的表演被认为是摇滚史上最伟大的现场演出之一。

在Freddie Mercury于1991年去世后，May发行了个人专辑《Back to the Light》（1992年）和《Another World》（1998年）。他于2007年完成了天体物理学博士学位，研究行星际尘埃。从2011年起，May与Adam Lambert以Queen + Adam Lambert的名义进行巡演，在全球范围内售罄各大场馆。May联合制作了2018年的电影《Bohemian Rhapsody》，该片获得了多项奥斯卡奖，并重新点燃了全球对Queen乐队作品的兴趣。[编辑]

Brian May被广泛认为是摇滚界最具特色的吉他手之一，他标志性的蓬松卷发、自制的Red Special吉他以及使用六便士硬币作为拨片，都让他辨识度极高。他的公众形象将摇滚明星的表演魅力与科学家的智慧融为一体，在采访中经常讨论天体物理学或动物权利。粉丝们钦佩他的谦逊以及对各种事业的奉献，从獾的扑杀到立体摄影。Queen乐队的粉丝，通常被称为“Queen fans”或“the Queen family”，以其充满激情的忠诚而闻名，尤其是在《Bohemian Rhapsody》电影上映之后。在社交媒体上，May直言不讳且善于互动，经常分享天文照片、政治评论和个人感悟。他的声音温和而深思熟虑，与他舞台上爆发的能量形成鲜明对比，赢得了跨世代的尊重。[编辑]

The collective identity surrounding Brian May is inextricably linked to the global Queen fandom, which lacks a singular, unique moniker for his individual following but operates with fierce loyalty to his multifaceted persona as both rock icon and scientist. This audience engages deeply with his dual legacy, participating in modern rituals that span from defending his ethical stances against artificial intelligence to celebrating his continued chart dominance without the full band lineup. While fans often refer to him as the "fifth member" of Queen, acknowledging his indispensable role in the band's sound and post-1991 legacy, their attention also fixates on specific cultural moments, such as his viral 2026 creation of a distorted album cover to critique generative AI or the humorous incident where his presence at a village planting event required safety interventions.

His standing in the global consciousness remains robust, reflected in recent authoritative tallies. According to the iFANN Global Fame Rankings, he holds the position of the 93rd most famous person from United Kingdom, a placement noted as holding steady from the previous cycle. Furthermore, within the specific domain of musical performance, he is ranked as the 62nd most famous person in Rock & Indie, maintaining this tier amidst a shifting landscape of industry figures. These metrics, derived from comprehensive tracking of media coverage and consumption signals worldwide, underscore his enduring relevance nearly six decades after forming his first group.[编辑]

Brian May employs a sixpence coin as a guitar pick, a choice that imparts a distinctive metallic attack to his playing style. His scientific contributions extend to NASA's New Horizons mission, where he provided stereoscopic imaging data to generate three-dimensional maps of Pluto. It took 36 years to complete his PhD thesis on zodiacal light, a project begun while he was still performing with Queen. He co-authored the astronomy book 'Bang! The Complete History of the Universe' alongside Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, and remains a lifelong vegetarian and vocal advocate for animal rights.

A core piece of lore among his followers is the story of Freddie Mercury's final days, specifically May's recollection of Mercury's plea during their last studio sessions: "I'm not going to be here long. Just give me stuff to sing." This narrative is treated as sacred folklore, illustrating the profound bond between the two men. Another legend involves his 2026 reaction to AI technology, where he generated a deliberately hideous version of Queen's 'The Game' album cover to mock the capabilities of the medium, asking if this was the intelligence soon to rule the world. Additionally, a humorous anecdote persists regarding his attempt to plant daffodils in his local village, an act halted by security concerns due to the crowds his celebrity attracted.[编辑]

May的父亲Harold是一位电气工程师，曾帮助他制造Red Special吉他。他的母亲Ruth支持他的音乐和科学追求。May与前妻Christine Mullen育有三个孩子：James、Louisa和Emily Ruth。他于2000年与女演员Anita Dobson结婚，她启发了他创作了个人热门歌曲《Too Much Love Will Kill You》。夫妇俩居住在英国萨里郡。[编辑]

May与Queen乐队的队友Freddie Mercury、Roger Taylor和John Deacon有着不解之缘。他曾与Adam Lambert在Queen + Adam Lambert乐队中广泛合作。他的科学工作将他与NASA的新视野号团队以及天文学家Patrick Moore和Chris Lintott联系起来。May还曾与女演员Kerry Ellis合作发行专辑，并与Paul Rodgers在Queen + Paul Rodgers乐队中演出。[编辑]

布莱恩·梅（Brian May）的第一次婚姻是与Christine Mullen，他于20世纪60年代末认识了她。他们于1974年结婚，育有三个孩子：James、Louisa和Emily Ruth。这段婚姻于1988年离婚，Queen乐队的成功带来的压力以及梅与Anita Dobson的关系被认为是离婚的因素。

梅于1986年开始与女演员Anita Dobson交往，此前他在伦敦的一次派对上认识了她。他们的关系启发了梅1988年的歌曲《Too Much Love Will Kill You》。他们于2000年11月18日举行了私人婚礼。Dobson在梅经历抑郁、对Freddie Mercury的悲痛以及健康问题时，一直是他支持性的伴侣。截至2026年，梅和Dobson仍然结婚，并一同居住在萨里郡。[编辑]

iFANN currently estimates Brian May's net worth at $210 million as of 2026. The bulk of this wealth originates from his decades-long tenure as Queen's lead guitarist and primary songwriter, generating substantial royalties through streaming, radio play, and licensing deals for films, commercials, and sporting events. The 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody significantly boosted catalog sales and streaming revenue, further cementing his financial standing. Income continues to flow from touring with Queen + Adam Lambert, where global tours have grossed hundreds of millions, alongside earnings from solo album sales and book royalties from his astronomy publications. May and Anita Dobson own a residence in Surrey, and he has diversified his portfolio through investments in art and vintage guitars. His net worth has steadily increased over the past decade, driven by the enduring popularity of Queen's music and strategic management of his intellectual property.[编辑]

作为Queen乐队的一员，梅获得了无数奖项，包括全英音乐奖杰出贡献奖（1990年）、Ivor Novello奖的词曲创作奖，以及被载入摇滚名人堂（2001年）。他于2005年被授予CBE勋衔，并于2023年被封为爵士。Queen乐队的《Bohemian Rhapsody》获得了多个美国音乐奖和Ivor Novello奖。[编辑]