Brian May says his recent health problems made him stop and take stock of life, yet the Queen guitarist is pressing ahead with a string of new projects.
The 78-year-old rocker opened up about suffering a minor stroke last year, admitting he is “lucky” to have recovered after experiencing “a number” of health issues.
“I’ve had a number of things, the stroke was one of them,” he said during an appearance on Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Weekend, telling the presenter: “I get these things, but I seem to be able to get out of them. They give you a wake-up call.”
The music icon briefly lost control of his left arm during the stroke, calling it “a little scary”. After emergency treatment, movement eventually returned.
“The good news is I’m OK,” he later told fans, explaining that he initially avoided speaking publicly because he did not want sympathy “cluttering up” his inbox.
The musician has faced major health scares before. In 2020, he suffered a heart attack caused by three blocked arteries and later said he was “very near death”. He has since described his surprise at the episode given his healthy lifestyle at the time, but appears newly energised as he throws himself into fresh creative work.
Last Thursday, May hosted a 3-D galactic showcase at Notting Hill’s Museum of Brands to launch Islands in Infinity: Galaxies 3-D, the latest title from his London Stereoscopic Company.
The Queen musician, who also holds a PhD in astrophysics, was supported at the event by his wife, actress Anita Dobson, as more than 150 guests watched galaxies appear to leap off the screen while wearing 3-D glasses for a presentation created with co-authors Professor Derek Ward-Thompson and astro-photographic artist J-P Metsavainio.
The book — which is out now — is described as the first to present galaxies in true stereoscopic 3-D, featuring more than 200 telescope images and over 80 original artworks.
After the presentation, guests enjoyed a space-themed cocktail reception featuring cosmic drinks from Portobello Road Distillery, including the notoriously potent Black Hole.
“For the very first time, readers will be able to enjoy stereoscopic renderings of galaxies previously only seen as flat images,” May said.
A day later, he unveiled a festive single, Praise Your Name, recorded with longtime collaborator Talia Dean and featuring a Catholic Gospel Choir along with one of his trademark guitar solos. May described it as “only the most EPIC Christmas track EVER” and hinted that more music may follow.
Earlier this month, May also appeared in a new five-part edition of Queen: The Greatest, marking the 50th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody.
The special sees him and drummer Roger Taylor look back at the early experimental tracks that paved the way for the band’s most famous song, including My Fairy King, March of the Black Queen and The Fairy Feller’s Masterstroke.
He even found time to record a good luck message for reformed boyband Five, with his video being played to fans before they took to the stage on their latest tour.
