Brian Harold May, CBE (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician who is best known for his tenure in the rock band Queen. He wrote several of Queen’s most popular songs, including the anthem “We Will Rock You”.

May is a virtuoso of the electric guitar, and is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock music. His preferred instrument is a home-built electric guitar called the Red Special.

May co-founded Smile (the band that became Queen) after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Imperial College London in 1968. He resumed his studies at ICL many years later, and was awarded a Ph.D. in astrophysics in 2007.