Posted on 07/25/2007 5:21:42 PM PDT by Cecily
LONDON Brian May is completing his doctorate in astrophysics, more than 30 years after he abandoned his studies to form the rock group Queen.
The 60-year-old guitarist and songwriter said he plans to submit his thesis, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud," to supervisors at Imperial College London within the next two weeks.
May was an astrophysics student at Imperial College when Queen, which included Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, was formed in 1970. He dropped his doctorate as the glam rock band became successful.
Queen were one of Britain's biggest music groups in the 1970s, with hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You."
After Mercury's death in 1991, May recorded several solo albums, including 1998's "Another World." But his interest in astronomy continued, and he co-wrote "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe," which was published last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at accessatlanta.com ...
LOL!!
I recall that when he was a teen his family couldn’t afford an electric guitar he and his father built one from wood from a fireplace mantle, a knife, some motorcycle valve springs, pearl buttons and other assorted items.
His genius started early.
And what a tremendously fat and 'vocal' tone that guitar had/has too! I don't think its ever been duplicated by anybody, EVER, since those early Queen albums ... (which always carried a notation at the end of the musician credits: "And NOBODY played Synthesizer")
/grin
It is a poorly kept secret that Brian May is brilliant. He built his guitar in the early sixties with his Dad because he couldn’t afford a Stratocaster. He is nearly a teetotaler (no smoking, no drugs, very rarely drinks). While other guys were reading Playboy on tour, he’d pick up the latest Scientific American. By all acounts, May is a very nice guy, too. Soon he will be known as the Doctor of Rock. No “We Will Doc You” jokes, please...
Mark
Wow. I am impressed, although I’ve always considered him one of the best.
I remember reading an interview with Eddie Van Halen as a kid. Van Halen could not say enough good things about May’s playing - both this technique and the passion with which he played.
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