(Credits: Raph Pour-Hashemi)
Wed 24 December 2025 8:00, UK
Considering how long Brian May has been in the business, it’s no surprise that he’s rubbed shoulders with countless legendary names.
Aside from the obvious force of nature that fronted his own band, May has become one of the biggest and most sought-after collaborators outside of Queen, a master of all trades regardless of the situation or circumstance. After all, May is well placed among any musical figure, whether it’s Foo Fighters or Benson Boone. And every time, he proves that, no matter what, he’ll always find a way to become the star of the show.
That said, there’s nothing but humility in May’s endeavours. In fact, one of the reasons why May has escaped the familiar path that many rock legends take towards becoming more egotistical is that he’s always remained a humble lover of music himself. From the beginning, May has always been appreciative of any opportunity that comes his way and gives his all, whoever he’s working alongside.
Part of this is also because May has experience across most genres of music and the eras that they came from. Queen might have emerged during a new iteration of rock, reinventing the glam movement with music that was both accessible and culturally resonant, but May established himself as a major player in his own right, without having to compromise on his own signature sound.
However, there are a few that May hasn’t had the chance of crossing paths with, whether a matter of timing or the more tragic circumstance: they passed away before May had the chance to get the ball rolling. There are countless figures that May would have loved the chance to have gotten to know better, but the main one will always be the legend of grunge himself, Kurt Cobain.
May wasn’t the biggest grunge fan, nor was he that much of an avid follower of the scene in a general sense. However, he did appreciate Cobain for how he effectively reinvented a new era of rock, and regretted not having gotten closer to the singer while he was alive. “I thought that was great,” the guitarist said. “I love people with passion, and it’s not related to how much dexterity they have on their instruments. It’s what comes from the soul. Kurt Cobain, for me, looked like a kindred spirit,” May told Ultimate Classic Rock.
He went on, “I wish I’d met him. I never did. And, of course, Dave Grohl was in that band, wow. I remember visiting Seattle around that time and kind of drinking it in. Kind of realising that something big was happening – and in a good way. I just felt it was a great community. There was a movement going on there.”
The closest that May got to realising his dream was through various appearances alongside Foo Fighters, most notably when they honoured another fallen legend, Taylor Hawkins. Elsewhere, May said that the Foos were the closest band to come to the “spirit” of Queen, and that they’re so inspiring to him because he sees a “mirror” in Hawkins to what Queen were.
Even better, May said that there’s a kindred spirit in the two bands that pulls him out every single time and reminds him why he set foot on a stage in the first place – there’s that energy that he experienced in Queen’s peak years, the kind that’s rare to find but which wins him over every single time.
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