Brian May

BRIAN MAY
 
 
Brian May  (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen.  May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor.  Within five years of their formation in 1970 and the recruitment of bass player John Deacon completing the lineup, Queen had become established as one of the biggest rock bands in Britain with the album A Night at the Opera and its single “Bohemian Rhapsody”.  In 2005, a Planet Rock poll saw May voted the 7th greatest guitarist of all time.  May attained a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007 and was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013.  He was a “science team collaborator” with NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

On October 7, 2014, a remarkable assemblage of musicians came together under the name “The Impossible Orchestra” to perform the Beach Boys song “God Only Knows”.  The event was simulcast on BBC Television and BBC Radio stations in order to herald the launch of BBC Music, and the event also made national news in this country.  A recording of the song was released on a single the following day as a fund-raising effort for Children in Need 2014.  The musicians span the spectrum of popular music and included Brian Wilson, Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Lorde, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Dave Grohl, Brian May, and many others.  

 

(October 2014)

 

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Many of the songs that Natasha Shneider wrote or co-wrote have also been recorded by other bands and artists over the years; I have already given numerous examples.  For the soundtrack album Spider-Man 2 (Music From and Inspired By) (2004), Jimmy Gnecco along with Brian May of Queen recorded “Someone to Die For” that was co-written by Alain Johannes, Natasha Shneider and Chris Cornell.  Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider co-produced the song “Wave Goodbye” by Steadman for the soundtrack of the 2004 film New York Minute. 

 

(April 2015/2)