Queen’s Brian May makes painful admission about Freddie Mercury’s death after 35 years
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Queen guitarist Sir Brian May has shared the heartbreaking reason why he doesn’t celebrate or mark Freddie Mercury’s death after 35 years.
The English songwriter, 79, revealed that losing his dear friend and Queen frontman Freddie was one of the “most terrible” days of his life.
Queen’s Brian May pictured at the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
“It’s a day to avoid because it brings up pain,” May told Metro in a new interview on Friday.
May and Mercury founded the iconic rock band Queen alongside drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon.
This November marks 35 years since the legendary singer died in 1991, aged 45, from complications resulting from HIV and AIDS.
“The day he died was one of the most terrible days of our lives,” May went on.
May added that while he doesn’t mark the actual anniversary, he “acknowledges” Mercury all the time.
“He’s in my life very strongly,” he said. “I know Roger [Taylor] feels the same.
“There isn’t anything that we do where we don’t refer to him in some way; the times we had together, the values and adventures that we shared.”
Freddie Mercury and Brian May performing in Queen. Phil Dent/Redferns/Getty Images
May and Taylor returned to the stage 19 years after Mercury’s death on a four-year international tour with Free and Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers.
Following their Rhapsody Tour with Adam Lambert from 2019 to 2024, May made a surprise appearance on stage joining Taylor for his final two songs on his London 2026 solo tour.
On Wednesday, May quickly shut down rumours that Queen won’t ever tour again after 50 years, saying his reported comment was “misinterpreted”.
“This is a misinterpretation of what I actually said. I have actually never said Queen won’t ever tour again,” the rocker wrote on his personal Instagram page.
May and Adam Lambert performing in Sydney in 2020. Getty
“I could never say never. I simply made a personal decision last year to take a break from touring.
“I’ve been making lots of music, and Roger and I are constantly working together on Queen projects behind the scenes. I don’t know what the future holds. I’m ever open to new adventures!”
It was during an interview with The Sunday Times published on October 4 that May appeared to say the legendary band would never tour again.
“I made a decision 18 months ago that I didn’t want to tour again,” May was reported as saying.
Queen, from left to right: Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon and Roger Taylor. Redferns
“A close family friend died when we were in the States, so I said to my tour manager, ‘I’ll just nip home for a few days and come back’. She looked me in the eyes and said, ‘You know you can’t do that.’”
May went on to say that he loves to play and travel, but that sometimes comes at a cost to “your freedom”.
“I have a wife [actress Anita Dobson], grandchildren and a lot of astrophysics I want to do, so I’m thinking maybe 50 years is enough,” he said at the time.
