Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, recently shared an update on his health struggles. He addressed his experience with a stroke in a statement shared on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh.
May reflected on the various health challenges he has faced and emphasized his resilience in overcoming them. Speaking candidly about his recovery, he described how these experiences have served as important reminders of life’s fragility.
“I’ve had a number of things, yeah, the stroke was one of them,” May said. “I’ve been lucky, I get these things, but I seem to be able to get out of them. They give you a wake-up call.”
The musician’s candid remarks highlight his positive outlook despite the serious health event. His determination to move forward is evident in his recent comments, which come as part of a broader reflection on his health journey over the past year.
Brian May suffered a minor stroke in August 2024, as reported by Fox News. The stroke temporarily affected his ability to control his left arm. The 77-year-old rock icon publicly announced the health incident in September 2024, approximately one week after it occurred. Initially, the stroke raised concerns about his ability to continue playing guitar, but May quickly discovered that despite losing arm control, he could still move his fingers. This gave him confidence that his music career wasn’t over.
The recovery process proved to be smoother than initially feared. By December 2024, May’s wife, British actor Anita Dobson, reported that he had “stabilized” and regained use of his left arm, according to the Los Angeles Times. She noted that he was “much better now” and had regained full control of the arm, which had been “a bit of a challenge.” During this recovery period, May was playing piano quite frequently. He didn’t attempt to play instruments for some time immediately following the stroke.
May’s remarkable comeback was demonstrated publicly when he made a surprise performance at Coachella 2025 in April 2025, just seven months after his stroke, as detailed by Fox News. He performed Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and was seen playing his guitar with complete control over his arm. He appeared in good spirits during the performance.
This was not May’s first major health scare. A small heart attack struck him in May 2020, leaving him “very near death,” as Fox News reported. During that incident, doctors discovered he had three blocked arteries and inserted stents to keep them open. May has also experienced other health complications related to his medications, making his recent recovery all the more significant.
