Sir Brian May, the legendary guitarist of Queen, has revealed that he recently suffered a minor stroke that temporarily left him unable to use his left arm. The 77-year-old musician shared that he is now recovering and has regained enough mobility to play music again.
In a video posted on his website, May explained, “The good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days.” He described the stroke as unexpected, stating, “Out of the blue, I lost control of this arm. It was a bit frightening, I must admit.”
May praised the medical staff at Frimley Hospital in Surrey, where he was treated, saying, “I arrived with blue lights flashing—very exciting.” He reassured fans, saying, “I’m OK now. I’m just following the doctors’ orders, which means taking it easy.”
He mentioned that he has been advised against driving, flying, or elevating his heart rate. Filming the video outdoors, he joked about the noise of a plane overhead, saying, “I’m not allowed to have planes flying over, which will stress me. But I’m good.”
May chose not to speak publicly about the stroke at the time, explaining, “I really don’t want sympathy. Please don’t do that; it’ll just clutter up my inbox, and I dislike that.”
This update comes shortly after the airing of a BBC One documentary featuring May, focusing on his efforts to protect badgers from culling, a controversial practice linked to preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis in cattle. He noted that the documentary has received positive feedback from various groups, including farmers and wildlife advocates.
The NHS defines a stroke as a serious medical emergency that occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted, often leading to weakness or numbness in one arm or side of the face, as well as slurred speech. A related condition, known as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), can cause temporary interruptions in blood flow to the brain, often referred to as a “mini-stroke.”