Queen’s Brian May says he can still play guitar after a minor stroke affected one arm
Queen guitarist Brian May suffered a minor stroke recently that briefly affected his ability to use his left arm.
But, he noted, he can still play guitar after the “little health hiccup.”
“I’m here to bring you some good news. The good news is that I can play guitar after the events of the last few days,” the 77-year-old said Wednesday in a video posted on Instagram. He waved the fingers on his left hand during the clip.
“I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup that I mentioned happened about a week ago and what they called it was a minor stroke. And all of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn’t have any control of this arm. It was a little scary, I have to say.”
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The “Bohemian Rhapsody” musician said that he was transported to a hospital after the stroke and had “fantastic care” at Frimley Hospital in Surrey, England, according to the BBC.
“I didn’t want to say anything at the time because I didn’t want anything surrounding, you know. I really don’t want sympathy. Please don’t do that because it’ll clutter up my inbox and I hate that,” he said, adding, “The good news is I’m OK. Just doing what I’m told, which is basically nothing. I’m grounded.”
May said he’s not allowed to go out much, drive or get on a plane or do anything that will “raise the heart rate too high.”
“I managed to rip my Gluteus Maximus to shreds,” Queen guitarist Brian May shared on Instagram, along with a photo of himself sporting a mask in the hospital.
The “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” rockers wrapped a five-date tour in Japan in mid-February and haven’t been on the road since. “American Idol” alum Adam Lambert has stepped in as lead singer since 2011, filling in for the band’s iconic vocalist Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991. It’s unclear whether May’s health will affect any of the band’s upcoming appearances.
Representatives for Queen did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ requests for comment.
The legendary rocker, who was knighted by King Charles III in 2023, suffered a “small heart attack” in 2020 that left him “very near death” at the time. Doctors told him that he had three blocked arteries and placed three stents in to keep them open. He told The Times of London then that he has had other health complications because of medications he’s been on, one of which caused “a stomach explosion that nearly killed me.”
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