Queen’s Brian May Only Met George Harrison Once, ‘What a Precious Moment’
While The Beatles split in 1970, the Liverpool band’s influence has lasted for generations. Many fantastic musicians emerged who fused the band’s impressive songwriting and instrumentals into their own work. Brian May considered George Harrison an inspiration for his guitar ability. He only met the former Beatle once but considered it a “precious moment” of his life.
Brian May recalled the one and only time he met George Harrison
In 2001, Harrison was terminally ill due to a lengthy cancer battle. Before his death in November of that year, May reflected on Harrison’s legacy and shared the one time he met him. In an interview with Guitarist Magazine, May said he had the lucky opportunity to perform with the “Something” singer at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London for the Water Rats Ball.
“I’ve only met George once,” Harrison said. “We played together at a Water Rats do, when Bert Weedon was King Rat. There was George, Joe Brown, Bert and me… what a precious moment. I had a blinding migraine, but the moment overcame the pain. I wish I’d had the balls to say what I really wanted to at the time. I hold George in such reverence and I think he’s so underrated by the guitar community. Everyone raves about people who play fast, but if you look at the catalog of stuff he’s produced, it’s colossal.”
May said Queen modeled themselves after The Beatles
The Beatles were the biggest musical act in the world during their run in the 1960s. Many rising bands looked to the band as a model, not only because of their music but also because of their style. They weren’t an eccentric group, but they figured out how to write hits that unlocked something in people’s hearts and minds.
In an interview with Express, Brian May said that George Harrison and The Beatles were “models” for Queen. He said they are the “greatest” and still loves them today.
“The Beatles were our bible,” May said. “Absolutely at every stage in their career and their music development, they were models. And they still are to me, I must say. I love all those albums. To me, they are the greatest. They are the pinnacle of writing, performance and ethos of rock music. They broke down so many barriers, they changed the world many times. I will always love The Beatles without any reservation.”
However, May is worried that the new generation isn’t aware of The Beatles as much as they should be.
“I feel like they’ve been underrepresented in the world as it is today,” he added. “The kids today don’t know The Beatles as much as they should. The Beatles should be woven into people’s lives like Queen music is these days.”
While it’s true that kids don’t listen to The Beatles as much as other bands, most of the younger generation would still recognize the band and be able to name a few of their songs. Plenty of young artists, like Billie Eilish, still list The Beatles as one of their greatest inspirations.
