Queen legend Brian May, 77, suffers stroke in ‘scary’ emergency

Queen legend Sir Brian May has revealed he recently suffered a stroke and was rushed to hospital.

The guitarist, 77, explained how he lost control of his left arm and was taken to hospital in an ambulance, as he described it as a ‘scary’ experience.

However, Sir Brian reassured fans that he can still play guitar and he’s recovering – or ‘grounded’ as he put it – and not allowed to travel or do anything that could raise his heartrate.

Taking to social media with the news, the We Will Rock You hitmaker said: ‘I’m here to bring you some good news I think – I can play guitar after the events of the last few days.

‘I say this because it was in some doubt because that little health hiccup I mentioned happened about a week ago and what they called it was a minor stroke.

‘All of the sudden out of the blue I didn’t have any control over this arm,’ he explained, brandishing his left arm.

Sir Brian reassured fans he can still play the guitar (Picture: Scott Legato/Getty Images)

The Queen rocker took to social media with the news of his stroke (Picture: Sir Brian May/Instagram)

He continued: ‘So it’s a little scary I have to say, I had the most fantastic care and attention. Blue lights flashing, the lot, very exciting.

‘I might post you a video if you like, I didn’t want to say anything at the time because I didn’t want anything surrounding it. I really didn’t want sympathy. Please don’t do that because it will clutter up my inbox and I hate that.

‘So the good news is I’m okay, I’m just doing what I’m told which is basically nothing. I’m grounded, I’m not allowed to drive, get on a plane, not allowed to raise the heartrate too much, but I’m good.’

Fans rushed to wish Sir Brian well in the comments section of his video on social media, as Instagram user magnolia_stereos wrote: ‘Omg I’m so glad it was minor, but even minor is something! Please do as the doctor says and take care of yourself! We love you!!!’

‘I’m so glad that you are okay and feeling better ❤️ Take care and sending lots of love,’ added isabellaricci9797.

Sir Brian also discussed his new documentary – The Badgers, The Farmers and Me – in the video after updating fans on his health.

Sir Brian described the moment he lost control of his arm as ‘scary’ (Picture: Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Commenting alongside his self-facing clip, Sir Brian said there would be ‘plenty of bombshells’ in the documentary, which is part of his decade-long campaign to stop badger-culling in the UK.

This is not the first time Sir Brian has endured a health scare, as he suffered a heart attack in 2020 and months later revealed the drugs he took for it caused a ‘stomach explosion’ that ‘nearly killed’ him.

‘I’ve had complications due to the drugs I’m on, one of which was a stomach explosion that nearly killed me,’ he told the Times, reflecting on the heart attack.

‘The heart attack was a symbol of an arterial disease, but I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t have high cholesterol and I was exercising through the tour, so why did it happen? 

‘At least I now have a heart that is working far better than it was.’

When revealing to fans the news of his heart attack in a similar video, Sir Brian explained how it didn’t do him ‘any harm’, and was just ‘40 minutes of pain’ in his chest.

He was treated for pain over a rip in his gluteus maximus – as well as a compressed sciatic nerve – when doctors also discovered three blocked arteries.

When he was seen at the hospital, the doctors warned that he would need to either have a triple heart bypass or stents put in.

‘I thank them from the bottom of my heart,’ he added. ‘I think I’m in good shape for some time to come.

‘I’m good, I’m here, and I’m ready to rock.’

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