Queen: From Rags to Rhapsody
11:40 pm - 12:55 am, Saturday, May 23 on Sky Arts (350)
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About this Broadcast
Documentary recalling the rock band's early years, spent struggling gigging at pubs and colleges, and following their progress up to the moment they captured the UK's hearts and minds with what was to become one of the greatest songs of all time - Bohemian Rhapsody. The documentary features contributions by band members and outtakes from recording sessions
HD
subtitles
16x9
Documentary
News/Current Affairs
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Did You Know..
Brian May
(Contributor)
Born:
July 19, 1947
in
Hampton, London
Best Known For:
Being Queen's lead guitarist.
Early-life:
Brian Harold May was born on July 19, 1947, in Hampton, London. He was an only child. While still at grammar school he formed his first band with friend Tim Staffell, named Nineteen Eighty-Four after George Orwell's novel. He did extraordinarily well at school - he passed 10 O levels and three A levels - before studying maths and physics at Imperial College London.
Career:
In 1968, May and Staffell formed a new band, Smile, with drummer Roger Taylor. When Staffell left two years later, May and Taylor added singer Freddie Mercury and bass player Brian Deacon to the line-up and renamed the group Queen. They went on to enjoy a string of massive hits, including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You and Under Pressure (with David Bowie); Deacon has now retired, but May and Taylor continue to perform as Queen, with other frontmen following Mercury's death. May has also performed as a solo artist.
Quote:
On Queen's 40th anniversary: 'It's amazing, I don't know where it goes, all sorts of scrapes have happened. We have some fantastic product now, which is amazing that for a band that's been without its singer for 20 years, we've been more active than ever.'
Trivia:
Away from music, May completed his astrophysics PhD in 2007, more than 30 years after starting it, is a dedicated animal activist, and is a keen exponent of stereoscopy, an early form of 3D photography.
Simon Lupton
(Producer)
Rhys Thomas
(Producer)
