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QUEEN's BRIAN MAY Is 'Touched' By Praise From NUNO BETTENCOURT And STEVE VAI

June 14, 2020

QUEEN's Brian May says that he is "touched" by all the praise heaped upon him by other guitarists after he was recently voted greatest rock guitarist of all time in a Total Guitar poll.

On Saturday (June 13),May took to his Instagram to share a BLABBERMOUTH.NET article headlined "NUNO BETTENCOURT And STEVE VAI React To BRIAN MAY Being Named Greatest Rock Guitarist", and he included the following message: "So touched by these guys - who can both play me off the pitch, over the stands and way into the deep blue !!!

"I had to post this to show MY appreciation of their wonderful words. This means so much.

"So let me say it plainly one more time. I don't take this accolade to mean anything except a large number of guitarists did me the honour of declaring that the way I play guitar moved them more than any other player. It's a nice little game to play, and I'm very grateful for the outcome, and grateful to @totalguitar. But the nicest thing about guitar playing is that there IS no 'greatest'. We all bring different things to it, even when we are beginning.

"One of the greatest things about having made the guitar the centre of my life has been that I've had the chance to work up close with so many incredible players, and get to know them as musicians, and as human beings. In my mind, you all deserve this award more than I do. But, just for a moment, I'm happy and honoured ... thanks folks. And huge special thanks Nuno and Steve. You are giants !"

May beat out such other guitar legends as Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.

In a social media post, Nuno praised May, writing in part: "There are not enough characters alowwed on IG to talk about how Brian's guitar playing, tone, taste, composition, writing, singing, and intellect has impacted my Guitar Playing... impacted my EVERYTHING. Yes he can play like a beast. His tone was ahead of its time. But the most important element I learned from the King of QUEEN was his ultimate respect for THE SONG."

Vai chimed in, writing: "This is a totally appropriate recognition in my opinion. Congrats Bri. You will always be my hero."

This past April, May and his QUEEN bandmates released a new version of their iconic song "We Are the Champions" in support of workers on the frontline fighting coronavirus. May, drummer Roger Taylor and singer Adam Lambert teamed up to record "You Are The Champions", with all proceeds going towards the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT was scheduled to embark on the European leg of its "Rhapsody" tour, but the ongoing pandemic led the musicians to postpone the dates.

View this post on Instagram

So touched by these guys - who can both play me off the pitch, over the stands and way into the deep blue !!! I had to post this to show MY appreciation of their wonderful words. This means so much. So let me say it plainly one more time. I don’t take this accolade to mean anything except a large number of guitarists did me the honour of declaring that the way I play guitar moved them more than any other player. It’s a nice little game to play, and I’m very grateful for the outcome, and grateful to @totalguitar. But the nicest thing about guitar playing is that there IS no “greatest“. We all bring different things to it, even when we are beginning. One of the greatest things about having made the guitar the centre of my life has been that I’ve had the chance to work up close with so many incredible players, and get to know them as musicians, and as human beings. In my mind, you all deserve this award more than I do. But, just for a moment, I’m happy and honoured ... thanks folks. And huge special thanks Nuno and Steve. You are giants ! @nunobettencourtofficial @stevevaihimself Bri

A post shared by Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal) on

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