Queen's Brian May reveals new health battle: 'minor stroke' left him unable to play guitar

Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has recently opened up about a health scare that had fans worried about his wellbeing.

The 77-year-old musician revealed that he suffered a minor stroke last week, which temporarily robbed him of control over his left arm.

May thought he would never play guitar again

Taking to social media on Wednesday morning, May shared the news with his followers, expressing relief that he could still play guitar after what he described as a "little health hiccup."

In an Instagram video, he reassured fans by wiggling his fingers, saying, "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."

However, the musician admitted that there was a moment when he doubted whether he'd ever be able to play again.

"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. It was a little scary, I have to say,"May continued.

The stroke, which came on unexpectedly, left May without control of his arm.

Despite the severity of the situation, he praised the medical team for their "fantastic care" and explained why he chose not to share the news immediately.

"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," he added.

"Please don't do that because it'll clutter up my inbox and I hate that."

Brian May is on the way to recovery

May appeared to be in good spirits during the video, even joking about his current situation.

"The good news is I'm okay. Just doing what I'm told, which is basically nothing. I'm grounded," he said with a smile.

The guitarist revealed that he's been advised against driving, flying, or doing anything that might raise his heart rate while he recovers.

Although May is following doctors' orders to avoid strenuous activity, it's unclear how long his recovery will take.

There's also uncertainty surrounding whether the stroke's effects on his arm will have any lasting impact on his guitar playing.

This recent health scare isn't the first time May has faced serious medical challenges.

In 2020, he suffered a heart attack caused by arterial disease, leading to the insertion of three stents to keep his arteries open.

At the time, he described the experience as a "very near-death" event.

Since wrapping up a tour with Queen earlier this year, May has been focusing on other projects, including a documentary for the BBC about the UK's badger cull policies.

However, fans will be eagerly awaiting his full recovery and hopeful that the iconic guitarist will return to the stage soon.