Editing Brian May (section)

===Influences===
[[File:Brian May 2017 Guitar_Cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|Brian May performing in 2017]]
May's early influences included [[Cliff Richard]] and [[the Shadows]], who he says were "the most metallic thing(s) out at the time". Many years later he gained his opportunity to play on separate occasions with the Shadows' lead guitarist [[Hank Marvin]]. He has collaborated with Richard on a re-recording of 1958 hit "[[Move It]]" on Richard's duets album ''[[Two's Company (Cliff Richard album)|Two's Company]]'', which was released on 6&nbsp;November 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/twos-company-the-duets-mw0000448982|title=Two's Company: The Duets|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905000130/http://www.allmusic.com/album/twos-company-the-duets-mw0000448982|archive-date=5 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

May always stated that [[the Beatles]], [[Led Zeppelin]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Prato |first=Greg |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p13633|pure_url=yes}} |title=Brian May at Allmusic |work=AllMusic |date=18 July 2012 |access-date=18 July 2012}}</ref> [[the Who]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]] were the greatest influences on him. On the ''Queen for an Hour'' interview on BBC Radio&nbsp;1 in 1989, May listed Hendrix, [[Jeff Beck]] and [[Eric Clapton]] as his guitar heroes. In a 1991 interview for ''Guitar World'' magazine, May referred to the Who as "my inspiration", and on seeing Led Zeppelin stated, "We used to look at those guys and think, 'That's the way it should be done.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intellectualonly-mercury.ru/interview/The_Life_Of_Brian.htm |title=The Life of Brian in Guitar World |publisher=Intellectualonly-mercury.ru |access-date=29 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810112604/http://www.intellectualonly-mercury.ru/interview/The_Life_Of_Brian.htm |archive-date=10 August 2011 }}</ref> May told ''[[Guitarist (magazine)|Guitarist]]'' in 2004, "I don't think anyone has epitomised [[Riff#Riff|riff]] writing better than [[Jimmy Page]] – he's one of the great brains of rock music".<ref>"Whole lotta riffs". ''[[Guitarist (magazine)|Guitarist]]''. Issue 247. March 2004.</ref>

May also cites [[Rory Gallagher]] as a major influence, saying "He was a magician. He was one of the very few people of that time who could make his guitar do anything, it seemed. I remember looking at that battered Stratocaster and thinking, 'How does that (sound) come out of there?'" According to May, "...&nbsp;it was Rory that gave me my sound, and that's the sound I still have."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/general/brian-may-i-owe-my-sound-to-guitar-hero-rory-gallagher-60430802/|title=Brian May: 'I owe my sound to guitar hero Rory Gallagher'|website=[[Hollywood.com]]|access-date=4 June 2019|date=30 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604074058/http://www.hollywood.com/general/brian-may-i-owe-my-sound-to-guitar-hero-rory-gallagher-60430802/|archive-date=4 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> May was also influenced by [[Steve Hackett]], guitarist of the [[progressive rock]] band Genesis,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-talks-wolflight-phrasing-and-the-nylon-knack-620021|title=Steve Hackett talks Wolflight, phrasing and the nylon knack|first=Matt|last=Frost|work=MusicRadar|date=29 April 2015|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530062816/https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-hackett-talks-wolflight-phrasing-and-the-nylon-knack-620021|archive-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> in particular his harmony guitar solo at the end of the band's epic 1971 song "[[The Musical Box (Genesis song)|The Musical Box]]".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://dmme.net/interviews/hackett.html | title= Interview with Steve Hackett | publisher= dmme.net | date= January 2001 | access-date= 23 August 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150928235530/http://dmme.net/interviews/hackett.html | archive-date= 28 September 2015 | url-status= live }}</ref> Hackett said of May, "Equally, his energetic approach to guitar inspired me."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140438/|title=The guitarguitar Interview: Steve Hackett|first=Ray|last=McClelland|website=guitarguitar|date=10 August 2018|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604072235/https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/140438/|archive-date=4 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>