Talk about a side hustle: After three decades as a legendary musician, Brian May put everything on hold for a year’ to finish his PhD.
« New horizons to explore. »
That’s one of the first lyrics in the song, « New Horizons, » recently release by the guitarist and song composer for the legendary rock band Queen, Brian May .
It’s also could be a descriptor for the rockstar’s career.
In addition to a history-making career with the band Queen, May is also an astrophysicist.
May, 71, has contributed to the production of or performed on recordings that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, according to the band’s website. He wrote, among other songs, the hit anthem, « We Will Rock You. »
Before he committed to be part of Queen, which formed in 1971, May was studying astrophysics.
« When I was about to finish my thesis, it was just the beginnings of Queen and I had to make that choice. And my choice was made on the assumption that I wasn’t very good at physics and I might be quite good at music, » May told Time, according to a transcript published Wednesday.
The thesis he had been working on was about dust that collects in the solar system, called « zodiac dust. » Over the years, interest in zodiac dust waxed, waned and waxed again, he told Time.
« Suddenly my subject became very in-demand again. I started talking about astronomy again to people who said, ‘Why don’t you still do it?’ I put everything, and I mean everything, on hold for a year. And they put me in a little office in Imperial College [in London] and I got down to it, » May told Time.
