Queen guitarist Sir Brian May made a surprise appearance at the music festival Coachella on Friday night alongside singer-songwriter Benson Boone.
The 77-year-old rock legend took to the stage just days after his wife Anita Dobson confirmed he was back “to his old self” following a stroke in August 2024.
During the show, May emerged dramatically from beneath the stage in a cloud of smoke to play the iconic guitar solo of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
He remained on stage to perform on Boone's final song, his 2024 breakthrough single Beautiful Things.
May returned to stage and wowed fans with a guitar solo
Getty
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Boone's 11-song set at the California festival saw him don an ermine-fur cloak reminiscent of Freddie Mercury's famous ensemble from Queen's farewell tour in 1986.
The routine was action packed, with May running across the stage to meet Boone - who even leapt over the legendary guitarist as he rocked out to Queen’s iconic track.
May’s appearance marks a triumphant return to performing after the rocker revealed last September that he had suffered a minor stroke which temporarily left him unable to control one of his arms.
He first discussed his health scare in an Instagram post to his 3.4 million followers, explaining he had been rushed to hospital in late August.
May joined Benson Boone's set at the Coachella festival
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"All of a sudden, out of the blue, I didn't have any control over this arm, so it was a little scary," May said at the time.
He described the incident as a "minor stroke" that left him temporarily unable to use his left arm.
"I couldn't get a fork from the table to my mouth without it all going all over the place. It was scary," he admitted.
The guitarist received treatment at Frimley Hospital, complete with "blue lights flashing, the lot, very exciting".
May later told Premier Guitar magazine that his recovery was remarkably quick, explaining: "After only a few days, it's amazing what you can get back. By sheer willpower, you just start retraining your muscles."
He estimated he had regained 95 per cent of his abilities, which he said was "enough".
May's wife, former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson, recently confirmed that the guitarist has made a full recovery from his stroke.
"Thank you both for asking. I'm very happy to say he's very well now. Back to his old self," she told hosts Ed Balls and Charlotte Hawkins.
Dobson and May have been together for almost 40 years, having first met in 1986 and married in November 2000.
She had previously spoken about the challenges of May's recovery, which was complicated when they both fell ill after Christmas.
"Brian is stable now. Brian has never been happier since we moved," she told The Sun earlier this year.
