YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest singers of all time and lead vocalist of Queen, was also a science fan, Queen guitarist Brian May revealed.

“Freddie was interested in everything. He was fascinated by the fact that I was an astronomer and he used to say 'Brian, if it hadn’t been for me, you would be an astronomer'. Because at that time I had to walk away from astronomy, because I had to concentrate on the music. So he said: 'You would have been a professor if you hadn’t been here'. Then I was very fortunate, I came back to astronomy, I rejoined my PhD. I feel very privileged to do both things, it means a lot to me....

"....Freddie was very focused, Freddie would talk about things, enjoy things like science, like my stereoscoping photography, all these things, but then he would be very focused. He would say 'Everybody can do these things, I do my things, I do my music.  That’s Freddie,' May said at a press conference in Yerevan when asked by ARMENPRESS after receiving the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication during the STARMUS VI Festival alongside co-laureates primatologist Jane Goodall and essayist Diane Ackerman.

May accepted the award on September 5, coincidentally the birthday of the late Freddie Mercury. On stage, May said : “Happy Birthday Freddie.”

Brian May will once again rock the stage at STARMUS VI on September 7 at the Another World Concert.

May noted that he’s tried to absorb Armenian emotions and music through Jivan Gasparyan’s work.

At the concert, May will play with Jivan Gasparyan Junior, the grandson of the late duduk legend.

Asked about music, particularly why the modern show-business is unable to give birth to the kind of art that would try to match the masterpieces by Queen or The Beatles, May said: “For my generation it’s even a bit difficult to understand today’s music. Perhaps it is the technological trends that are leading to not having such music. We were lucky: we used to criticize one another in Queen and the creative spirit was reaching harmonious balance. That’s what kept Queen.”