Brian May, the legendary guitarist of the band Queen, recently opened up about his former bandmate John Deacon decades after he left the group following Freddie Mercury's death.
The musician spoke with The Guardian where he answered several questions sent by fans. One supporter asked the guitarist if he had any clue that Deacon would depart from the group permanently at the time when he claimed that he would only take a break.
May said, based on their working relationship in the past, the former bassist "was quite sensitive to stress." Although every member of Queen had a hard time accepting Freddie Mercury's passing, the guitarist said Deacon was the one who "particularly struggled." (via NME)
John Deacon Leaves Queen After Freddie Mercury's Death
Brian May noted that his bandmate didn't leave immediately after Mercury's death as they were still able to work on "a couple of things together."
The two collaborated on the track "No One But You" which the legendary guitarist wrote as a tribute to his late bandmate for a commemoration statue in Switzerland.
At the time, the event's goal was to open the ballet season and they even had Elton John do the vocals for them.
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However, at that moment, May said Deacon looked at the members of Queen and told them, "I can't do this any more."
Regarding their reactions, the guitarist said, "we knew that he at least needed a break, but as it turned out he never came back."
John Deacon Will Always Be a Part of Queen
Elsewhere in the interview, Brian May was asked if Deacon is still involved with the band in recent years, but he chose not to "go into much more detail" as he wanted to respect the bassist's privacy.
However, he clarified that the musician would always be a "part of the machinery of the band."
Regarding a major decision, May said Deacon doesn't always have to be involved, but he would communicate his feelings in some way.
In updates about John Deacon, Smooth Radio reported that the musician chose to stay away from the limelight after he retired from the music industry. He also never appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of Queen in 2001.
Today, the bassist is now 72 years old and it's still unclear if he has plans on going back to the music industry.
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