brian harold may, the only child of harold and ruth may, was born on 19 july 1947 in hampton, middlesex and attended hampton grammar school (now hampton school). during this time he formed his first band with vocalist and bassist tim staffell named nineteen eighty-four after george orwell's novel of the same name. he graduated from hampton grammar school with ten gce ordinary levels and four advanced levels in physics, mathematics, applied mathematics and additional mathematics.