Brian May: “Commander”, Astrophysicist and Animal Activist Extraordinaire

Oh, yeah.  And member of Queen.

Brian May turns 65 today, born on July 19, 1947 in London, England.

And talk about a Renaissance Man.

He holds a  PhD in astrophysics, was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2006  for his "services to the music industry and his charity work", is the current Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, and is a staunch defender of animals.

And, of course, Brian is the guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer of Queen, and was ranked at #26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

So here we have an amazing man who is both a scientist and a musician, and has a big heart for others, including the creatures with whom we share this planet.

I always liked Brian May's musicianship, but when I found out he was a fellow animal advocate, I was really smitten.

He formed a group called, appropriately, Save Me, which campaigns for the protection of all animals against unnecessary, cruel and degrading treatment, with a special focus on ending fox hunting and the "culling" of badgers.

In an interview in 2010, in fact, May said he'd rather be remembered for his animal rights work than for his music or science.

I love this man.

He's brilliant, talented, but most importantly,  he's compassionate, too!

Happy birthday to a great human being!