Through Chrissie's eyes

The Interview

The BBC studios were no longer so strange to me, although they were very different from the last time I remembered being there. Brian and I walked side by side, silently, just concentrating on finding the producer of the show, who would give us the guidelines on how everything would work, something else I also knew, due to the previous appearances of Queen there.

Despite this first priority, our concern was also about the questions themselves, and how Brian would respond if the topic we feared came up.

We waited for producer Jack Sutherling to come and talk to us in a relatively small waiting room. Watching my husband, I saw in his expressions every sign of nervousness.

"You'll do well, Bri" I said honestly.

"It's not easy alone, I mean, I love you and I'm grateful to you to be with me here, it's just that the four of us ..." Brian sighed "we've always been together, and we've always done it together, but, well, we're here, let's face it."

"Yeah, and look, I've got a few more observations to make" I said, thinking of all the ideas I had to help him.

"Tell me anything you think is useful" he said willingly.

But before I could say more, we were interrupted by Sutherling.

"I've been warned now that you've arrived" he said a little embarrassed, extending a hand to Brian "it's a great pleasure to have you with us, Mr. May, I'm glad you accepted the invitation."

"Thank you, thank you." Brian was polite, but his concern was still there.

"And your assistant, Mrs. May" Jack smiled at me "you're equally welcome."

"Thank you" I said cordially.

"Well, you still have half an hour before we start the interview" resumed the producer, "but a stage assistant will come to warn you."

We nodded, and understood everything, and he left us.

"Well, as I was saying" I said again, without wasting time "it's a talk show, they have other attractions besides you, so the interview is likely to take 15-20 minutes. If you see tha they are going to start with any other question that doesn't involve Freddie, stall them on the answer.

"Stall them? And I say what?" Brian was a little alarmed "I'm sort of trained in short, objective answers."

"This is not the case here" I reminded him, "and you go off very well when you want."

"But there's a contradiction there" he raised a forefinger for emphasis "we have to give the answers they want about Queen."

"Well then" I nodded, "ramble a little, answer without giving the personal details. Did you think of a response like that?"

"Yeah, I think so, I have something on my mind already, but you know how unpredictable these things are" Brian argued.

"Well, in that case, all you have to do is go on an impromptu" I shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"I'll look at you and follow your cues" Brian proposed.

"We have a deal" I nodded, understanding we had a plan.

After that half an hour of waiting, we were called to the studio. We exchanged a look before we parted, I would kiss him wishing luck (even if it wasn't before a show), but we were in a place full of strangers. I took my place in the audience, very visible to Brian. He sat down on the couch. We heard a bell ring, warning that the program would air again in a moment. And again we looked at each other, reaffirming everything we had agreed upon.

"We're back with "Good Morning Britain" announcer Janine Bunker announced "and this is a very special block, as we're getting the one and only Brian May, guitarist for the extraordinary Queen, led by the incredible Freddie Mercury. Thanks for coming, Brian."

"Oh yes, thank you" my husband smiled at her and the audience "thank you for your compliments."

"Well, that last year was pretty different for Queen fans" Janine started "your last album was "The Works" which had great hits. But fans always want more, so what can you tell us about what Queen is preparing for next year?"

Brian stared at the ground for a second, disguising that sense of loss of direction, of not knowing what to do now.

"Well, like every year we ..." he paused a little to look at me "we get together, thinking of each other's ideas, and together we make suggestions to each other to perfect the song as a group, and in our next work, it won't be different, we will follow this same path."

"Okay." Janine seemed pleased with the answer "so the fact that your bandmate Freddie Mercury is working on a solo album doesn't disturb Queen's timeline? How is everything now that Freddie has dedicated himself to his solo career? How is Queen facing this change now?"

Brian gave me a look that said "Stay calm, I know how to answer this." "I trust you," I looked back to him, quietly.

"Freddie is experimenting with new forms of art, of expression" he said matter-of-factly, but I realized that he had trained that "sometimes as artists and under the pressure of creating something new and even different kinds of inspiration, to fill the question of the "what ifs" in our head, that's what Freddie is doing, and we're all taking advantage of this time to discover new things."

And after Brian finished speaking, I gave him a smile of "that's the rambling I said." He smiled back, glad that I approved.

"Well, Brian, you said something very interesting about inspiration," Janine said, "and certainly a varied inspiration is part of Queen's songs, and fans know of songs from their bandmates that were inspired by their loved ones. Have you written a song for your beloved? Um ... (At that she paused to read a note on the table) Christine, isn't she?

For that I didn't expect, my cheeks and Brian's cheeks flushed simultaneously.

"Yes, yes, it's my wife." Brian went on automatically, since he knew he couldn't leave the hostess speaking alone "although she preferred Chrissie, or Mrs. May. Mrs. May is better."

"Yes, and she's here, isn't she?" Janine turned to me and the cameras with her, I only had to give a polite smile and my best face of Queen's guitarist wife "hello, welcome!"

She looked at me for another second and went on with the interview.

"And she's been your personal assistant for how long now?" Janine wanted to know.

"Um, for 8 years, officially, but I think it's better to say it's 14 years, it's the time we're together" Brian smiled at me and then at the hostess.

"It's really a lot of time, and of course you're a lovely couple because we all can see your complicity, so I ask you again, have you ever wrote a song for Mrs. May?" Bunker insisted.

"Well, it was not for lack of idea" Brian made a little joke "but Chrissie is a very shy and private person, I don't think she would like me to put it so clearly, but of course every time I write a song the romantic inspiration for sure comes from my wife."

"That's lovely and adorable" Janine commented. "Unfortunately, our time is up, but I really appreciate your attention. Ladies and gentlemen, this was Brian May from Queen! We came back soon with "Good Day Britain".

The cameras stopped recording, Brian greeted Janine and I got up to accompany him.

"That was very unexpected" I whispered to him, softly "but I loved every single one of your answers, including the one about me."

"That was my point." He smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, which made my heart melt a little more.