Queen’s Brian May says he still deals with imposter syndrome “all the time”

Queen guitarist Brian May says he still gets imposter syndrome, despite his long and successful music career.

Even though May had received a knighthood earlier this year, and was also voted as the greatest guitarist of all time in a Sky Arts poll, (ahead of greats such as Jimi Hendrix and Slash), he still faces his own doubts, just as many of us do.

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When appearing on the Fret Not podcast, host Rosie Bennet asked May if he’s ever suffered with imposter syndrome, which involves feelings of not belonging or being worthy enough for success: “All the time,” he says (as transcribed by Music Radar). “I always walk into a room even now, and I’m supposed to be Sir Brian May, and I think, ‘Ooh, what do people think? Maybe I shouldn’t be here.’

“Yeah, I get that a lot and until people start speaking to me I always assume that A) they don’t know who I am and B) they wouldn’t be interested anyway, and C) I’m gonna bore them to death. I get that a lot.”

He continues, “I don’t think it ever really goes away, and then logic tells you, ‘Oh, ok I’m that person and people will expect this, they won’t expect me to be a 16-year-old anymore, they expect me to know what I’m doing. In a way, it’s a healthy thing because it stops you from getting too arrogant and making assumptions. So it doesn’t bother me that much.”

May earned a PhD degree astrophysics in 2007, and although he deals with imposter syndrome in his music career, he also shares that it affects him more in the field of science.

You can watch the full Fret Not interview below. May speaks about imposter syndrome from the 29 minute mark:

May was knighted by King Charles III back in March this year – officially making him Sir Brian May – for his services to music and charity.

Queen and vocalist Adam Lambert are set to tour Japan in the new year. Find out more via their official website.