Brian May’s opinion on Joe Walsh

One of the most successful and inventive guitarists of all time, as well as an astrophysicist, Brian May was influenced by many different kinds of music, although Rock and Roll has always been his greatest passion. Over the decades, he has had the chance to meet many of his peers, watch them perform and follow their evolution as musicians.

Throughout his career, he has shared his opinion on many American guitar players, including Joe Walsh, member of both James Gang and Eagles.

What is Brian May’s opinion on Joe Walsh

Brian May has been a big fan of Joe Walsh ever since his days with James Gang, and one of his favorite songs by the American musician is “Rocky Mountain Way”, released in 1973. He has had the opportunity to perform the song with Walsh twice, most recently in 2019. Reflecting on the experience, he wrote on social media: “Folks! Here I am showing off my perfect life!!! Joe Walsh, my hero and my friend, on stage tonight with James Burton. Yeeeay!”

They were together that night in Nashville on the fundraising event hosted by James Burton for his foundation. The purpose was to put music, especially guitars in schools and rehab institutions. After the performance with May talked about performing with Walsh. In his opinion, the American musician was among a “great cast-iron original heroes of Rock Guitar”.

He continued:

“A moment I will treasure. Joe Walsh – one of the great cast-iron original heroes of Rock Guitar – and me, having just nailed his ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ together at the James Burton guitar night in Nashville last week. I’m probably going to be flashing back to that great night more than once. But if you swipe, come with me to flashback much further.”

He also recalled when during Seville Expo guitar festival in 1991, he invited Joe Walsh and other musicians like Steve Vai, Nuno Bettencourt and Paul Rodgers to play with him. They ended performing the same Walsh classic, also Funk #49″, “Now I’m Here” and “Hey Joe”. “To 1991 at the Seville Expo’ guitar festival. As the organizer of that evening, I had invited Joe to play along with a wonderful bunch including Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Nuno Bettencourt, Paul Rodgers, Nathan East, Cozy Powell and Rick Wakeman.”

“We all felt there was no finer thing than to play ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ with its originator, the delightfully insane Joe Walsh. 28 years later, it was the same feeling for me. I love this picture, but what I love probably even more is Joe’s own comment. He said:’As good as it gets’, written on his own Instagram post. Proud!” he said on his website in 2019.

Brian May is also an Eagles fan

Besides being a big fan of Joe Walsh’s solo work and his time with James Gang, Brian also admires the Eagles. Back in 2016, when the band’s co-founder, guitarist, and singer Glenn Frey passed away at the age of 67, Brian posted a message mourning his death as well as that of Mott the Hoople drummer Dale Griffin.

“RIP Buffin (Dale Griffin) and Glenn Frey. So now our old comrade Buffin – from Mott the Hoople – is gone. And Glenn Frey from the Eagles? My God. The sound of our own wheels. Some great days – in our memories for a little while longer. I’m finding this month pretty sad,” he said in his website.

Last year, Brian and Joe Walsh were photographed with guitarist and singer Bob Weir on the night they attended a Dead & Company show at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Brian May is only a few months older than Joe Walsh. Both were born in 1947, but the British musician began his career slightly earlier, in 1963. Walsh would start his professional career only in 1965.

Interestingly, however, the American musician was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first. He was inducted in 1998 as a member of the Eagles. Brian May would not be inducted until 2001, when he entered as a member of Queen.