British band Queen may be hanging up their instruments and putting a stop to touring. Anita Dobson, the wife of guitarist Brian May, has provided an update on the future of the group while discussing May’s medical issues after he suffered several health problems in the last year, suggesting that the musicians will be slowing down.
Queen Will No Longer Take Part In Large Tours
Dobson, who is an actor best known for her work on the soap opera “EastEnders” in the United Kingdom, explained that the age of the various original band members in Queen meant that further tours are unlikely. She revealed to British tabloid newspaper The Mirror, “They will do little bits and bobs, but they won’t do those big tours. We are all getting old.”
The news may not be a surprise given the age of the remaining members of Queen. Both Roger Taylor and May are in their 70s, while original bassist John Deacon has already been retired for many years. Following the death of Freddie Mercury, the band has had a series of guest lead vocalists, although the role has most frequently been filled by Adam Lambert.
May suffered a stroke in 2024 that led to a stay in hospital and the loss of use of his left arm, although this was only a temporary symptom. He has also had other health issues, such as a heart attack in 2020 that was caused by three arteries being congested.
Is This the End for Queen
The information revealed by Dobson comes on the back of drummer Taylor telling the same paper that the band was currently having a break.
The 76-year-old confirmed that there were no immediate plans for the band to do anything at the moment, saying, “We are resting at the moment.”
When subsequently asked if this meant that the band would be resting forever, Taylor was less clear with his answer. He simply said, “At one point we will be.”
However, comments from Taylor earlier this year in Rolling Stone magazine seemed to indicate that Queen had no intention to retire any time soon.
“I don’t think we’re done,” he said. “And I don’t think we’re going to say a final farewell tour. Because it never is, is it?”
Could A Queen Hologram Show Happen?
In the same interview with The Mirror, Dobson also explained that the group has been discussing the possibility of an ABBA Voyage-type virtual show, although there are no concrete details at the moment.
“Yeah talk has been happening. Of course it would work,” Dobson revealed. “I have seen the ABBA show, except that it is a hologram. After a while, you are absolutely certain it is a hologram and I do miss seeing the people.
Dobson, though, is not convinced that the show would work well with current technology. She said, “There is no spontaneity, they can’t do anything different. What would Freddie [Mercury] make of it? Well, technology is getting more and more clever and futuristic.”
