Brian May’s ‘My Angels Are Calling’ Becomes a Memorial for Steve Cropper

A studio collaboration Brian May had initially walked away from became something he couldn’t leave unfinished after Steve Cropper died. The Queen guitarist has detailed how “My Angels Are Calling” shifted from a possible guest spot into a direct memorial for the soul and blues architect.

May had been sent a demo for Cropper’s next record following his 2024 album Friendlytown and passed on it. The material didn’t click, and he wasn’t in the right headspace to commit. A second track, featuring Billy Gibbons, changed his position. Cropper’s rhythm work on it stood out. May described it as having an odd chord sequence that climbs and falls back down, with small riffs that pulled him in.

He was preparing to record the song when Cropper died at 84 on 3 December 2025. May saw the session as an opportunity. Cropper had already played on the track, so May chose to sing it as if he were the late guitarist. “This song has to be a memorial for Steve,” he said. The vocal was written within hours, shaped by Cropper’s long career and May’s admission that he wished he’d known him better.

Cropper’s influence runs through soul and rock history — Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Green Onions,” “In the Midnight Hour.” May’s own point of reference was the sound of a guitar talking. That influence now carries a specific, personal marker.