Brian May reveals Queen have asked John Deacon to rejoin them "a couple of times"

5 July 2022, 12:32 | Updated: 5 July 2022, 20:10

Queen's Brian May with photo of John Deacon inset. Picture: 1.Sven Hoogerhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images 2. Michael Putland/Getty Images

The legendary Queen guitarist has revealed that he and Roger Taylor have reached out to the band's former bassist asking him to reunite.

John Deacon has been asked to rejoin Queen "a couple of times".

The former Queen bass player famously left the band after Freddie Mercury's passing in 1991 and by 1997 had retired from music and public life entirely.

Little is known about 70-year-old's life now, but Brian May recently revealed that he's asked his former bandmate to rejoin the group on more than one occasion.

As reported by the Express, the legendary guitarist spoke to Rock FM Spain in April and when asked about the relationship between himself, drummer Roger Taylor and Deacon and if they would ever reunite, he replied: "I think not. Of course, we love John and we will always will, but we don’t have any significant contact with him now.

"That’s the way he wants it. He wanted to cut that tie and to be a private person and we have to respect that."

The Bohemian Rhapsody rocker added: "I don’t think that it would be easy for John to slip back into the arena that we inhabit. In fact, a couple of times we have asked him, but he always says 'No, that’s not what I do now.' And we have to respect that John doesn’t want to do it."

Queen's John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Brian May at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992. Picture: Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty

"I think it would be difficult for him anyway because things have changed a lot, and Roger and I have adapted a certain amount," he mused. "We’re still very old school but we’re aware of different ways of behaving these days and different ways in which our art is channelled."

Asked if fans could hope for any kind of reunion at all, the guitarist said: "No, I don’t that is going to happen sadly. I’d love to say yes but I don’t think it would," adding: "It’s possible that we could meet in some low-stress situation, I think, but in public, probably not."

Though Brian May hopes the trio can all meet one day in a "low-stress" private situation, he has very little hope of anything being done "in public".

Queen's Brian May, Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon in 1986. Picture: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

After Freddie Mercury's death, Deacon was said to be so upset he never wanted to go on with the band, telling them: "As far as we are concerned, this is it. There is no point carrying on. It is impossible to replace Freddie."

He played live for Queen on three more occasions; The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on 20th April 1992, in a charity gig with Roger Taylor at Cowdray House on 18th September 1993 and at the opening of the Bejart Ballet in Paris on 17th January 1998, playing The Show Must Go On with Elton John on lead vocals.

It was after this that he decided to retire from music, only re-appearing briefly to rejoin his bandmates on the recording of the final Queen song, No-One but You (Only The Good Die Young), which was included on the Queen Rocks album.

Deacon lives in Putney, in south west London with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff and has six children.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, he is thought to be worth around £130m.