In a recent chat with Mojo, Brian May revealed whether John Deacon still has a role in Queen.
“John still has a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ say,” the guitarist explained. “We get messages that he’s happy with what we’re doing, but he doesn’t want the stress of being involved creatively, and we respect that. Freddie, we can’t talk to, sadly.”
He continued, “But the four of us worked as a team for so long that Roger and I have a pretty good idea what our fellow Queen members would be saying. This thing is longer that anybody’s marriage.”
Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991 had a huge impact on Deacon, and he lost interest in performing. After playing a few more shows, the bassist retired from music in 1997 and has stayed out of the public eye since.
Since retiring, Deacon has lived a private life and avoided the public eye. He didn’t attend Queen’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2001 and hasn’t participated in the band’s collaborations with Paul Rodgers or Adam Lambert. Though not in touch with his former bandmates, he still handles Queen’s business matters.
Last year, May shared why Deacon left Queen after Mercury’s death while answering questions from The Guardian readers. He said, “All I can say is that, historically, John was quite sensitive to stress. We all found it hard losing Freddie, but I think John particularly struggled.”
The rocker also added, “We knew that he at least needed a break, but as it turned out, he never came back. I don’t think that I can go into much more detail – we have to respect the fact that John needs his privacy now – but he’s still part of the machinery of the band.”
“If we have any major decision, business-wise, it’s always run past John. It doesn’t mean he talks to us – generally, he doesn’t – but he will communicate in some way. He’s still very much part of Queen,” May noted.
Although their former bassist stays distant, Queen continues to perform with Lambert as the new vocalist. They had the 2023 Rhapsody Tour, starting in North America. They last performed in Japan in February 2024.