This is just a fun post for me, today. As any one of my friends or family members would attest, my favorite band is Queen. Along with many others, I was watching American Idol last night and I had to chuckle a bit when one of the contestants was described as something like Freddie Mercury's lovechild from Woodstock.
So, then I was talking about him and Queen with one of my family members afterwards and I realized that I could most definitely do a post about him on Think Classic, partly because he was a classic rock musician, and partly because I'm the head author so I can do whatever I please.
Freddie Mercury
Born September 5, 1946
Died November 24, 1991
The man that the world knows as "Freddie Mercury" was actually born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar to Parsis parents, Bomi and Jer. There are many people who also do not know that he had a younger sister named Kashmira. Farrokh displayed a keen interest in music during his childhood, so his parents gave him piano lessons while he was in elementary school. He was sent to an all boys boarding school in Bombay in 1954, and it was here that his musical talents truly thrived. He had a musical ear, and could play back almost anything on the piano after hearing it on the radio. By the age of 12 he put together his own band with some of his schoolmates. It was as he began to perform with his band and sometimes on his own, that he decided to start going by the name of Freddie. After graduating from school he returned to his family in Zanzibar.
They did not remain there for long, however. The Zanzibar Revolution began in the 1960s, and Freddie and his family left the country for their own safety, eventually settling in Middlesex, England. Shortly after that, Freddie decided to enroll in what is now West Thames College of West London. He received a degree in art and graphic design.
After his graduation, Freddie worked various different jobs to get by while he tried to start a musical career. He worked at Heathrow Airport, and spent much of his free time selling clothes in the Kensington Market with his girlfriend, Mary Austin, whom he had met through his good friend and guitarist Brian May.
Finally, in 1970, Freddie (who had now officially adopted the surname of Mercury), Brian May, and one of May's previous bandmates, Roger Taylor, teamed up to create a band of their own. Freddie drew the logo for the new band himself, but when the question arose of what they would call themselves, Freddie boldly picked out a name the others did not feel comfortable with. Freddie persisted and won out, and Queen was formed.
As a band, Queen broke musical boundaries, and wrote some of the best remembered songs of their time. Queen was cutting edge, in every way, and many would say that is due to Freddie. He spent much of his time writing original songs, and his lyrics were cultural, diverse, eloquent, and creative. He also wrote the songs to fit into many different genres like gospel, disco, progressive rock, heavy metal, and many more. During concerts, Freddie never failed to put on a show. He was highly theatrical, always made a point of interacting and connecting with the crowd, and he became known for his flamboyant costumes. He was his very own enigma--always shocking and doing something different, creative or unique, yet at the same time always becoming what the audience wanted. The audience's love made him come alive into an extreme extrovert, that was far from his true off-stage personality.
Whilst continuing to work with Queen, Freddie also made the decision to branch out on his own. As a solo artist, he produced two studio albums, released 3 years apart. The first, Mr. Bad Guy (1985), was a more fun album with dance music. The second, Bacelona (1988), was to many a baffling combination of some of the more popular genres of the day and opera music. Even though neither album rated as high as any of the albums he made with Queen, they were still successful, especially in the UK.
Freddie was intensely private when it came to his personal life, but when he did speak about it, he was open about his bisexuality. He also spoke about his love for long-time girlfriend, Mary Austin, who was the love of his life even after their relationship ended. He also said that she was his only friend, and several of his songs allude to her.
In the spring of 1987, Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS. He did not want the public, especially his fans, to be made aware of his condition, even stating in one of his rare interviews that he tested negative. Despite his success in keeping it a secret, rumors began to spread because of his physical appearance. As time went on he became shockingly thin and gaunt. He stopped working with Queen in the summer of 1991, and then retreated to his home and privacy. Mary Austin came to visit and care for him regularly as his illness progressed. Eventually he reached a low point where he became bedridden and his eyesight began to fail. Miserable, he made the decision to go off his medication. In November of that year, he arranged for a public statement to be released, in which he finally acknowledged his illness to the public, pleading for his privacy to continue. Almost exactly 24 hours after that statement was released, Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991. He was 45 years old. Raised in the Zoroastrian religion, he remained devout throughout he life, and a priest conducted his small and private funeral. It is believed that the only person who knows where his ashes were put to rest is Mary Austin, who was granted his estate in his will, which is where she still resides today.
Freddie Mercury once said that he wanted to be a legend. Throughout his career he released 17 studio albums, including the two he put out as a solo artist. He is still remembered and well known all around the world today. There are statues, plaques, and other various tributes to him in many different countries. He has been ranked as one of the greatest rock singers of all time. I think it is safe to say that he got his wish.
"I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend."
-Freddie Mercury
"When I'm dead, I want to be remembered as a musician of some worth and substance."
-Freddie Mercury
If ever I had to choose one song that perfectly described Queen in it's style, genre, content and energy, it would be one of the singles from their 1979 album Jazz, entitled Don't Stop Me Now:
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