Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury (5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a musician, best known as the frontman and vocalist for the English rock band Queen. He was noted for his powerful vocal abilities and for his charisma as a live performer. As a songwriter, he composed many international hits such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and "We Are the Champions." Mercury died from complications of AIDS, greatly increasing awareness of the disease.

Early life

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on the African island of Zanzibar (at the time a British colony, now part of Tanzania). His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, were Parsi Indians. As Parsis, the family practised the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. The family had emigrated to Zanzibar in order for Bomi to continue his job as a middle-ranking cashier at the British Colonial Office. Mercury had one younger sister, Kashmira.

Mercury was sent back to India in order to attend St. Peter's boarding school near Bombay (now Mumbai). It was at St. Peter's where he learned to play the piano and joined his first band. Mercury completed his education in India at St. Mary's High School in Mazagon and was 17 when he and his family fled to England, as a result of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution. In England, he earned a Diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College, following in the footsteps of Pete Townshend. He later used these skills in order to design the famous Queen crest. Mercury remained a British citizen for the rest of his life.

Singer and performer

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Mercury (bottom) with Queen band mates in 1974.

Widely considered one of the greatest vocalists in popular musical history, Freddie Mercury possessed a very distinctive voice. Although his speaking voice naturally fell in the baritone range he sang in the tenor range. His recorded vocal range spanned nearly four octaves (falsetto included), with his lowest recorded note being the F1 and his highest recorded note being the D5. In addition to vocal range, Mercury often delivered technically difficult songs in a powerful manner. However, due in part to the fact that he suffered from vocal nodules (for which he declined surgery), he would often lower the highest notes during many concerts. Mercury also claimed that he never had any formal vocal training.

With his vocal versatility, Freddie Mercury is considered to have been one of the most technically accomplished singers in popular music. In a list of the greatest English language singers of the 20th century compiled by BBC Radio, Mercury was the highest ranked hard rock vocalist, having been voted at the tenth spot. He also came in second in MTV's list of the 22 greatest singers of the past 25 years.

Mercury is widely considered to have been one of the greatest live performers in rock history. For instance, his performance with Queen at Live Aid in 1985 was voted by music journalists in 2005 as the greatest live rock performance of all time. Of all the artists present at the Live Aid concert, Queen was widely regarded as having stolen the show, largely as a result of Mercury's talent and charisma. One of Mercury's trademarks throughout the years involved the use of a microphone and stand minus the bottom section. In his early years of singing he made the decision to pick up his microphone, still attached to the stand. At one particular event, the bottom fell off by accident and, from that point on, he decided to use a bottomless microphone stand.

Songwriting

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Freddie Mercury in the 1975 video for Bohemian Rhapsody.

As a songwriter, Mercury wrote ten out of the seventeen songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album. However, by the 1980s, all four members of the band were writing hits. Compared to many popular songwriters, Freddie Mercury tended to write musically complex material. As an example, "Bicycle Race" is set in seven different key signatures and contains continuous meter changes (i.e. the bridge is in 3/4, while verses and choruses are in 4/4). Another characteristic of his songwriting involves songs that combine elements from dissimilar musical genres. For instance, "Bohemian Rhapsody" contains both a heavy metal as well as an operatic section. Further examples include "Killer Queen," "Bicycle Race," "The Millionaire Waltz," "The March Of The Black Queen," and "I'm Going Slightly Mad." Despite the fact that Mercury often wrote very intricate harmonies, he claimed that he could barely read music.

Although all four members of the band Queen were songwriters, producer Gary Langhan, who worked in the studio with Queen on many of their early albums, notes in the book Freddie Mercury: The Real Life that "Freddie was always intensely supportive of other people's songwriting and would give as much attention to one of the other's as he would to his own. It was so unlike other bands I've worked with where there is an acknowledged songwriter and anyone else who writes one really has to hassle to get it anywhere." Mercury wrote most of his songs on the piano, often choosing keys that were technically difficult for band mate and guitarist Brian May (e.g. E flat major). Although he possessed only rudimentary skills on the guitar, Mercury wrote many lines and riffs (e.g. those for "Ogre Battle," and "Bohemian Rhapsody") for the instrument. He also wrote "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" on the guitar.

Influences

As a child, Freddie Mercury's parents listened to a great deal of Indian music, and one of his early influences was the Bollywood playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar. According to Record Collector magazine, after moving to England, Mercury became a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Mercury said of Hendrix: "Jimi Hendrix is very important. He's my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place." Another of Mercury's favourite performers was singer and actress Liza Minnelli. In a 1975 interview, he says of Minnelli: "Liza, in terms of sheer talent, just oozes with it. She has sheer energy and stamina, which she gets across the stage, and the way she delivers herself to the public is a good influence. There is a lot to learn from her."

Personal life

Although he had a very close girlfriend named Mary Austin, Freddie Mercury was fairly open about his sexuality. In a March 12, 1974 interview for New Musical Express he told the interviewer: "I am as gay as a daffodil, my dear!" Although his relationship with Mary Austin eventually ended, the two remained very close friends, with Austin often fronting as his girlfriend for the press. While Mercury had previously been promiscuous, his last boyfriend, Jim Hutton, lived with him for the last six years of his life, cared for him when he was ill and was present with him at his bedside when he died. According to Hutton, Mercury referred to him as his husband and died wearing a wedding band that Hutton had given him.

Death from AIDS

According to the book Mercury and Me by partner Jim Hutton, Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in the spring of 1987. Despite his claim to have tested negative for HIV in a 1987 interview, the British press nonetheless stalked the singer during the final years of his life. Although rumours about his health were rampant, he continued to deny that he had AIDS. However, from the video for "These Are the Days of Our Lives," which represents Mercury's last appearance on film, it was clear from his gaunt appearance that he was seriously ill. On November 22, 1991 Mercury called Queen's manager Jim Beach over to his Kensington home to discuss a public statement. The following day, November 23, the following announcement was made to the press:

"Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue."

A little over 24 hours after issuing the statement, Freddie Mercury died at home in the presence of close friends at the age of 45. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Although he had not attended religious services in years, Mercury's funeral was conducted by a Zoroastrian priest. He was cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, and the whereabouts of his ashes are unknown, although some believe them to have been dispersed into Lake Geneva. The remaining members of Queen founded The Mercury Phoenix Trust and organized The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He left £500 000 to his chef, £500 000 to his personal assistant, £100 000 to his driver and £500 000 to his partner, Jim Hutton. Mary Austin, his life-long friend, inherited the estate and now lives there with her family.

Legacy

Freddie Mercury Statue in Montreux.

Recent polls

• Several recent polls show Freddie Mercury to remain popular in Britain. For instance, in the 1999 Millennium Poll, in which 600,000 Britons participated, he was voted into the number 6, 14, and 15 spots, respectively, as a popular musician and songwriter.
• Freddie Mercury appears at the No. 58 spot in the 2002 List of "100 Greatest Britons", sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public.
• Two of Mercury's songs, "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are the Champions" have each been claimed, in separate polls, as the world's favourite song. Most recently, an Ericsson poll of 600,000 people in 66 different countries found "We Are the Champions" to be the world's most popular tune. This contradicts another major poll by Guinness World, which had previously found "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be the world's most popular song from the past 50 years.
• The online music community at DigitalDreamDoor has consistently placed Freddie Mercury at the number one position on a list of the 100 greatest rock vocalists.

The world's first Indian and Persian rock star

Because Freddie Mercury was of Parsi descent, grew up in India, and did not move to the UK until he was 17, he was arguably the world's first Indian rock star. On the other hand, Mercury often referred to himself not as Indian, but as Persian, due to his Parsi roots. As such, he was also arguably the world's first Persian rock star.

Valuable Mercury memorabilia

Over the years, rare Freddie Mercury solo albums have greatly increased in value. For instance, a Japanese single of the song "Guide Me Home" from the Barcelona album is now worth as much as £1,000 ($1,800). Another valuable item is a 1973 cover of the 1969 Beach Boys song, I Can Hear Music recorded under the stage name Larry Lurex. Widely bootlegged, the original record is now a valuable collectible.

Millennium Stamp

A Royal Mail stamp called The Millennium Stamp commemorated the life of Freddie Mercury. The stamp caused controversy because Queen drummer Roger Taylor could be seen in the background. Members of the British Royal family are the only living people allowed to appear on stamps in the UK.

Trivia

• Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson were apparently quite good friends for some period of time. With Jackson, he collaborated on some tracks which were never officially released, including There Must Be More To Life Than This and State Of Shock. The latter song, released on the 1984 Victory album, was ultimately performed by Mick Jagger and The Jacksons.
• Freddie Mercury was the one rock star mentioned in singer Kurt Cobain's suicide note :

"I havent [sic] felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddy [sic] Mercury who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy."

• Although he has long been criticized by gay activists, singer Axl Rose was apparently a devoted Freddie Mercury fan. He has been quoted as saying, "If I didn't have Freddie Mercury's lyrics to hold on to as a kid, I don't know where I would be. It taught me about all forms of music. It would open my mind. I never really had a bigger teacher in my whole life." Rose also performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" along with Elton John at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
• Freddie Mercury's famous overbite was apparently caused by the presence of four extra teeth, which pushed his incisors out. He commented early in his career that he wished to have work done, but regretted that he did not have time to do it. He also expressed fears that such an operation might damage his voice. While smiling in interviews, Mercury would often cover his mouth with his hand in an attempt to hide the overbite.
• In 2004, Mercury was ranked 18 in a Forbes magazine list of the highest earning dead celebrities.
• A species of East African isopod, Cirolana mercuryi N. Bruce, was named after Mercury in 2004.
• Ormus Cama, the Indian Parsi rock and roll star and hero of Salman Rushdie's novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet, was loosely based on Mercury.
• Mercury died on the same day as KISS drummer Eric Carr.
• Mercury was the shortest of the band at 5' 9"(175.2 cm).

Discography

Solo: albums

• Mr. Bad Guy (1985)
• Barcelona (1988, with Montserrat Caballé)

Posthumous releases:

• The Freddie Mercury Album / The Great Pretender [US version] (1992)
• The Solo Collection (10 CDs and 2 DVDs) (2000)
• Lover of Life, Singer of Songs (2006)

Solo: selected singles

• Love Kills (1984)
• I Was Born to Love You (1985)
• Made in Heaven (1985)
• Living on My Own (1985)
• Time (1986)
• The Great Pretender (1987, re-released 1993)
• Barcelona (with Montserrat Caballé, 1987, re-released 1992)
• In My Defence (1992)
• Living on My Own (No More Brothers remix, 1993)
• Love Kills (Sunshine People Remixes, 2006)

Queen

• Queen discography

Biographies

• Boyce, Simon. They Died Too Young: Freddie Mercury. Parragon. ISBN 0-75251-105-X (hardback)
• Clarke, Ross. Freddie Mercury: A Kind Of Magic. ISBN 1-874130-01-9
• Evans, David and Minns, David. Freddie Mercury: This is the Real Life. Brittania, 1992. ISBN 0-9519937-1-2 (paperback), ISBN 0-9519937-0-4 (hardback)
• Evans, David and Minns, David. Freddie Mercury - The Real Life: The Truth Behind The Legend. ISBN 1-9019-5300-9
• Freestone, Peter. Freddie Mercury: An Intimate Memoir By the Man Who Knew Him Best. Omnibus Press, 2001. (paperback)
• Freestone, Peter and Evans, David. Mister Mercury. ISBN 0-9533341-0-4
• Hutton, Jim and Waspshott, Tim. Mercury and Me. Bloomsbury, 1994. ISBN 0747519226
• Jackson, Laura. Mercury: The King of Queen. London: Smith Gryphon, 1996. ISBN 1-85685-132-X
• Jones, Lesley-Ann. Freddie Mercury. The Definitive Biography. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1997. ISBN 0340672099
• Marten, Neville and Hudson, Jeffrey. Rock Lives: The Ultimate Story: Freddie Mercury & Queen. Castle Communications, 1995. ISBN 1-8607-40-405
• Sky, Rick. The Show Must Go On. Fontana, 1992. ISBN 0-00637843-9

External links

• Official Freddie Mercury site (Lover of Life Singer of Songs)
• Queen Archives - Freddie Mercury interviews
• The Voice: Freddie Mercury - extensive details of Mercury's voice, including vocal range
• Official Queen site
• The Official International Queen Fan Club
• Official Freddie Mercury MySpace page
• Documentary on Google Video
• Biography (Record Collector)
• Freddie Mercury photographs by Denis O'Regan
• Queenzone
• Freddie Mercury and Queen stamp and phonecard collection
• Queen & Freddie Mercury's CD single discography
• Freddie Mercury at IMDb
• Template:Last.fm

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