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Freddie Mercury

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Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury (September 5 1946 – November 24 1991) was a rock musician, best known as the frontman and lead singer for the English rock band Queen.

He is remembered for his powerful vocal abilities and charisma as a live performer. As a songwriter, he composed many international hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love," "We Are the Champions," and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

Mercury died from complications of AIDS, greatly increasing awareness of the disease.

Early life

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 Indian Parsis.[1] 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.[2]

Mercury was sent back to India to attend St. Peter's boarding school near Bombay (now Mumbai). It was at St. Peter's that he learned to play the piano and joined his first band. He stayed in India for most of his childhood, living with his grandmother and aunt. Mercury completed his education in India at St. Mary's High School in Mazagon before returning to Zanzibar. He was 17 when he and his family finally fled to England, as a result of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.[3] 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

File:Freddie mercury.jpg
Mercury in 1974.

Widely considered as one of the greatest vocalists in popular music,[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Freddie Mercury possessed a very distinctive voice. Although his speaking voice naturally fell in the baritone range, his singing voice was that of a tenor.[9] His recorded vocal range spanned nearly four octaves (falsetto included), with his lowest recorded note being the F1 (F2 in U.S.) and his highest recorded note being the D5 (D6 in U.S.).[9] 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.[10]

Songwriting

As a songwriter, Mercury wrote ten out of the seventeen songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Killer Queen," "Somebody to Love," "Don't Stop Me Now," "We Are the Champions," and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." However, by the 1980s, all four members of the band were writing hits. The most notable aspect of his songwriting involved the wide range of different genres that he used, which included, among other styles, rockabilly, heavy metal and disco. Compared to many popular songwriters, many of Freddie Mercury's songs were musically complex. As an example, "Bicycle Race" is set in seven different key signatures and contains continuous metre changes (i.e. the bridge is in 3/4, while verses and choruses are in 4/4).[citation needed] On the other hand, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is made up of only a few chords. Despite the fact that Mercury often wrote very intricate harmonies, he claimed that he could barely read music.[11]

Although all four members of the band Queen were songwriters, producer Gary Langan, 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."[12] 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.

Solo work

File:Fm3.jpeg
Mercury at Live Aid in 1985.

In addition to his work with Queen, Mercury produced two solo albums, Mr. Bad Guy and Barcelona. The former, released in 1985, was not considered to have been a commercial success. “Barcelona,” recorded with opera singer Montserrat Caballé, was one of the first albums[citation needed] to combine elements of popular music and opera. Caballé said of Mercury, “He was not only a popular singer, he was a musician, that could sit at the piano and compose. He discovered a new way to bring different music styles together. He is the first and only person to have done this.”[13] In September of 2006, a compilation album featuring Mercury’s solo work was released in the UK in honour of what would have been his sixtieth birthday. The album debuted in the UK top 10. [14]

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).[15] 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.

With Michael Jackson, Mercury collaborated on some tracks which were never officially released, including “There Must Be More To Life Than This” and “State of Shock.”[16] The latter song, released on the 1984 Victory album, was ultimately performed by Mick Jagger and The Jacksons. Mercury was originally scheduled to appear on the Thriller album as well.[16]

Personal life

File:Fm0.jpg
Mercury in 1990.

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!'[17] Although his relationship with Mary Austin eventually ended, the two remained very close friends. He once said of Austin, 'All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary (Austin), but it's simply impossible. The only friend I've got is Mary, and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that's enough for me. I couldn't fall in love with a man the same way as I have with Mary.'[18]

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.[19] According to Hutton, Mercury referred to him as his husband, and died wearing a wedding band that Hutton had given him.[20]

Mercury possessed a notable overbite that he had wanted to fix for many years. 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.[21]

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.[22] According to Record Collector magazine, after moving to England, Mercury became a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.[23] 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.”[24] 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.”[24]

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 an interview published that year, the British press nonetheless stalked the singer during the final years of his life.[25] 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 next 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, or in his family's possession. The remaining members of Queen founded The Mercury Phoenix Trust, and organised 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.[26]

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 14 and 15 spots as a popular musician and songwriter, respectively.[6]
  • Freddie Mercury ranked at No. 58 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.[27] This contradicts another major poll by Guinness World, which had previously found "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be the world's most popular song of the past 50 years.[28]
  • 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.[29]
  • 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.[5] He also came in second in MTV's list of the 22 greatest singers of the past 25 years.[8]

The world's first Indian and Persian rock star

Freddie Mercury was of full Indian Parsi ancestry, grew up in India, and moved to the UK only when he was 17. Consequently, he was arguably the world's first Indian rock star. Due to his Parsi background, he could also be considered the worlds first ethnic Persian rock star. In fact, Mercury referred to himself as 'Persian' on several occasions. [citation needed]

Millennium Stamp

The Millennium Stamp featuring Freddie Mercury.

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. At that time, members of the British Royal family were the only living people allowed to appear on stamps in the UK, although this policy has since changed.

Controversy surrounding sixtieth birthday celebration

On August 25, 2006, an organization calling itself the Islamic Mobilization and Propogation, or UAMSHO, petitioned the Zanzibar government's culture ministry, demanding that a large-scale celebration of what would have been Freddie Mercury's sixtieth birthday be cancelled.

UAMSHO had several complaints about the planned celebrations, including that Mercury was not a Muslim, had a homosexual lifestyle that was not in accordance with the laws of Islam, was not a true Zanzibari, and that 'associating Mercury with Zanzibar degrades our island as a place of Islam.'[30] The planned celebration was cancelled.

Quotes about Freddie Mercury

  • 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.[31]

  • Although he has long been criticised 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."[32] Rose also performed “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” along with his other gay idol, Elton John at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
  • Opera singer Montserrat Caballé, who collaborated with Mercury on the Barcelona album said of him, “The difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was he was selling the voice.” [33]
  • Rock star Robbie Williams, who has performed with two of the remaining members of Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor, was quoted as saying, “Freddie, if you’re out there and you want to choose any artist to channel your work, please give me an album, or at least a middle eight.”[33]
  • In an interview with KROQ radio, singer Tori Amos claimed that she invoked the spirit of Freddie Mercury in order to write a song called "Sugar." As she explained, "I was in Bath. This voice in my head, it sounded like Freddie, Freddie Mercury’s voice, and I was playing these chords, and I was thinking about this thing that made me write this song, and I just heard him go, 'Sugar, he brings me Sugar,' and I just went, 'Thanks, Freddie.'...." [34]

Discography

Solo: albums

Posthumous releases:

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


Biographies

  • Boyce, Simon. They Died Too Young: Freddie Mercury. Parragon. ISBN 0-7525-1105-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 1-901953-00-9
  • 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 0-7475-1922-6
  • 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 0-340-67209-9
  • Marten, Neville and Hudson, Jeffrey. Rock Lives: The Ultimate Story: Freddie Mercury & Queen. Castle Communications, 1995. ISBN 1-86074-040-5
  • Sky, Rick. The Show Must Go On. Fontana, 1992. ISBN 0-00-637843-9

References

  1. ^ Government of Zanzibar (1946). "Certificate of Birth". Retrieved from mr-mercury.co.uk, May 29, 2006.
  2. ^ "The Great Pretender. Exclusive interview with Freddie's sister Kashmira". Mail on Sunday, November 26, 2000. Retrieved from Queen Archives, July 29, 2006.
  3. ^ "Star of India". Sunday Times Magazine, November 17, 1996. Retrieved from Queen Archives, July 29, 2006.
  4. ^ Greg Prato: "Freddie Mercury — Biography". All Music Guide.
  5. ^ a b "Sinatra is voice of the century". BBC News. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "Music Of The Millennium". mr-mercury.co.uk. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "100 Greatest 'Male' Rock Vocalists". DigitalDreamDoor. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b MTV. "22 Greatest Voices in Music".
  9. ^ a b Andrés E. Guazzelli. "Characteristics of his voice". Retrieved May 29, 2006.
  10. ^ Circus, December 5, 1977. Retrieved from Queen Archives, July 29, 2006.
  11. ^ Melody Maker, May 2, 1981. Retrieved from Queen Archives, July 29, 2006.
  12. ^ David Evans, David Minns. Freddie Mercury: This Is the Real Life. Britannia, 1992. ISBN 0-9519937-1-2 (paperback), ISBN 0-9519937-0-4 (hardback)
  13. ^ Queen - The Royal Legend - Barcelona
  14. ^ Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/albums.shtmlUK Top 10 Albums, Sept. 10, 2006
  15. ^ Tim Jones. “How Great Thou Art… King Freddie”. Record Collector, July 1999. Retrieved from www.freddie.ru, July 29, 2006.
  16. ^ a b “Freddie Mercury talks about Michael Jackson”. Retrieved from YouTube.
  17. ^ Julie Webb. "Highly Strung? We Fight Over Hairspray." New Musical Express, March 12, 1974. Retrieved from mr-mercury.co.uk, May 29, 2006.
  18. ^ "The Mercury that's rising in Rock is Freddie the satiny seductor of 'Queen'." People, December 5, 1977. Retrieved from Queen Archives, July 29, 2006.
  19. ^ "Freddie and Jim: A Love Story", The Guardian, Weekend Magazine, October 22, 1994. Retrieved from queen.peoples.ru, May 29, 2006.
  20. ^ Jim Hutton, Tim Waspshott. Mercury and Me. Bloomsbury, 1994. ISBN 0-7475-1922-6
  21. ^ "Freddie Mercury covering overbite". 1:20. Retrieved from YouTube.
  22. ^ Jackson, Laura (1996). Mercury: The King of Queen. London: Smith Gryphon. ISBN 1-85685-132-X.
  23. ^ Andy Davis. “Queen Before Queen”. Record Collector, No. 199, March 1996. Retrieved from www.freddie.ru, May 29, 2006.
  24. ^ a b Scott Cohen (April). "Queen's Freddie Mercury Shopping for an Image in London (Circus magazine)". Queen Archives. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "Freddie Mercury & AIDS". VH1 Legends, 1998. Retrieved from YouTube.
  26. ^ David Wigg. "The Shy Woman Who Was Left The Mercury Millions". Daily Mail, Weekend Magazine, January 22, 2000. Retrieved from mr-mercury.co.uk, July 29, 2006.
  27. ^ Lester Haines. "'We Are The Champions' voted world's fave song". The Register, September 29, 2005.
  28. ^ "'Bohemian Rhapsody' Top Chart Topper". CBS News, November 9, 2002.
  29. ^ "100 Greatest 'Male' Rock Vocalists". DigitalDreamDoor.
  30. ^ Zanzibar Muslim leader: Ban Freddie Mercury party. CNN, August 31, 2006 Retrieved from www.CNN.com.
  31. ^ "Kurt Cobain’s Suicide Note". Retrieved from here, May 29, 2006.
  32. ^ Jeffrey Ressner. "Queen singer is rock’s first major AIDS casualty". Rolling Stone, January 9, 1992, Issue 621, p. 13. Retrieved from Queenzone, June 10, 2006.
  33. ^ a b Jeffrey Ressner. "Queen singer is rock's first major AIDS casualty". The Times, Septmber 2, 2006 Retrieved from [1]
  34. ^ "Sugar" on Tori Amos fan page
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