Talk:Freddie Mercury

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Lyric Tenor

It does not appear to me that there is enough documentation to say that Freddie Mercury was a "lyric tenor." Although I do not doubt this fact, it is not good enough to simply cite a personal web page. After all, it could just be the webmaster's opinion that Mercury was a lyric tenor. In order to really prove this fact, you need some kind of external citation from a published article. On the other hand, I think that the web page does a good job at documenting vocal range. Because you are not going to find an official article that documents vocal range, I think that this personal web page is sufficient to establish an objective fact like vocal range, but not a more subjective matter like vocal weight.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.190.44.85 (talk • contribs)

You can hear what his voice was like by listening to some Queen records!--feline1 15:17, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

However, as he says, not everyone is educated enough to define what vocal wieght Freddie was. We need a source from some site or book whose author has the education to make such a claim... Billvoltage 20:22, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Better Picture!

Oh my God! That is one God-awful picture of Mercury. It dosen't look like him at all! It really needs to be changed into either a picture of him from the early years (long hair and make-up) or even better him performing in a concert because that is what he's most famous for! Would someone who knows how to change the picture please do so.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.41.29.111 (talk • contribs)

The picture is very appropriate for a biography.--Miketm 00:18, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

That picture is really depressing looking! Why not get one during a concert. It is alsocame from a time when he had been diagnosed with AIDS. Why not get a healthy picture? 67.190.44.85 01:13, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

A live photo is not appropriate for the main photo. It should be a promotional photo, preferably a head shot.--Miketm 01:58, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

This? --SparqMan 21:15, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

That's a good picture, the reason I didn't use that one is because nowadays every picture of Freddie is from the era, I felt the photo there now shows off his profile well. Also it was used as the cover for one of his biographies.--Miketm 05:25, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

What do you MEAN? I find him all sorts of handsome in the current photo. It's also one of the few where he looks somewhat ethnic. Actually, I find the suggested photo above to be extremely unflattering. But meh, meh, meh. 67.85.178.227

Guys, the sickly picture needs to be replaced. As a woman, I can assure you that Freddie Mercury was very hot. This is evident from the photo that is up there at the moment. 67.190.44.85 01:10, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

The photo you placed in the article has been deleted before.— miketm - Queen WikiProject - 01:16, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, it is too bad that you deleted it, since it was pretty damn hot. The one up there now is pretty familar though, even to people who are not into Queen. 67.190.44.85 04:17, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

i didn't delete it.— miketm - Queen WikiProject - 09:47, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Seriously, whoever deleted the former picture should hang his head in shame. The new one is the worst I have ever seen of Freddie. Someone get the former one back, please.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.167.131.224 (talk • contribs) .

The picture that is up there, is, in my opinion, the best looking picture of him... However, this is not the picture he was known by. He was known by the short hair, and the moustache. I believe that we need a picture with short hair and the moustache. Billvoltage 01:29, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I think I would agree that he was more know with the moustache, though many should recognize him from bohemian rhapsody video. But why aren't there a few pictures of him thru the aritcle, showing various periods? I also agree that the current photo is a good one of him, maybe just add later a live photo from the 80s, covering live and moustache...Donny 22:15, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

What about this one from 1987?; http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/510/fredchairnw9.jpg . At the Freddie Mercury Photographic Exhibition, it's labelled as "Freddie's favourite photo of himself". So not only was it a favourite of Mercury, but it is a highly recognisable picture, what with the moustache and the cheeky grin. Perry 15:11, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

I have added three photos showing his appearance in 1974, 1985, and 1990.— miketm - Queen WikiProject - 16:40, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Having just watched the Live Aid DVD performance, I don't think the current 1985 photo is from Live Aid.--Undertow87 01:17, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

The Live Aid logo is in the background.— miketm - Queen WikiProject - 12:37, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

The picture is not from Queen's 20 minute Live Aid set (Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, Crowd Participation, Hammer To Fall, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions), but rather from later in the show, when just Freddie Mercury and Brian May returned and performed Is This The World We Created.—Perry 13:08, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

My mistake. Thanks! --Undertow87 20:47, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

ancestry

I found this great article about Freddie's ancestry: http://www.queenarchives.com/viewtopic.php?t=137 -- Miketm 03:14, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

That was a great read, however it was full of speculations.136.159.187.178 08:59, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

regardless of he gave himself as label, it does not change fact. he was not iranian, so that label does not belong there. he never spoke persian nor did his parents. we can include, however, that he called himself persian. we cant say that thats what he was, but we can say that's what he liked. Sohrab Irani 19:02, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

What do you mean we can't say he was Persian. Beside himself saying it, there are thousands of articles, books and biographies that say he was Persian. 136.159.133.199 22:12, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Many people of partial Indian ancestry in the west, particularly in Britain (Merle Oberon, Engelbert Humperdinck) tried to conceal it as it was seen as an indicator of lower class, so it's understandable that he may have wanted to identify as Persian. It has been documented that he was ethnically Parsi. Parsis are related to but not synonymous with Persians (our distingushing attributes are Persian relative to the Indian norm, but Indian relative to the Persian norm!). I am not really one to get into a debate over this but this article seems to make it seem like any person of Persian descent living in India is considered a Parsi, which is simply not the case. VirafPatel 02:19, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

No need to put real name in intro

The purpose of the intro. is to give a brief introduction. There is no need to put Freddie Mercury's real name there. Basically, the opening paragraph should be a quick explanation (that a non-Queen fan could understand) of why he was famous and why anyone should care about the rest of the article. There is also no need to list every obscure band that he was ever in. The point of an encyclopedia article is to be concise, and I do not see why this belongs in a box that should only contain important things. 67.190.44.85 01:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

I agree that perhaps it does not need to be in the intro, but it should be in the article. I put it in the "Early Life" section - since that is when he was known by that name, that seems like the most appropriate place for it. NickBurns 06:02, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the new photos

Hi, Mike. Thanks for putting up the new photos. I think that we can re-submit the article as a "good article" now. 138.67.44.69 02:12, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Vandalism

I've just found this:

freddy was gay he always was. And i hate gay people. If you have any problems with thisw call

under "singer and performer". I tried to take it out, but I can't see it on the 'edit this page' tab. Could someone please sort this out? What a fucking retard this person is.

That's because User:80.43.91.249 removed it while you were looking for it. Thank you for your attention to the article. ... discospinster _talk 01:42, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

who took "Persian Rock star" out?

I reinserted this part into the article as their are many (especially Iranian) fans who consider him Persian based on his Parsi roots and on his own statements. There was a big edit war over this, and I want to avoid that and bring back more focus on the other parts of the article. BTW, nice job on these additional pictures. Now, if we could just lengthen the introductory paragraph a bit, and provide some more details in with regards to different aspects of his life and musical legacy, we can certainly bring this to a featured article status like that of Phil Collins. Afghan Historian 15:14, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I agree who took it off? 136.159.133.244

Its back on. Hopefully thats done with. Personally, I dont think he should be labelled Iranian, as Parsis are no longer really Iranian. I also think literally calling him Persian (despite whatever he said) just confuses people with regards to his heritage, as most people mean Iranians when they say someone is Persian. I originally wanted him to be labelled as just an Indian Parsi with a quick note in the legacy background that he identified himself as a Persian rather than Parsi or Indian. Also, about these thousands of books and journals that call him "Persian", from what I read, most books called him Parsi Indian. I dont know what some people mean when they say thousands of biographies and books call him Persian. From what I read, they all call him Indian. The VH1 documentary on him also refers to him neither as Persian nor Indian, but simply Parsi. The only sources I can think of are his fan website bios and amateur sketches by others based on information in the original fan club bio. Nevertheless, he did call himself Persian (perhaps more in the regard Parsis generally do, rather than as an actual Iranian) and many Iranian fans like to identify him as such, so I guess this is the best. Afghan Historian 16:10, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Website?

Under what basis is that website put in Freddie's infobox? I don't think any website could be regarded as official for someone that died 15 years ago. Andymc 21:22, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

indeed, especially since that is a site to promote a book and a cd-dvd collection. I think he could have a sort of a official site in terms of a queen related thing... but this isn't really about him... I think it should be deleted Donny 17:59, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Baritone?

It seems to me that even though Freddy Mercury naturally fell in the Baritone speaking range he was not really a baritone, but a tenor. In the songs where he sings confortably he is always in the tenor range, never in the baritone range, which would absolutely mean he is a tenor, if he wasn't most of Queen's songs, especially the slower ones would have been composed for a baritone voice. Not because he has a baritone speaking voice does it mean he is a baritone, there are many people with deep voices who are in fact tenors and vice-versa. Perhaps she should consider changing that section of the webpage into saying that "...even though his speaking voice naturally fell in the baritone range, his singing voice was that of a tenor..." Kiske 19:16, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

Do you have enough experiance to say this with knowledge? We had a discussionn ealier (not sure if it is on this page or one of the archives) and we decided that we needed someone who had expertise that could "weigh" his voice. I know I can't tell the difference, so I cannot make any call, educated or not... Billvoltage 01:33, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

Magazine Article

Hello. Listen, I was going through some outdated Cat Fancy magazines, and I noticed there was an article dedicated to Freddie Mercury. It talked mostly about his love for his cats and how they impacted his life. There was even explanations about some of his songs that were about his cats, such as Delilah and Mr. Bad Guy. I don't know if it'll be useful, and if it is, I wouldn't know what section to type it under. And I don't know if it's already been added, too. But I have searched through almost everything, and I haven't found it. So if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know if I could put up this part. ¡Gracias! Kyo cat 02:02, 10 October 2006 (UTC)

I think that this might belong under "Personal Life," so put it up there!138.67.44.153 04:14, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Death Quote

There is a quote, under the header Death, and I was wondering, do we have a source for that? Billvoltage 01:11, 12 October 2006 (UTC)