On September 5, 1946, he was born Farouk Bulsara, a man whose name would later be written on the list of the most iconic musicians. Of course, this list would read Freddie Mercury, because that’s how he wanted everyone to know him. He is considered one of the most charismatic rock singers of all time and is known for his unique persona on stage but also for the four octave range of his voice!

The famous singer, composer and pianist of the British rock band Queen, he knew from a young age what he wanted to be. He wouldn’t just be a rock star, he would be a legend, the likes of which has never existed and will hardly be able to exist again. He lived his life with passion, as he knew that he would die one day, even before he found out that he had HIV.

The Queen chapter

Mercury became the band’s lead singer in 1970. Back then the band consisted of just Brian May (guitarist) and Roger Taylor (drummer), with bassist John Deacon joining in 1971 to complete the iconic foursome. Their first three albums were not particularly successful. So they had pinned their hopes on their fourth album, A Night at the Opera.

Queen had then entrusted Bohemian Rhapsody to their friend Kenny Everett, a well-known British radio producer and comedian, for a personal hearing, which he found wonderful. This song was wildly original and would become one of the most legendary songs of all time. In 1975 it spent nine weeks at No1 in the UK charts and another six in 1991, after Mercury’s death. Another feature that made the song unique was the accompanying music video, which was the first ever directed music video.

Queen had now established themselves on the music scene and since then have given us many great hits. Somebody to Love, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, Another One Bites the Dust, I Want to Break Free, Radio Ga Ga and Under Pressure are just some of the legendary tracks that are still considered ‘anthems’ today.

His last years

Mercury’s very unique voice and the distinctive sound of Brian May’s self-built guitar brought them to the top. Unfortunately this position Freddie enjoyed for only 20 years, until he lost his battle with the complications of HIV. In 1991, the year he passed away, he sang his swan song, The Show Must Go On. Freddie Mercury knew his end was near, but he never gave up. Instead he was more creative than ever and lived each day as intensely as he could. He shared his love between his family, his now dear friend and former partner, Mary Austin and his partner Jim Hutton.

When he suddenly left on October 25, 1991, he left behind a devastated art world and thousands of fans who thought it was a well-done prank. No one could believe that this legend had been extinguished so soon. In the 20 years that he was Queen’s frontman, he managed to offer some of the greatest hits, which are still heard today by all generations.

But what are the 25 facts about his life that you might not have known?

  1. He changed his name, still at school, from Farok to Freddy and that’s how he was known to everyone.
  2. His last name was slow to change. According to Brian May, Freddie chose his stage name inspired by the Queen song My Fairy King, which he wrote in 1973. Its lyrics include the lines, “Mother Mercury, look what they have done to me… I cannot run, I cannot hide” (Mother Mercury, look what they’ve done to me… I can’t run, I can’t hide.) He told Brian that the mother in that song was his mother and that he intended to change the legal last name of in Mercury. At the time, Brian wondered if he was joking, but after all, he meant it.
  3. He owes the beginning of his legendary career to the director of St. Peter’s School, the English boarding school for boys in India, where he attended. The school principal noticed Freddie’s musical talent and suggested his parents enroll him in piano lessons, which he eventually began at the age of seven.

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