Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury, was one of the most talented and innovative singers of the rock era.
Born Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania in 1946. Bulsara was sent to a boarding school in Panchgani, Maharashtra, India, where he learned the piano.
In 1963, Mercury returned to Zanzibar. A year later, when Zanzibar became part of the independent country of Tanzania in 1964, the family fled to London. There, Mercury joined a group called Ibex as their lead singer and played with a few other bands.
It was then that Mercury became friends with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor of a band called Smile.
In 1970, Smile’s lead singer quit, and Mercury decided to take the lead; he soon changed the group’s name to Queen and his own to Freddie Mercury.
In 1973, Queen released their first album, titled Queen. Their second album followed the year after, Queen II, which they recorded in roughly one month.
Soon Queen’s style began to take shape, with a sound described as a fusion of hard rock and glam rock. Queen’s popularity continued to grow through the late ’70s and early ’80s.
The band’s approach to songwriting and studio production is evident in Bohemian Rhapsody, widely considered one of the best songs ever composed.
“The idea for all the instrumental stuff in ‘Rhapsody’ was growing while I was listening to him developing the song. Freddie had some amazingly lateral thought processes. It was always easier for me to play on his songs than mine, ’cause there was so much stimulation coming,” Brian May said.
In the seven-minute rock operetta for the 1975 album Bohemian Rhapsody, Mercury showed off his four-octave vocal range. The song hit the top of the charts in Britain and became a Top 10 hit in the United States.
“I don’t even know what I was thinking when I wrote the song, but I remember writing it and thinking it was quite good. We didn’t need to take ourselves too seriously. It was all fun.” Mercury said.
In 1978, “We Are the Champions,” from the album News of the World, became a Top 10 song in the United States and in Britain. It was featured on a single with “We Will Rock You.”
Although Queen began to wane by the 80s, the band grew as a live act, with Mercury’s performances and his ability to entertain the audience.
“That’s why we have ‘We Are the Champions.’ I thought about sports arenas and how I wanted an anthem for us and for everyone listening. I liked the idea of having people being able to chant it together,” Mercury said.
By the end of the 80s, Mercury didn’t tour for Queen’s album, Innuendo, and rumors about possible health problems began to circulate.
Before his death, Mercury worked in the studio with Queen. In 1991, He announced that he had been diagnosed with AIDS and died a day later from complications related to the disease.
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