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Freddie Mercury
(September 5, 1946 - November 24, 1991) Tanzania - U.K.

Freddie Mercury

Pop and rock singer, songwriter

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Born in Zanzibar, Tanzania. His orginal name was Faroukh Bulsara. His mother was Jer Bulsara. His father was a government accountant.

Freddie MercuryHis family were Zoroastrian Parsees who were essentially Indian, although they were of Persian extraction if their ethnic origin were taken back to the nineth century. The name Bulsara was from the town of Bulsar in north Bombay.

His family moved to Bombay. He was nicknamed Freddie in 1954 when he was sent to boarding school near Bombay. It was here that he learned to play the piano. Returning to Zanzibar in 1962, schooling completed, he did little until the family migrated to England in 1964. Then studying hard, he gained an 'A' level in Art at Isleworth College, enabling him entrance to Ealing College of Art in 1966. The following year he left home, moving in with a friend in Kensington, the 'arty' area frequented by 'the in crowd'. Freddie Mercury

He took a job selling clothing in Kensington Market alongside Roger Taylor. The manageress of Biba's boutique, Mary Austin, became a friend and they lived together for seven years. She remained a close friend despite his gay affairs. Freddie have had an long affair with the gardener Jim Hutton.

According to his longtime personal assistant and friend Peter Freestone, Freddie had many relationships, to name some: Tony Bastin, Eduardo "The Venezualan", Joe Fanelli, Jim Hutton, Winnie Kirchberger, Peter Morgan, Bill Reid, Vince "The Barman" and some more. Some of his boyfriends he dated longer than others, for example Winnie Kirchberger, but he didn't have a "steady partner".

Freddie's debut performance was in 1969 in Bolton with a band called "Ibex". Later that year he auditioned for vocalist job with a band called "Sour Milk Sea" and soon became their lead singer. He moved then on to a blues band called "Wreckage".

Then in 1970 he joined "Smile" as lead singer. In 1971 John Deacon joined them and Freddie decided the band should be re-named "Queen", changing his name to "Mercury" at the same time. They signed up with EMI in 1972.

Freddie Mercury

In 1973 he had the single I Can Hear Music as a solo performer using the name Larry Lurex. In 1975, he won his first "Ivor Novello Award" for Killer Queen. They played to 150,000 people in London's Hyde Park in 1976.

The first album of the group was called Queen with the single Keep Yourself Alive. The album Queen II spawned the first UK top 10 hit with Seven Seas of Rhye. In late 1975 they released A Night At The Opera, with the single Bohemian Rhapsody which lasted five minutes and 52 seconds, and stayed at number 1 in the UK charts for nine weeks. This anticipated the pop video by the use of a sophisticated promotional film with special effects.

Freddie MercuryFreddie Mercury

The overblown operatic style and melodramatic tempo changes epitomised a style lampooned by rock critics as pomp rock. However, the record was rewarded with an "Ivor Novello Award". The track took on a new lease of life when used in the film Wayne's World in 1992.

In 1981 the Queen played the first-ever stadium tour of South America and drew 251,000 in Sao Paulo. By 1982, the group entered the Guinness Book of Records as Britain's highest paid executives.

In 1984 the group produced a video showing the band members cross-dressing for the single I Want to Break Free. They reached a pinnicle of professional performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

In 1988 Freddie Mercury teamed up with the Spanish opera singer Monserrat Caballe to produce the top 10 hit Barcelona, followed by an album with the same title. They then sung at a show at the Avinguda De Maria Cristina Stadium in Barcelona. In 1990, the Queen were given a British Phonographic Industry award for their contribution to British music.

Freddie MercuryDuring 1991 there were rumours that Freddie Mercury had AIDS but these were denied. However on November 23, 1991 a statement was released containing the following:

"Following enormous conjecture in the press, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have Aids. I felt it correct to keep this information private in order to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has now come for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth, and I hope everyone will join me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease."
Freddie Mercury died peacefully at his home in London, the day after the release of this statement, of AIDS related bronchial pneumonia.

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A tribute concert was held in April 1992 at London's Wembley stadium. It was billed as the "Freddy Mercury Aids Benefit". It attracted the largest ever worldwide viewing audience when televised live. Those who took part included Metallica, Extreme, Def Leppard, Guns 'N Roses, George Michael, David Bowie, Roger Daltrey, Paul Young, Seal, Lisa Stansfield, Robert Plant, Annie Lennox, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Elton John and Liza Minnelli. A satellite link to Sacramento, California showed a performance by U2, and a satellite link to Johannesburg showed a performance by Mango Groove. The ex-members of Queen, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, and Brian May also performed. Elizabeth Taylor made a short speech.

On 1st./2nd. June, 2002, Channel 4 television, as something of an alternative to the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, showed programmes related to Queen. The hour-long programme When Freddie Mercury Met Kenny Everett broadcast on 1st. June described the friendship between Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett from their meeting in 1974.

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Freddie MercurySource: The Knitting Circle, UK http://www.sbu.ac.uk/stafflag/people.html - et alii

His CDs include:
with Queen:

  • Queen (1973)
  • Queen II (1974)
  • Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
  • Killer Queen (1974)
  • Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)
  • A Night at theOpera (1975)
  • You're my Best Friend (1976)
  • Somebody to Love (1976)
  • A Day at the Races (1976)
  • Tie Your Mother Down (1977)
  • We Are the Champions (1977)
  • News of the World (1977)
  • Bicycle Race (1978)
  • Jazz (1978)
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love (1979)
  • Live Killers (1979)
  • The Game (1980)
  • Flash Gordon (1980)
  • Another One Bites the Dust (1980)
  • Freddie Mercury
  • Under Pressure (1981)
  • Greatest Hits (1981)
  • Body Language (1982)
  • Hot Space (1982)
  • Radio Ga Ga (1984)
  • I Want to Break Free (1984)
  • The Works (1984)
  • A Kind of Magic (1986)
  • Live Magic (1986)
  • The Miracle (1989)
  • I Want it All (1989)
  • Breaktru' (1989)
  • The Invisible Man (1989)
  • Innuendo (1991)
  • Greatest Hhits 2 (1991)
  • I'm going slightly mad (1991)
  • The show must go on (1991)
  • Who wants to live forever (1992)
  • Live at Wembley '86 (1992)
  • Made in Heaven (1995)
  • Heaven for everyone (1995)
  • Greatest hits 3+ (1999)
solo:
  • Mr Bad Guy (1985)
  • Barcelona (1992)
  • The Freddie Mercury Album (1992)
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