Not everyone has what it takes to become a star, but Freddie Mercury had it…and then some. He became famous worldwide together with his band, Queen, and he amazed millions of people with his talent, charisma, and eccentricity. Unafraid to break boundaries and always knowing that he was destined for great things, his life was filled with encounters with the greatest in the industry and with not-so-well-known anecdotes that made him even more unique than one might think. Here is Freddie Mercury’s life story and the little tidbits that you might never have heard of before but that was part of his legend and legacy.
It all started on the other side of the world…
Zanzibar, an island located in Tanzania, was the place of birth of Farrokh Bulsara, who would be later known as the legendary Freddie Mercury. He was born on September 5, 1946, to Parsis parents. They raised him in a conservative way but he showed his individuality since he was a child. He was sent to India to study when he was very young and he excelled at sports, starting boxing and then becoming the king of the ping-pong table. His musical aptitudes also started to show and he became a part of the choir and began taking piano lessons. Even then, a star was beginning to form.
A move that would change his entire life
Freddie went back to Zanzibar but after two years of being there, the whole family would relocate to the United Kingdom. Violence had taken over their island and they needed to get to a safe place. This would prove to be life-changing for Mercury, who would have much more opportunities in the future, thanks to the fact that he was living in the UK. After high school, Freddie went for higher studies and majored in art and graphic design. However, music continued to be a big part of his life and he started looking for a band he could become a part of.
Practice is everything
Despite having had piano lessons since he was a kid, Freddie wanted to learn how to play more instruments and widen his musical education. Therefore, he started taking guitar lessons. Considering that some of his musical inspirations were guitar masters such as Jimi Hendrix, he started practicing, aspiring to one day be as good as them. However, he never felt really comfortable with his abilities playing instruments and his take on the guitar was basic according to his own assessment. But he persevered and you wouldn't believe to what extent he took his practice.
The most unique headboard
Sometimes, inspiration hits in the shower, while eating or right when you’re about to go to bed. Freddie knew this, so he would use his piano as a headboard for his bed. That way, he was able to play it in case a sudden bout of inspiration came knocking suddenly and so he wouldn’t miss it just because he felt sleepy. This might seem a bit extreme but with how talented Freddie was at composing, it was no wonder that he would choose to do this. Commitment to his music was one characteristic that seemed to be a part of Freddie’s DNA, carrying him through life and giving him fuel to continue.
A different religion
His father and mother were devout Zoroastrians, however, Freddie wasn’t known for his constant activity as a member of the religion. It would be more appropriate to say even, that music was Freddie’s true calling and he was devout to the call of the notes that he would read and play in his piano and write in his books. When creativity would come knocking, his mom and dad would feel as if Freddie was changing into someone else. In reality, he was building his legend and this name would be known and chanted for decades to come.
A symbol that would become eternal
By 1971 and after stumbling around with various attempts to join bands, Freddie became a part of the rock band Smile, with Brian May and Roger Taylor. Later on, they found John Deacon. However, something was not right for Freddie and he insisted on changing the band’s name. It was his idea to use the name Queen and he designed the logo that would represent them and become their symbol as well as their brand. Considering that he had gone to college for graphic design, it was no wonder that he was able to take someone from each of the band members’ horoscope signs and incorporate it into the logo.
A friendship that would launch Bohemian Rhapsody
DJ Kenny Everett was a very eccentric individual, with different clothes and a different mentality than most, just like Freddie. This made them become instant friends. They shared a lot of experiences together, both positive and bad ones, and despite a falling out, they were friends until the very end. Kenny played Bohemian Rhapsody saying that it had been a mistake - he hadn’t been authorized to play it due to its length. But of course, the song became a success and an anthem. Everett loved the song so much that he played it consecutively 36 times in the same day!
Aiming for the stars
Just like Everett, Mercury was exploring his personal orientation, despite having a great love -whom he called the love of his life on several occasions. He had doubts about his preferences and so he started to explore. Bono, the lead singer of the incredibly successful band U2, had said that at one time, he thought Freddie was trying to flirt with him during a concert, maybe trying to start an affair. Nothing really came out of it and Freddie never commented anything regarding this allegation. However, it could have happened, considering what later would be known about Freddie’s partners.
The mystery of their greatest song ever
There were many things going on all at once in Bohemian Rhapsody. It is no wonder that, even now, many fans and radio stations have tried to decode all the possible meanings that could hide behind its words. However, the majority of fans take Freddie’s word to heart and are not looking for a deeper meaning in their textbooks. He once said that the best way to go about it was just to enjoy the song, as it could have a different meaning for everyone. With how much he had loved his fans, he left them the freedom to interpret the greatest song of the band as they wished.
Getting into intergalactic trouble
During many of his spectacular performances, Freddie would appear singing atop characters such as Santa Claus, Superman, and even Darth Vader. However, Star Wars’ creator George Lucas did not approve of this and sued the band for their use of his character. Despite the issue never going to court, it was believed that a private settlement took place, with the band paying Lucas and Freddie not being able to appear atop Vader’s shoulders again. This, of course, didn’t detract from their amazing show. Queen had a lot more things up their sleeves than just riding on the shoulders of legendary characters!
Queen, live: The ultimate dream
Watching Queen performing was a treat for any fan out there. Freddie decided to hire a different person to play the keyboards as, not only did he feel that his skills weren’t that great, but he also wanted more freedom. Freedom to do what, you might ask? Well, to move around the stage as much as he wanted! Freddie would do crazy stunts during concerts and would interact a lot with the audience, which made the whole thing an amazing experience for everyone. This also made him appear in celebrity news more often than not. Several artists showed his admiration for Mercury, including the legendary David Bowie.
Music everywhere…literally
Again, inspiration could strike at any place, at any time and one time, Mercury was staying at a hotel and taking a relaxing bath when inspiration struck. He had a piano brought to his bathroom and, from the tub, composed a song. You might have heard of it…it’s called Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The good thing about getting to the level of stardom that Freddie had achieved wasn’t only staying at a 5-star hotel, but also having the possibility of getting anything you might want. For Mercury, this included a piano, and his wish came true.
A song that would become his favorite
Freddie’s songs were practically like his own children. He cherished them all and for a long time, he refused to say which one was his favorite baby of them all. Well, since it was one of those written by him, he didn’t want to seem arrogant by saying so, but Somebody To Love was his favorite song. Considering that it was a great love song and Freddie had lots of love in his life, it was the composition that he apparently loved the most. Nevertheless, he wrote around 17 songs for the band and most of them were great successes.
His first & greatest love
Mary Austin was a part of Freddie Mercury’s life since a very young age and even after their romantic relationship had ended, they continued to be the very best of friends. Their relationship started in 1970 before Queen had actually existed, and it continued for about seven years. However, Mary found out about Freddie’s infidelity and he told her about what was happening with his discovery of his own personal orientation. After their separation, Freddie would always say that she was her only one true friend. When Austin moved on with someone else, Freddie became the godfather of her firstborn, Richard.
Always a cat lover
Although dogs are seen as man’s best friend, a lot of people prefer cats, just like Freddie Mercury. He loved cats and was an advocate for animal care to the extent of having even 10 cats at a given time. He even dedicated one of his albums to his first two cats, which told you a lot about the love he had for this feline species. Nowadays, it is not strange that more celebrities manifest their love for cats, such as Taylor Swift, but back in the day, Freddie was seen as a bit odd for his preference for the fluffy pets.
Becoming the Champions of the World
We Are the Champions is one of the most successful songs in Queen's portfolio. In 2005, it was voted as the world’s favorite song. In 2009, it was introduced to the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2011, research showed that it was the catchiest song in history. Surprisingly, it never reached the number one spot in any ranking, but it did reach the number four on Billboard Hot 100 and the number two in the UK Singles Chart. This original Freddie Mercury masterpiece has been used in publicity events, games, and numerous shows.
The birth of the S** Pistols, and a long-time feud
There was a long-time feud between Freddie and the S** Pistols. Even though the band was both irreverent and with a groundbreaking fashion style, they resented Queen. Meanwhile, Freddy liked to make fun of the Pistols' Sid Vicious and at one point, it was known that Mercury had thrown out Sid out of a recording studio over a comment he had made about his music. The greatest animosity was between Freddie and Sid, but there seemed to be antipathy between the two bands as a whole and the time during which they shared a studio was a tense one.
Sometimes, his priorities were different than most
During the promotional tour of A Day at the Races, Freddie had to appear together with Queen in Bill Grundy's Today talk show. However, Freddie felt the imperative need to go to the dentist, despite the fact that he hadn’t seen one in over a decade. Apparently, it was a matter of life and death (for him) that he went at that exact time. But not everything was lost, and instead, the S** Pistols made their appearance and their eccentric performance made headlines everywhere. Freddie’s absence helped in creating a new successful band.
An unlikely but refreshing friendship with royalty
Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury started an unlikely friendship during some of Diana’s hardest years. She was under intense scrutiny, always on the eye of the camera, and hounded by the paparazzi all the time. Their friendship allowed her to relax and find new things to do, like the time she and Freddie had watched Golden Girls in Kenny Everett’s place. However, they wanted to do something that would be considered a great adventure but could have terrible consequences for Diana if she was found out. So they devised a plan...
A Princess in drag
Diana, in Mercury’s words, "deserved to have some fun." Therefore, as they were heading to a gay bar known for rough fights and not having the best reputations, they decided to disguise her, so that she could pass as one more amongst the crowd. The costume? They dressed her as a man and, although she didn’t wear a mask, no one knew that the guy with the glasses was, in fact, the 'People's Princess,' as she had been dubbed by the media. This might have been one of the most outrageous things Diana had set out to do, as she had had to set a good example after she became a Royal.
Branching out to other arts
Freddie was always willing to participate in charity events. One such occasion was when he appeared in a performance with the Royal Ballet with the purpose of raising funds. He trained constantly despite suffering a lot during the rehearsals, as he wasn’t used to any of the strenuous exertions. In the end, he excelled during his performance, and even managed to dance and sing Bohemian Rhapsody at the same time! His legend only continued to grow stronger and with it, important friendships continued to develop and he became friends with one of the greatest musicians.
A friendship with Bowie
Queen and David Bowie did one of the greatest music collaborations when they released Under Pressure and ever since then, Mercury and Bowie struck a friendship that would last for years. Bowie expressed his admiration for Freddie on numerous occasions, especially for his ability to turn the stage into a theatrical performance. Queen became not just a band singing songs, but also a complete entertainment. Bowie, who had groundbreaking ideas about the future of music as well and wasn’t afraid to try new things, was another legendary singer with riveting stage performances that left his fans amazed. He passed away due to hepatic cancer in 2016.
Trying out something very different
Mercury wasn’t afraid to go solo on a couple of occasions and he wouldn't let anxiety over the result overcome his desire to do something different. His first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy, was critically acclaimed and it was even called the work of a musical genius. Later on, he would do another solo album titled Barcelona, with the collaboration of an opera singer, Montserrat Caballe, who considered this work as one of the greatest of her career. The song Barcelona was the official song for the 1992 Olympics and was sung by Montserrat in 1999, during the finals of the UEFA Champions League, which took place in the city of Barcelona.
Another contact with a prince
Michael Jackson is known to this day as the Prince of Pop, and Freddie, the king of his era, attempted to do a collaboration. But things didn’t exactly work out. They sang songs to each other, trying to see if they could include the other in their album. Michael wanted to do State of Shock while Freddie was inclined towards There Must Be More To Life Than This. In the end, both songs were released separately, without the intervention of the other singer. It was said that Michael’s eccentricities and Freddie’s drug addiction got in the way of the collaboration.
The concert to beat all concerts
Despite the band hitting rough times and Freddie being estranged from the rest of the members for a while, they released a new album titled The Works that had started to reconcile them with their fans. Then, the opportunity to participate in an event that would be remembered for decades arose. Bob Geldof approached them, as he was organizing a concert with the purpose of raising funds to help with the hunger crisis in Ethiopia. Wembley would be the place where the concert would take place but, thanks to technology, it would be telecast all over the world.
And the world saw all the greats at the same time
Queen had only one request and it was to have a good timeslot so that everyone could see them. Some were nervous about the whole thing but Freddie was sure everything would work out. This was Live Aid and he wanted to give everything of himself in his performance in order to raise the biggest amount of funds possible and get people to donate to charity. Aside from the thousands of people at the stadium, more than one billion people got to watch it in the entire world. Queen’s performance would be legendary.
Back in the game right after Live Aid
For all the people that might have thought that Queen was dying then, the Live Aid performance proved them wrong. They were better than ever and they weren’t afraid to show it. After the concert, they went on their Magic Tour which was one of their most successful tours and Mercury shone during his performances. They even went behind the Iron Curtain that separated the west from the east in Europe and performed in Budapest in a historic concert. They were unstoppable, but eventually, some health issues would rear their ugly head, and everything would change forever.
How to love again
Freddie, after having one affair after another but not falling in love again, met Jim Hutton, a hairdresser who had captured his heart. He was his love and partner until the day he breathed his last. Despite people openly speculating about Freddie’s personal orientation, he kept this part of his life relatively private. While it wasn’t really a secret, he refrained from open admissions towards the fact that he was in a same-gender relationship. They were together for six years, right until the very end, which was coming sooner than anyone would have expected.
Sometimes, you just know your fate
Just as Freddie knew he was destined for stardom and that his voice would take him wherever he wanted to go, Freddie knew he was going to die young. He even reportedly said so in an interview. He might have known by this time about AIDS, the terrible disease that ailed him, or maybe he just had a feeling that he was unwell. He wouldn’t be the first artist to die at a very young age. Sid Vicious, Janis Joplin, James Dean, were just a few of those talents who passed at a very early age.
His greatest love was always music
Even though he wasn’t in good health, Freddie continued to perform and to record until almost the very end. He recorded videos for his songs and would continue to go to the studio. He wanted to keep doing what he loved and preferred not to think about what was happening to his body. During his final days, both Jim and Mary, his greatest loves, were there for him, to help him through it and give him support. He wouldn’t confirm his diagnosis until the day before he died and continued to ask for privacy during these times.
His signature look
Freddie Mercury really loved his mustache. He had it for a long time when touring with Queen. When he reached stardom, he didn’t have it so it was a shock to his fans when he decided to grow it. Every now and then, he would shave it away but he defended his choice of haircut and mustache, despite many fans not liking it. Some thought that it was a way for him to cover his teeth but he never really showed a complex over them and refused to have them fixed. In fact, he believed that they had something to do with his talent. He would turn out to be somewhat right.
Impacting people’s lives after his death
Despite only making his diagnoses public one day before he died, the fact that a rock star such as Mercury had suffered and died from the disease caused a huge impact. It caused a renewed interest in researching the disease. The remaining members of the band founded The Mercury Phoenix Trust and did a concert to raise funds towards AIDS research and awareness. The concert had almost the same impact as Live Aid, with over 70,000 people in the stadium and one billion people watching it all over the world. Freddie died on November 24, 1991, and the funds were made available not long after, in April 1992.
A voice unlike any other
Freddie Mercury’s impressive range had been the subject of study by scientists and musicians. It had been determined with certainty that he had a range of three octaves, although many had suggested that he could reach the four octaves. However, was never confirmed. Freddie took care of the well-being of his throat so that nothing would get in the way of singing. Either way, he certainly had one of the most characteristic voices of the time and in the history of rock and roll, which allowed him to do vocals that not many couldn't. This was probably one of the things that separated Queen from other rock bands.
What the scientists found
According to a study, which was led by music and biophysics professor Christian Herbst, Mercury’s vocal cords had the ability to move faster than those of your regular singers. This might have been partly why his voice was so unique and appealed to so many people. According to science, his vibrato was above average, giving him unique qualities, more common in opera singers than in rock singers, making his style a unique one. His voice couldn't be easily replicated, making Mercury's talent just legendary and his portfolio, unparalleled. This study was published in 2016 and made official what we already knew: Freddie Mercury was simply extraordinary!
Selling records even after his death
Freddie had been working in a new album with the rest of the band members. They released it in November of 1995. It was titled Made in Heaven and it included the song Mother Love, which was the last recording Freddie had made. As the song was yet unfinished, the band completed the recording after Mercury’s death. After the release of the movie Bohemian Rapsody in 2018, sales of the band’s songs skyrocketed once again, showing that Freddie’s legacy continues to attract the masses in a unique way. However, his memory has been preserved in much more than his music.
The Mercury flower becomes a reality
Considering that Freddie loved yellow roses, his fans wanted to make a special tribute to the singer. They raised the money necessary to have a yellow rose named after the singer. This is the Rose Freddie Mercury, one of the many tributes that have given in Mercury's honor. Near Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, a statue of Freddie was built, while in 1999, a Royal Mail stamp with Mercury’s image was issued. Furthermore, in England, a star in his memory was built, exactly where he lived with his family when they moved to the country after leaving Zanzibar. And to think that someone else almost became Queen’s vocalist!
The one that almost was
The original lead singer of Smile, the former name of Queen, was Tim Staffell. However, he felt that his music inclinations were more towards jazz vibes than rock and so he left the band. He had been friends with Freddie for years before he became his replacement in the band. It was likely that Queen wouldn’t have been Queen had Staffell stayed there. For starters, Freddie came up with the name and his vocals and genius were part of what made the band great. Meanwhile, Staffell has moved on with his life and continues to be a musician. He released a solo album in October 2018 titled, Two Late.
The inheritance he left to his greatest love
Mary Austin became the heiress to Freddie’s house and part of his fortune. After all, despite the fact that he was in a committed relationship with Jim Hutton by the time he died, Mary had been his friend for decades. They shared a bond that few could understand and that, despite the nature of their relationship changing, it never broke. Mary continues to live in the house that was part of her inheritance. Many tourists can be seen outside every day, trying to catch some of Freddie’s spirit by being near the place where he lived his last years and where he would die in the ‘90s.
One last picture
Reportedly, this was the last picture taken of Freddie while he was alive. Jim Hutton, his partner, caught him in the garden before Freddie was too weak to get out of the bed. Hutton received €560K when Freddie died. Hutton moved back to his native Ireland after Freddie’s death and years later, he would release an autobiography of sort titled Mercury & Me. He was diagnosed with the same disease as Mercury in 1990 but managed to have a relatively healthy life until he passed away after battling cancer in 2010.
An eternal legend
Their performance at Live Aid might have been the most iconic of them all but Queen toured around the entire world and became a legend. Freddie, with his talent and charisma, captured the hearts of many fans and, to this day, continues to be remembered as one of the greatest artists of the music industry. Rami Malek portrayed him in the full movie Bohemian Rhapsody and won an Academy Award for his performance in 2019. The movie has introduced the band and Mercury to an entirely new generation and has caused Freddie Mercury to be a legend much larger than his own life.