My Favorite Musician of All Time

A Tribute to Freddie Mercury by BoaMan

Most people don’t know that Freddie Mercury’s real name was Farrokh Bulsara. He was Parsi (Indian) and kept this and his HIV status a secret for many years. Some have criticized him for this, but when you consider the stigma attached to AIDS at that time and his career choices, it seems logical. I don’t think any less of him for keeping his status and nationality a secret because his life is his own.

Mercury is chiefly remembered as a British musician mainly because he moved to that country at age seventeen when his country fled the Zanzibar Revolution. What strikes me the most about his music is that it is so original and free in form. He probably got these influences from his varied background of Indian and European music, though finding traces of Eastern influence in his works are rare.

Here are some facts about Freddie Mercury:

Born: 9/5/1946
Died: 11/24/91
Lead singer of the rock band “Queen.”
Died of Bronchopneumonia and AIDS
Attended St. Peter’s School for boys in Bombay.
Was excellent at cricket, table tennis, and hockey!
Worked briefly at Heathrow airport (perhaps there’s hope for the rest of us!)
Played in bands named “Ibex,” “Sour Milk Sea,” and “Smile” before becoming part of “Queen”
Once made an album with opera singer Montserrat Caballe!
Mercury’s ashes are scattered on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

List of his greatest music:

Bohemian Rhapsody
Killer Queen
Love of My Life
Somebody to Love
Don’t Stop Me Now
Death on Two Legs
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
We Are The Champions

Influences on his music:

The Who
The Jackson 5
The Beatles
John Lennon
Pink Floyd
Led Zepplin
Elvis Presley
Liza Minnelli
Himi Hendrix

Mercury’s music was at times complex, at time simple. He was capable of great vocal range in some songs while also creating intimate and subdued effects in others. Without a doubt, “Queen” was and remains one of the most original bands on the face of the earth. As a live performer, Mercury had no equal. He was high energy and flamboyant. He gave an estimated 700 concerts in his lifetime. “The Spectator” magazine described him as “a performer out to tease, shock, and ultimately charm his audience with various extravagant versions of himself.” That pretty much sums it up.