Anyone who listens to the powerful songs on “Innuendo”, Queen’s last regular studio record with Freddie Mercury, will probably ask themselves more than once what other great songs the musician could have written and sung.
But that didn’t happen: Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991 as a result of his AIDS illness. With a few facts that you may not have known, we want to remind you of one of the most dazzling artists to ever walk the stage.
1. Freddie Mercury fictional character
Freddie Mercury was actually just a fictional character created by Zanzibar-born Farrokh Bulsara to cover up his introverted streak. After being forced to move to England (there was a bloody revolution in Zanzibar), Mercury, born into a wealthy family, was supposed to be an accountant like his father. But he was driven to London, where he studied art and eventually became a musician.
2. Call me Freddie
Farrokh Bulsara identified so much with his role as Freddie Mercury that he even put ‘Frederick Mercury’ on his ID card. He himself just wanted to be called Freddie by everyone he knew. He didn’t accept anything else.
3. Formidable ballet dancer
Freddie Mercury was also a great ballet dancer and performed with the Royal Ballet in 1979. He sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5RvJ7bLfvM
4. Lousy pianist
For the Queen singer it was clear all his life that he would not be counted among the best pianists in the world. At concerts, Mercury often joked that his musical knowledge was limited to very few skills. Fearing that this weakness would become too obvious, he rarely allowed himself to be shown directly playing in music videos – as seen in the legendary clip for “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
5. Great performances after arguments
Freddie Mercury gave the best performances after serious arguments and lovesickness – as he himself said in several interviews. Apparently, the singer needed such emotional conflicts to push his band’s songs to new heights. Before a concert in Milton Keynes, Mercury bickered with his then-lover Bill Reid. As a result of the argument, he bit his hand so badly that it bled profusely. Queen was once scheduled to appear on Saturday Night Live, but Mercury and Reid had had a loud argument at the hotel the night before, leaving the singer almost unable to voice the show.
6. Cat lover
More than any other creature, Freddie Mercury adored cats. He dedicated several songs to them, including “Bijou” and “Delilah”. The last two were on “Innuendo” and symbolized the strength the house tiger gave him in the fight against his serious illness. Incidentally, “Cool Cat”, which can be heard on “Hot Space,” is about a person who reminds the singer of a cat. The singer loved his cats so much that he called home several times while on tour just to be able to talk to his cats.
7. Superstition
Throughout his life, Freddie Mercury was an extremely cautious and, above all, superstitious person. Once he was supposed to take a plane from New York to Tokyo. But when he found out that the plane was a model that had had technical problems in the past, he picked up his things and immediately got off the plane, preferring to accept the last seat in economy class on a flight that lasted 14 hours later than using his booked business class seat.
8. Freddie Mercury and David Bowie
The first encounter with David Bowie, who sang “Under Pressure” in a duet with Mercury in 1982, took place as early as 1970 when Mercury and Roger Taylor were running a stall at a market in Kensington. The singer wanted to sell Bowie a pair of suede shoes. He allegedly asked him about the music business during the fitting. Bowie was unhappy about the economics of the music world at the time and asked Mercury, “Why do you want to be in this business of all places?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PbHXMJJ-dY
9. Always stay alert
While Mercury was on the road, his assistants had to carry a legal pad and pen with them at all times so the musician could also jot down an idea or inspiration at any time of the day. This is how the Lennon tribute “Life Is Real” came about on a flight across the Atlantic. As noted on one of the sheets left behind, the first line of the song “Guilt Stains On My Pillow” was originally “Cunt Stains On My Pillow”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rum2gakWREI
10. Princess Diana
Freddie Mercury once arranged for Princess Diana to dress up as a man so she could take him and his best friend, comedian Kenny Everett, to a gay bar. The trio also reportedly watched episodes of the sitcom Golden Girls together at their mutual friend Cleo Roco’s.
More on Freddie Mercury and Queen
More highlights
<!–
–>
<!–
–>