10 Facts That Will Prove Freddie Mercury Is Legend
The One and Only Icon
Even discounting the success of the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie Mercury was always raised to godlike status. Not only can he hold his own in the company of other rock ‘n roll greats but he stood out almost effortlessly. It didn’t matter if it’s a charity concert or Queen’s own show, when Freddie took the stage, he owned it. He was a musical genius but more than that, he was an artist through and through.
He was flamboyant each time he performed but apart from that, he was a shy person who rarely gave interviews. 27 years after his death, no one still comes close to his greatness. And these facts prove that he was no ordinary human like the rest of us.
10. Freddie loved his cats so much he dedicated his only solo studio album “Mr. Bad Guy” to them.
In the album’s liner notes, he wrote:
“This album is dedicated to my cat Jerry – also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe – screw everybody else!”
When he toured with Queen, he would even place long distance calls just to “talk” to his cats.
9. In 1994, Eric Stainthorpe of Battersby Roses introduced a new variety and called it Freddie Mercury.
Some fans of the late rockstar raised enough funds to name a yellow rose after him.
8. Freddie designed the Queen logo which is unsurprising because he attended an art college.
He created the Crest, which featured the members’ zodiac signs, just before their first album was released.
7. Freddie casually hung out with Princess Diana.
They would watch Golden Girls reruns and he even disguised Princess Di in a drag costume so they could go to an infamous gay bar!
6. Even science agrees that Freddie was a great vocalist!
Researchers found out that he employed a singing style that required an incredible amount of practice and discipline. Unsurprisingly, his vibrato is also higher than the average person. He could even sing at a range that Luciano Pavarotti can no longer reach!
5. While there were plenty of speculations as to what Bohemian Rhapsody actually meant, Freddie answered it like a boss when he said: “It bears no real meaning, it’s all rhyming nonsense.”
Only he can make “nonsense” rhyming as epic as this!
4. Before becoming the legendary frontman of Queen, Freddie worked as a baggage handler in Heathrow Airport.
And so in honor of his birthday on September 5 last year, British Airways and Heathrow paid tribute to him with a special dance by baggage handlers to the classic hit ‘I Want To Break Free’. They even wore Mercury-style mustaches and outfits!
3. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is one of Queen’s most enduring songs. But did you know Freddie wrote this in the bath at Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich?
It also only took him 5-10 minutes too!
2. His trademark bottomless mic happened by accident.
He was performing on stage when his mic stand snapped. Being the performer that he was, he continued as if nothing happened. He eventually went on to use the bottomless mic as-is.
1. At the time, Freddie was already seriously ill and so Brian May feared that he might not be physically capable of singing “The Show Must Go On.” Freddie drank some vodka and declared, “I’ll fu**ing do it, darling!”
And he did.
