Buzz
Celebrated worldwide as one of the most remarkable and flamboyant performers in history, Freddie Mercury had a profound love for both his craft and his fans. Many stories on this list highlight the lengths he went to, enduring considerable hardship, to ensure the audience’s satisfaction. Music was his everything, and nothing else could rival it.
Regardless of the circumstances, Freddie Mercury consistently embodied the spirit of one of Queen’s most iconic songs. The show must go on.
10. Pet Llamas and Cocaine
In the 1980s, two music legends set out to collaborate on an album. Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury joined forces, but their partnership fell apart. Disagreements over certain personal items led to the cancellation of the project. Freddie took issue with Michael bringing a llama to the recording sessions, while Michael disapproved of Freddie's frequent cocaine use.
One can only imagine the challenge their agents faced when trying to navigate this situation. How does one even begin? How do you approach negotiating over a llama and cocaine? In the end, the duo managed to record three songs together: “State Of Shock,” “There Must Be More To Life Than This,” and “Victory.”
9. The Love of His Life
It’s a little-known fact that Freddie Mercury was bisexual, not homosexual as commonly assumed. He had a relationship with a woman named Mary Austin, with whom he lived for seven years. Despite moving on romantically, he remained close to her until his passing. He even bequeathed her his $4 million mansion, ensuring that his boyfriend could live there for as long as he desired.
Freddie and Mary met through Brian May, who had dated her in the 1970s. When Queen was formed, Brian introduced them. Freddie spent six months visiting her workplace before finally asking her out on a date.
8. In the Spotlight
The 1970s were a time of limited tolerance, and that much is evident. However, when Freddie Mercury was heckled with the words “you f—ing poof” at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall, he took matters into his own hands and delivered his own form of justice. In retaliation to the slur, he demanded the spotlight be focused on the heckler. The crew complied and illuminated the reportedly very embarrassed individual in the crowd.
The shame likely stemmed from the loss of anonymity that comes with being in a crowd or from fear of being attacked by the sea of Queen fans around him. Regardless of the reason, it’s uplifting to witness a story where intolerance was confronted with swift justice. Once the spotlight was on the heckler, Freddie greeted him with the words, “Say that again, darling.” Naturally, the heckler remained silent.
7. ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’
This iconic 1980s track was written by Freddie in just ten minutes while he was soaking in his room at the Munich Hilton. Guitar in hand, he crafted a lyrical masterpiece during his downtime. Isn't it surprising to think he was able to play guitar in the bath? Either the guitar was waterproof or he had to awkwardly hover it above the water. One thing is clear: the guitar was significant to him, as it led to his onstage guitar debut in 1979. The song went on to become the band’s first number-one hit in the US the following year.
In a 2011 interview, Brian May shared that Freddie wrote the song as a tribute to Elvis Presley. While Freddie was one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century, his limited guitar skills put constraints on the song’s creation. He humorously summed up his guitar abilities by saying, “I can’t play for nuts.”
6. Candle In The Wind
In the late 1980s, Freddie Mercury and comedian Kenny Everett are said to have disguised Princess Diana as a man and took her to a gay bar. This tale was shared in The Power of Positive Drinking, a book by Cleo Rocos, who recounted how much fun the princess had. Her disguise was flawless – she wore an army jacket, a cap, and sunglasses. Diana reveled in the thrill of blending into the crowd unnoticed, ordering drinks and enjoying her time with friends. The crowd was likely too distracted by the presence of Mercury and Everett to recognize her. Rocos noted that she looked “like a beautiful young man.”
The bond between Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana was widely recognized, as was her advocacy for AIDS during a time when many lacked awareness of the disease. The two shared a close friendship, though much of it remained undocumented. It wasn’t until after their passing that the stories emerged. For instance, one of their favorite pastimes was watching episodes of The Golden Girls with the sound muted. They would then add their own voices to the characters, creating their own unique storylines. Both were taken from us too soon, but their humor and legendary status endure.
5. The Show Must Go On
Few performers embodied the phrase “The show must go on” as fully as Freddie Mercury did. In 1984, despite injuring his leg during a show, Freddie insisted on finishing the concert. After falling while performing “Hammer to Fall,” he was helped over to the piano. Though offered the chance to end the performance early, he chose to continue, leaning against the piano to finish the set.
After completing three songs, Freddie was quickly taken to the hospital where his leg was bandaged. The injury persisted throughout their European tour. Brian May, seeing his friend in pain, ended “We Will Rock You” prematurely, knowing that Freddie was struggling. That’s dedication to the craft – a commitment that is hard to top.
4. ‘Party Time, Excellent!’
Shortly before his passing, Freddie was shown the famous Wayne’s World scene where Wayne and Garth headbang in their car while “Bohemian Rhapsody” plays. Freddie loved the moment and gave it his approval. The resurgence of the movie brought Queen back into the spotlight, helping them chart once again in the US after several years out of the limelight.
In a 2016 interview, Brian May told the BBC that he still enjoyed the song despite its overwhelming success. “If it comes on the radio, I’ll crank it up and listen,” he said, admitting that his air guitar days were behind him. May was the one who shared the Wayne’s World clip with Freddie. Although bedridden and gravely ill, Freddie still enjoyed it, commenting, “I suppose I’ll have to die before we get America back,” lamenting how Queen had once been huge in the US but had since lost their audience there.
3. Live Aid
Queen was one of the many bands that participated in the 1985 Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium. Among the performers were David Bowie, Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, and Sting. Despite having seen a decline in popularity before this event, Queen’s performance stole the show. Freddie delivered the performance of his life, moving effortlessly between the piano and guitar, giving everything he had.
The most remarkable part of his performance was that Freddie had been advised to cancel due to a throat infection. He had recently been diagnosed with throat nodules. It seems this was a recurring theme in his life – ignoring advice to prioritize his audience’s satisfaction. Brian May later referred to this performance as “the greatest day of [their] lives.”
One thing that stands out when looking back at Freddie Mercury’s life is that he was undeniably born to rock. Despite passing away at just 45, he led an extraordinary life, always driven by his art until the very end. If there’s one lesson we can take from his life, it’s this:
The show must go on.
2. The Last Tracks
Aware of his impending death, Freddie recorded a series of tracks meant to be released posthumously. The remaining members of Queen took his vocals and built the music around them. Sadly, Freddie didn’t live long enough to finish the final verse of “Mother Love,” so Brian May, the lead guitarist, completed the vocals. This song marks the final time the artist ever sang in the studio.
May later shared his thoughts about the recording, reflecting, “We all knew there wasn’t much time left.” It’s almost unimaginable how emotionally charged that final studio session must have been. After years of ascending to become one of the world’s most iconic bands, their journey was nearing its end. Freddie Mercury’s life was inseparable from music, and it is only fitting that he dedicated himself to his art until the very last moment.
1. ‘To My Cat Jerry’
A little-known fact about Freddie Mercury is that he may have been the world’s most devoted cat lover. In 1985, he released a solo album, dedicating it to his cat. The dedication read as follows:
To My cat Jerry. Also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe. Screw everybody else.
Well, perhaps it wasn’t exclusively dedicated to his cat. Freddie also expressed his deep appreciation for all the cat lovers around the world in equal measure.
This wasn’t the first instance of Freddie honoring one of his feline friends. The song “Delilah” was inspired by his pet and even reached number one on the Thailand Singles Chart. At one stage in his life, Freddie shared his home with ten cats. This is why his London mansion became his favorite retreat, always his refuge after returning from tours. Did anyone else notice that two of his cats were named Tom and Jerry?
