Freddie Mercury Biography – Queen, Childhood and Beginning, Groups, Disease, Songs, Life, Last Days

Published on Nov 16, 2023 by

freddie-mercury-biography-queen-childhood-and-beginning-groups-disease-songs-life-last-days
Real Name Farrokh Bulsara
Born 05-Sep-46
Died 24-Nov-91
Cause of death Bronchopneumonia as a complication of AIDS
Age 45 years
Nationality British
Other names Freddie Mercury
Occupation Singer
songwriter
record producer
Years active 1969–1991
Parent(s) Bomi Bulsara (1908–2003), Jer Bulsara (1922–2016)
Partner(s) Mary Austin (1970–1976), Jim Hutton (1985–1991)
Musical career
Genres Rock
Instruments Vocals, keyboards
Labels Columbia
Polydor
EMI
Parlophone
Hollywood
Associated acts Queen, Montserrat Caballé

 

Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946, in Stone Town, in the state of Zanzibar (Tanzania) and died on November 24, 1991, in London, was a British rock singer.

With a vocal range of three and a half octaves and some operatic techniques, he was one of the most popular and technically accomplished rock singers. Leader of the Queen group, he composed several of his great successes including Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love and We Are the Champions. (Which was later remixed).

Childhood and beginning

Farrokh Bulsara is the son of Bomi Bulsara (accountant for the British colonial office), and Jer Bulsara, both members of the Parsi community of India (of Zoroastrian belief). His parents, British civil servants, left Zanzibar for India when Farrokh was 7 years old. He has a little sister, Kashmira Bulsara born in 1952.

At the age of 1, Farrokh had his first taste of celebrity when the local photographer made his portrait and exhibited it in his window, after winning the first prize in a baby contest.

 Farrokh Bulsara received his education at St. Peter’s boarding house in Panchgani, near Bombay, India. The principal of St-Peter’s had noticed Farrokh’s aptitude for music and had written to Mr. & Mrs. Bulsara to suggest that they pay a little extra in addition to the school fees, so that little Farrokh could have the opportunity to study music according to the rules of the art. They agreed, and the latter began to take piano lessons. He also became a member of the school choir and regularly took part in the school’s theatrical productions.

Farrokh quickly learned the piano where he excelled, reaching level V. at his first show with the first group to which he had ever belonged, The Hectic, playing within the school grounds. He acquired his nickname Freddie there, which even his parents quickly used. Freddie’s choir training was very useful, and even there, his innate sense of theatrical performance was really highlighted, he played with flair and originality.

At the age of 17, in December 1963, the colonial revolution on the island of Zanzibar forced Freddie and his family to take refuge in the United Kingdom where he continued to study graphic arts and design. At that time, he set out to develop a line of clothing as well as to create short comics for small London newspapers. His graphic knowledge favored him since he himself created the Queen group logo much later. Today we still find certain graphic works drawn by the talented graphic arts student, with the small signature “F. Bulsara” at the bottom of his drawings and paintings.

 

First groups

After distracting studies of graphic design and the design of a line of clothes, Bulsara tries to integrate the Smile group, while assiduously spawning, with another formation, called Index (which will become Wreckage-sinking), thus than with the group Sour Milk Sea. During one of his rare concerts, confronting a restive microphone stand, he gets in the habit of grabbing the first element at arm’s length: this will become one of the hallmarks of his stage play.

The King of the Party

Galloping test and phagocyted talents, it is at the end of the year 1970 that the one who now chooses to be called Freddie Mercury takes the direction of the operations, calls with him the guitarist Brian May, the drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon, choose the name of the group, and even draws the logo.

Queen was born. Ten years of uninterrupted success followed, and some intimate vicissitudes: in 1976, and when he had publicly revealed, for two years already, his homosexuality, Freddie separated from Mary Austin (whom he remained very close until his death, and which he will make one of his main heirs), a young woman with whom he has shared his life for more than six years. In terms of his health, Mercury suffered very early from nodules in his throat: he systematically refused to have surgery on these growths.

First getaways

In 1982, and while the group, prey to press criticism, reproaching it for offering only blistering music in the punk era, has just granted itself a sabbatical year, Freddie Mercury finds producer Giorgio Moroder in Munich for his first solo project: the single “Love Kills” includes the new soundtrack, particularly controversial by purists, from the film by Fritz Lang Metropolis. After a dazzled meeting with the soprano Montserrat Caballé, the composition of a musical, and a bloated tour with Queen, Freddie Mercury records his first solo album (Mr. Bad Guy -1985).

freddie

Disease

The same year, Freddie Mercury began a romantic relationship with Jim Hutton, a boy hairdresser by trade: between their London residence and the studio in Montreux (Switzerland) – where a statue of the singer now recalls their memory – their couple will last until ‘at the end. It was in 1987 that Freddie Mercury learned of his HIV status.

In 1988 a new original album was published: Barcelona allows an eternal encounter with Caballé. The title song becomes the emblem of the capital of Catalonia and the anthem of the 1992 Olympic Games. Very worn out by illness, Freddie Mercury does not appear anymore in his last public performances, only hidden under a thick layer of eyeshadows. Despite official denials, the disease continues its inexorable progression. Only pneumonia prevents him from repeating the song tracks of “The Show Must Go On” again and again.

Last days

On November 16, 1991, official recognition of the disease was reported by the media. On November 23, it was Freddie Mercury himself who, through an official press release, declared that he was carrying the AIDS virus. On November 24, the announcement of his death seized fans around the world. Freddie Mercury is cremated at Kensal Green Cemetery, and his ashes are scattered in an area known only to his family. A posthumous compilation of various remixes and other songs, only available in singles, was published in 1992: it was titled The Great Pretender in the United States and The Freddie Mercury Album in the rest of the world.

Freddie Mercury Released Songs

Title Year Writer
“’39” 1975 May
“Action This Day” 1982 Taylor & Mercury
“All Dead, All Dead” 1977 May & Mercury
“All God’s People” 1991 Mercury
“Another One Bites the Dust” double-dagger 1980 Mercury
“Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men)” 1980 Instrumental
“Back Chat” double-dagger 1982 Mercury
“Battle Theme” 1980 Instrumental
“Bicycle Race” double-dagger 1978 Mercury
“Bijou” 1991 Mercury
“Blurred Vision” 1985 Mercury
“Body Language” double-dagger 1982 Mercury
“Bohemian Rhapsody” double-dagger 1975 Mercury
“Breakthru” double-dagger 1989 Mercury
“Brighton Rock” 1974 Mercury
“Bring Back That Leroy Brown” 1974 Mercury
“Calling All Girls” double-dagger 1982 Mercury
“Chinese Torture” 1989 Instrumental
“Coming Soon” 1980 Taylor & Mercury
“Cool Cat” 1982 Mercury
“Crash Dive On Mingo City” 1980 Instrumental
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” double-dagger 1979 Mercury
“Dancer” 1982 Mercury
“Dead On Time” 1978 Mercury
“Dear Friends” 1974 Mercury
“Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)” 1975 Mercury
“Delilah” 1991 Mercury
“Doing All Right” 1973 Mercury
“Don’t Lose Your Head” 1986 Taylor & Mercury
“Don’t Stop Me Now” double-dagger 1978 Mercury
“Don’t Try So Hard” 1991 Mercury
“Don’t Try Suicide” 1980 Mercury
“A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling” 1986 Instrumental
“Dragon Attack” 1980 Mercury
“Dreamer’s Ball” 1978 Mercury
“Drowse” 1976 Taylor
“Escape from the Swamp” 1980 Instrumental
“Execution of Flash” 1980 Instrumental
“The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke” 1974 Mercury
“Fat Bottomed Girls” double-dagger 1978 Mercury & May
“Father to Son” 1974 Mercury
“Feelings, Feelings” 2011 Mercury
“Fight from the Inside” 1977 Taylor
“Flash’s Theme”[a] double-dagger 1980 May & Mercury
“Flash to the Rescue” 1980 Instrumental
“Flash’s Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)” 1980 Mercury, May, Taylor
“Flick of the Wrist” 1974 Mercury
“Football Fight” 1980 Instrumental
“Friends Will Be Friends” double-dagger 1986 Mercury
“Fun It” 1978 Taylor & Mercury
“Funny How Love Is” 1974 Mercury
“Get Down, Make Love” 1977 Mercury
“Gimme the Prize (Kurgan’s Theme)” 1986 Mercury
“God Save the Queen” 1975 Instrumental
“Good Company” 1975 May
“Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” double-dagger 1976 Mercury & Mike Stone
“Great King Rat” 1973 Mercury
“Hammer to Fall” double-dagger 1984 Mercury (verses)
“Hang On in There” 1989 Mercury
“Headlong” double-dagger 1991 Mercury
“Heaven for Everyone” double-dagger 1995 Mercury
“The Hero” 1980 Mercury, May & Taylor
“Hijack My Heart” 1989 Taylor
“The Hitman” 1991 Mercury
“A Human Body” 1980 Taylor
“I Can’t Live with You” 1991 Mercury
“I Go Crazy” 1984 Mercury
“I Want It All” double-dagger 1989 May & Mercury
“I Want to Break Free” double-dagger 1984 Mercury
“I Was Born To Love You” double-dagger 1995 Mercury
“If You Can’t Beat Them” 1978 Mercury
“I’m Going Slightly Mad” double-dagger 1991 Mercury
“I’m in Love with My Car” 1975 Taylor
“Impromptu” (live) 1992 Instrumental
“In Only Seven Days” 1978 Mercury
“In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)” 1980 Instrumental
“In the Lap of the Gods” 1974 Mercury (lyrics)
“In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited” 1974 Mercury
“In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme)” 1980 Instrumental
“Innuendo” double-dagger 1991 Mercury
“The Invisible Man” double-dagger 1989 Taylor & Mercury
“Is This the World We Created…?” 1984 Mercury
“It’s a Beautiful Day” 1995 Mercury
“It’s a Beautiful Day (Reprise)” 1995 Mercury
“It’s a Hard Life” double-dagger 1984 Mercury
“It’s Late” double-dagger 1977 Mercury
“Jealousy” double-dagger 1978 Mercury
“Jesus” 1973 Mercury
“Keep Passing the Open Windows” 1984 Mercury
“Keep Yourself Alive” double-dagger 1973 Mercury
May (one line)
Taylor (one line)
“Khashoggi’s Ship” 1989 Mercury
“Killer Queen” double-dagger 1974 Mercury
“A Kind of Magic” double-dagger 1986 Mercury
“The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)” 1980 Instrumental
“Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)” double-dagger 1982 Mercury
“Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” 1975 Mercury
“Leaving Home Ain’t Easy” 1978 May
“Let Me Entertain You” 1978 Mercury
“Let Me In Your Heart Again” 2014 Mercury
“Let Me Live” double-dagger 1995 May, Mercury, Taylor
“Liar” double-dagger 1973 Mercury
“Life Is Real (Song For Lennon)” 1982 Mercury
“Lily of the Valley” 1974 Mercury
“Long Away” double-dagger 1976 May
“The Loser in the End” 1974 Taylor
“Lost Opportunity” 1991 May
“Love Kills” 2014 Mercury
“Love of My Life” 1975 Mercury
“Machines (or ‘Back to Humans’)” 1984 Mercury
“Mad the Swine” 1991 Mercury
“Made In Heaven” 1995 Mercury
“Man on the Prowl” 1984 Mercury
“The March of the Black Queen” 1974 Mercury, Taylor (two lines)
“Marriage of Dale & Ming (And Flash Approaching)” 1980 Instrumental
“The Millionaire Waltz” 1976 Mercury
“Ming’s Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless)” 1980 Instrumental
“The Miracle” double-dagger 1989 Mercury
“Misfire” 1974 Mercury
“Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll” 1973 Taylor
“More of That Jazz” 1978 Taylor
“Mother Love” 1995 Mercury & May
“Mustapha” double-dagger 1978 Mercury
“My Baby Does Me” 1989 Mercury
“My Fairy King” 1973 Mercury
“My Life Has Been Saved” 1995 Mercury
“My Melancholy Blues” 1977 Mercury
“Need Your Loving Tonight” double-dagger 1980 Mercury
“Nevermore” 1974 Mercury
“The Night Comes Down” 1973 Mercury
“No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)” double-dagger 1997 May & Taylor
“Now I’m Here” double-dagger 1974 Mercury
“Ogre Battle” 1974 Mercury
“One Vision” double-dagger 1985 Mercury
“One Year of Love” double-dagger 1986 Mercury
“Pain Is So Close to Pleasure” double-dagger 1986 Mercury
“Party” 1989 Mercury
“Play the Game” double-dagger 1980 Mercury
“Princes of the Universe” double-dagger 1986 Mercury
“Procession” 1974 Instrumental
“The Prophet’s Song” 1975 Mercury
“Put Out the Fire” 1982 Mercury & May
“Radio Ga Ga” double-dagger 1984 Mercury & Taylor
“Rain Must Fall” 1989 Mercury
“Ride the Wild Wind” 1991 Mercury
“The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale)” 1980 Instrumental
“Rock It (Prime Jive)” 1980 Taylor & Mercury
“Sail Away, Sweet Sister” 1980 May & Mercury
“Save Me” double-dagger 1980 Mercury
“Scandal” double-dagger 1989 Mercury
“Seaside Rendezvous” 1975 Mercury
“See What a Fool I’ve Been” 1974 Mercury
“Seven Seas of Rhye” double-dagger 1973 Mercury
“She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes)” 1974 May
“Sheer Heart Attack” 1977 Mercury (verses) Taylor (chorus)
“The Show Must Go On” double-dagger 1991 Mercury
“Sleeping on the Sidewalk” 1977 May
“Some Day, One Day” 1974 May
“Somebody to Love” double-dagger 1976 Mercury
“Son & Daughter” 1973 Mercury
“Soul Brother” 1981 Mercury
“Spread Your Wings” double-dagger 1977 Mercury
“Staying Power” double-dagger 1982 Mercury
“Stealin'” 1989 Mercury
“Stone Cold Crazy” 1974 Mercury
“Sweet Lady” 1975 Mercury
“Tavaszi szél vizet áraszt” 2012 Mercury
“Tear It Up” 1984 Mercury
“Tenement Funster” 1974 Taylor
“Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)” double-dagger 1976 Mercury
“Thank God It’s Christmas” double-dagger 1985 Mercury
“There Must Be More to Life Than This” (Queen & Michael Jackson) 2014 Mercury
“These Are the Days of Our Lives” double-dagger 1991 Mercury
“Tie Your Mother Down” double-dagger 1976 Mercury
“Too Much Love Will Kill You” double-dagger 1995 Mercury
“Track 13” 1995 Mercury
“Under Pressure” double-dagger (Queen & David Bowie) 1981 Mercury & David Bowie
“Vultan’s Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men)” 1980 Instrumental
“Was It All Worth It” 1989 Mercury
“We Are the Champions” double-dagger 1977 Mercury
“We Will Rock You” double-dagger 1977 Mercury
“The Wedding March” 1980 Instrumental
“White Man” 1976 Mercury
“White Queen (As It Began)” 1974 Mercury
“Who Needs You” 1977 Mercury
“Who Wants to Live Forever” double-dagger 1986 May & Mercury
“A Winter’s Tale” 1995 Mercury
“Yeah” 1995 Mercury (spoken)
“You And I” 1976 Mercury (with Taylor)
“You Don’t Fool Me” double-dagger 1995 Mercury
“You Take My Breath Away” 1976 Mercury
“You’re My Best Friend” double-dagger 1975 Mercury

About the Author: John Falcone

John Falcone is an esteemed tech journalist and editor, known for his extensive knowledge and insightful commentary on consumer electronics. With a career marked by in-depth reviews, analysis, and reporting, John has established himself as a go-to expert in the field of technology. His articles often delve into the intricacies of the latest gadgets, offering readers clear, concise, and informative perspectives. John's ability to demystify complex technical topics and trends has earned him a loyal readership and respect among tech enthusiasts. His work is characterized by meticulous research, a keen understanding of consumer needs, and an ability to predict industry directions.

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