“You can do what you want with my music, but don”
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Figure timeline
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British singer, songwriter and pianist who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen, which he co-founded with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music, he is known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Mercury defied the conventions of a rock frontman with his theatrical style, influencing the artistic direction of Queen.
entertainment · British rock singer and songwriter (1946–1991) · singer-songwriter · guitarist · pianist · composer · record producer · singer · manufacturer · painter · poet · graphic designer · also Freddie Mercury, Larry Lurex, Mercury
Born 5 September 1946 · Died 24 November 1991 · Q15869
102 published statements · 0 followers
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Jimi Hendrix is very important. He's my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place.
- Award
20264 items
Astronomy Magazine: The Sky Today on Saturday, August 15: A conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter
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The IX Sports: ‘It’s about pride’: How the Phoenix Mercury are coping with their playoff odds dwindling
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Astronomy Magazine: The Sky This Week from August 14 to 21: Mercury and Jupiter meet
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20252 items
Snopes rated the claim “Queen frontman Freddie Mercury did not sing "of the world" at the end of the band’s song "We Are the Champions," which was first released in 1977.” Mixture.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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With their citation describing Mercury as "one of the most charismatic front figures in the history of music"
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20232 items
Snopes rated the claim “A photograph genuinely shows singers, Bono, Paul McCartney, and Freddy Mercury performing together at the Live Aid benefit concert in 1985.” True.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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Rolling Stone ranked Mercury at No
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20221 item
It won the International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming
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20201 item
Mercury's music video for "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow" was nominated for Best Animation at the Berlin Music Video Awards
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20191 item
Released album “Never Boring”.
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20182 items
Released album “Original Version • Single Version • Rarities”.
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GQ called Mercury's yellow military jacket (created by British costume designer Diana Moseley) from his 1986 concerts his best known look, while CNN called it "an iconic moment in fashion
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20171 item
Snopes rated the claim “A photograph shows Queen singer Freddie Mercury applying intricate face makeup.” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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20163 items
Released album “Messenger of the Gods: The Singles”.
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To understand the appeal behind Mercury's voice
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LA Weekly ranked him first on the list of 20 greatest singers of all time, in any genre
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20151 item
And third on their 50 Greatest Rock Lead Singers of All Time list in 2023
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20132 items
A newly discovered species of damselfly from Brazil was named Heteragrion freddiemercuryi, honouring the "superb and gifted musician and songwriter whose wonderful voice and talent still entertain millions" — one of four
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In Kerala, India, was named as a tribute because Mercury's "vibrant music inspires the authors"
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20121 item
Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, a documentary film on Mercury's attempts to forge a solo career, directed by Rhys Thomas, premiered on BBC One
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20112 items
Google dedicated its Google Doodle to him
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A Rolling Stone readers' pick placed Mercury in second place of the magazine's Best Lead Singers of All Time
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20091 item
A star commemorating Mercury was unveiled in Feltham, west London where his family moved upon arriving in England in 1964
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20081 item
Rolling Stone ranked Mercury 18 on its Top 100 Singers Of All Time
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20061 item
Released album “Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo”.
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20053 items
And in 2018 they were presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
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John Harris wrote, "Those who compile lists of Great Rock Frontmen and award the top spots to Mick Jagger, Robert Plant et al are guilty of a terrible oversight
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Queen were awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors
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20032 items
Fans from around the world have gathered in Switzerland annually to pay tribute to the singer as part of the "Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day" on the first weekend of September
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Mercury was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with the rest of Queen, and in 2005 all four band members were awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of
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20022 items
Before it was auctioned off at the NEC in Birmingham in 2013 for £74,600
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Mercury was voted number 58 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons
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20013 items
A parody of Mercury, along with prints of other British music icons consisting of the Beatles, Elton John, Spice Girls, and the Rolling Stones, appeared in the Eurostar national advertising campaign in France for the Par
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The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004
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And all four band members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003
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20005 items
Released album “The Solo Collection”.
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Released album “Queen / The Great Pretender”.
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Released album “Star Profile”.
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Released album “The Video Collection”.
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Released album “Mr. Bad Guy / Barcelona”.
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19991 item
A Royal Mail stamp with an image of Mercury on stage was issued in his honour as part of the UK postal service's Millennium Stamp series
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19981 item
Released album “Romantic Ballads”.
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19971 item
The three remaining members of Queen released "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)", a song dedicated to Mercury and all those that die too soon
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19941 item
Released album “The Very Best”.
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19932 items
A remix of "Living on My Own", a single from the album, posthumously reached number one on the UK singles chart
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Released album “Remixes”.
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19925 items
Released album “The Freddie Mercury Album”.
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John Marshall of Gay Times opined: "[Mercury] was a 'scene-queen,' not afraid to publicly express his gayness, but unwilling to analyse or justify his 'lifestyle'
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One American critic noted, "What cynics call the 'dead star' factor had come into play—Queen is in the middle of a major resurgence
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Released ep “The Great Pretender”.
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A concert in tribute to him was held at Wembley Stadium, in benefit of AIDS awareness
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199112 items
Died 1991-11-24.
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“Liza, in terms of sheer talent, just oozes with it. She has sheer energy and stamina, which she gets across the stage, and the way she delivers herself to the public is a good influence. There is a lot to learn from her”
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“Jimi Hendrix is very important. He's my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place.”
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The day after publicly announcing his diagnosis, he died from complications of the disease at the age of 45
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“Led Zeppelin is the greatest. Robert Plant is one of the most original vocalists of our time. As a rock band they deserve the kind of success they're getting.”
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“This next song is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight. That means all of you. Thank you for coming along... and making this a great occasion.”
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“I'm possessed by love — but isn't everybody? Most of my songs are love ballads and things to do with sadness and torture and pain. In terms of love, you're not in control and I hate that feeling. I seem to write a lot of sad songs because I'm a very tragic person. But there's always an element of humour at the end.”
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“I would have loved to have been on the Band Aid record but I only heard about it when I was in Germany. I don’t know if they would have had me on the record anyway, because I’m a bit old. I’m just an old slag who gets up every morning, scratches his head and wonders what he wants to fuck.”
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“You can have everything in the world and still be the loneliest man. And that is the most bitter type of loneliness, success has brought me world idolisation and millions of pounds. But it's prevented me from having the one thing we all need: A loving, ongoing relationship.”
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“I hate pockets in trousers … By the way, I do not wear a hose. My hose is my own. No coke bottle, nothing stuffed down there.”
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“(en) I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear.”
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“Can you imagine how terrible it is when you've got everything and you're still desperately lonely? That is awful beyond words. I'm so powerful on stage that I seem to have created a monster. When I'm performing I'm an extrovert, yet inside I'm a completely different man.”
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19903 items
And the other Queen members received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music
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Lived with Mercury for the last seven years of his life, nursed him during his illness, and was present at his bedside when he died
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Hutton, who tested HIV-positive in 1990, lived with Mercury for the last seven years of his life, nursed him during his illness, and was present at his bedside when he died.
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19891 item
With their health failing, Mercury and Everett were reconciled; Everett died from AIDS-related illness just over three years after Mercury
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19881 item
Released album “Barcelona”.
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19872 items
Released album “Zabou”.
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Mercury celebrated his 41st birthday at the Pikes Hotel, Ibiza, Spain, several months after discovering that he had contracted HIV
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19865 items
Mercury recorded two songs for Dave Clark's West End sci-fi musical Time
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Mercury wore a gold wedding band, given to him by Hutton in 1986, until the end of his life.
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Commented "Freddie was a once-in-a-lifetime showman"
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Released ep “Video EP”.
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Queen also played behind the Iron Curtain when they performed to a crowd of 80,000 in Budapest, in what was one of the biggest rock concerts ever held in Eastern Europe
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19852 items
Released album “Mr. Bad Guy”.
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Mercury also lived temporarily at Kirchberger's apartment and thanked him "for board and lodging" in the liner notes of his 1985 album Mr.
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19841 item
It debuted at the number 10 position in the UK singles chart
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19811 item
If rock stars should use their power to try to shape the world for the better, Mercury responded, "Leave that to the politicians
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19791 item
From 1979 to 1985, while living in Munich, Mercury was friends with Austrian actress Barbara Valentin, who is featured in the video for "It's a Hard Life", and initially lived together with her and her daughter before moving into his own apartment.
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19762 items
In December 1976, Mercury told Austin of his sexuality, which ended their romantic relationship.
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Following an affair with the wife of a friend, and shared parental responsibilities with the child's mother and her husband
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19752 items
Mercury visited Everett, bringing with him an advance copy of the single "Bohemian Rhapsody"
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Went to see the film version, both of which starred Tim Curry
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19741 item
When he invited the singer onto his Capital London breakfast show
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19694 items
Studied at Ealing Art College (1966–1969).
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A year before Queen had formed, Mercury met Mary Austin through Brian May
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In 1969, a year before Queen had formed, Mercury met Mary Austin through Brian May.
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Joined Liverpool-based band Ibex, later renamed Wreckage, which played "very Hendrix-style, heavy blues"
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19641 item
His family fled the Zanzibar Revolution, moving to Middlesex, England
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19541 item
At the age of eight, Mercury was sent to study at St
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19462 items
Born 1946-09-05.
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In Zanzibar to Indian parents from the Parsi community, Mercury attended British boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school
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19008 items
Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Studied at St. Mary's School.
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Studied at University of West London.
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Career landmark: cremation.
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Career landmark: Zanzibar Revolution.
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Career landmark: Participated in Live Aid (tournament / event).
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Studied at West Thames College.
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Studied at St. Peter's Boys School.
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