Freddie Mercury was a British singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Freddie was known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Mercury wrote numerous hits for Queen, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and We Are the Champions. He led a solo career while performing with Queen and occasionally served as a producer and guest musician for other artists.
In 1992, Mercury was posthumously awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, and a tribute concert was held at Wembley Stadium, London. As a member of Queen, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2002, he was placed number 58 in the BBC’s 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He is consistently voted one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music.
Born Name
Farrokh Bulsara
Nick Name
Freddie Mercury, Fred
Profession
Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer
Genre
Rock
Instruments
Vocals, Piano
Labels
Columbia, Polydor, EMI, Parlophone, Hollywood Records
Nationality
British
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Freddie Mercury was born on September 5, 1946 Stone Town, Sultanate of Zanzibar, East Africa (Now part of Tanzania).
Died
Freddie died at the age of 45 on November 24, 1991, due to bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS at Kensington, London, England.
Sun Sign
Virgo
Ethnicity
British
Religion
Zoroastrianism
Education
Freddie went to the British-style boarding school, St. Peter’s School in Panchgani, India. He later studied art at the Isleworth Polytechnic (renamed as West Thames College) in London. He also got enrolled at the Ealing Art College (now known as Ealing Campus of University of West London) to graduate with a diploma in art and graphic design.
Family
- Father – Bomi Bulsara (Cashier)
- Mother – Jer Bulsara (Housewife)
- Siblings – Kashmira (Younger Sister)
Marital Status
Single
Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse
Freddie Mercury has dated –
- Rosemary Pearson (1969-1970) – Freddie was reported to be in a relationship with Rosemary Pearson while studying at the Ealing Technical College. She fell for his sense of humor and caring behavior. However, they broke up a year later. His homosexual tendencies drove them apart. So, she went to his flat and told him it was over.
- In the mid-1970’s, he had a short-lived affair with an unnamed American man, who was reported to be working as a record executive at Elektra Records.
- Mary Austin – Freddie started dating Mary Austin in the mid-70s. He had met her through guitarist Brian May. Shortly after the start of their relationship, she moved in to live with him. However, after he told her about his homosexual desires in 1976, they decided to end their relationship. But they remained close over the years. After their breakup, he bought a place for her near his home. Even, he left his London home to her in his will along with the proceeds from his music royalties and claimed that she had been his wife anyway.
- Joseph Fannelli (1981) – Freddie had a short-lived affair with Joseph Fannelli, who was also reported to be his chef.
- Barbara Valentin – In the early and mid-80s, Freddie was dating Austrian actress Barbara Valentin. She also made an appearance in his band’s music video, It’s a Hard Life.
- Jim Hutton (1986-1991) – Freddie started dating Jim Hutton, who worked as a hairdresser, in 1986. They had first met in 1983. They remained together until Freddie’s death in 1991. When he died, he was wearing a wedding band that Hutton had given him.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 9½ inches
- In centimeters – 177 cm
- In meters – 1.77 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 74 kg
- In Pounds – 163 lbs
Body Build
Athletic
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexuality
Bisexual
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Being the lead vocalist of the British Rock band, Queen, which has delivered iconic single Bohemian Rhapsody. His eccentric personality and flamboyant stage presence.
Album Debut
In 1985, Freddie released his debut solo album, Mr. Bad Guy in association with Columbia Records. In July 1973, Freddie’s music band, Queen, released their debut studio album, Queen which was able to get sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.
Film Debut
Freddie didn’t appear in any feature film in his lifetime.
Television Debut
In September 1974, he made his first TV show appearance on the music show Top of the Pops.
Brand Endorsements
A footage from Freddie Mercury’s song I Was Born To Love You was included in the TV commercial for the Nissin’s Cup Noodles, which is a Japanese food brand. His solo single Barcelona (performed in collaboration with Montserrat Caballé) was used in the TV advert for Ford Mondeo.
Freddie Mercury Favorite
- Favorite Color – Yellow
- Favorite Singers – Aretha Franklin
- Favorite Actress – Liza Minnelli
- Favorite Movies – The Women (1939), Some Like It Hot (1959), Imitation of Life (1959)
Freddie Mercury Net worth
Freddie Mercury has an estimated net worth of $60 million dollars at the time of his death in 1991 (after adjusting for inflation).
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Freddie Mercury
- Twitter – Freddie Mercury
Some Lesser Known Facts About Freddie Mercury
- Freddie was a big supporter of the British monarchy and took inspiration from them while naming his band. He liked sexual innuendo hinted by the name as well.
- He started taking piano lessons at the St. Peter’s boarding school in the 4th grade. It was at this school he started performing onstage and formed his first band, The Hectics.
- Before he found success as a musician, he used to sell second-hand clothing items in London. He also had a job at the Heathrow Airport.
- Freddie was an avid and passionate stamp collector. Even two decades after his death, his extensive stamp collection was being displayed worldwide by his estate, which was started under his birth name.
- When he was 17 years old, he and his family moved to England from Zanzibar, fleeing from the 1964 revolution, which had claimed lives of many Indians and Arabs in the African nation.
- He was very fond of his cats. In fact, he dedicated his solo album, Bad Guy to his pets and while touring, he used to make phone calls to his cats and spend hours on such calls.
- Freddie used knowledge gained from arts and graphic design diploma to design his band’s logo. He drew inspiration from the Royal British motif for his work.
- Mercury holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first major rock star to have died from complications resulting from AIDS.
- In November 1996, the 10 feet tall statue of Mercury was unveiled in the Swiss city, Montreux. The statue is located near the iconic Lake Geneva.
- In a 2002 poll conducted by the Guinness World Records, his song Bohemian Rhapsody was selected as Britain’s favorite pop single of all time.
- In 2002, as a result of a poll conducted by BBC, he was placed in the 58th position in the list comprising of 100 Greatest Britons.
- His famous overbite was the result of extra four teeth. Although he talked about getting corrective surgery, but ultimately chose not to get it done.
- In November 2004, his music band Queen was honored with an inclusion in the UK Music Hall of Fame for their achievements and contributions to the British culture.
- Freddie had placed piano at the head of the bed and had taught himself to play piano backward so that he could play his song ideas while lying on the bed itself.
- In 2009, the Classic Rock magazine declared him No.1 Greatest Singer In Rock after conducting an online poll.
- In 2008, Rolling Stones magazine placed him on the 18th spot on the list of Top 100 Singers of All Time.
- In 2015, the International Mustache Hall of Fame honored him for his flamboyant mustache with induction in the inaugural class in the arts and music category.
- Visit his website @ freddiemercury.com
