As I was scanning the news online I came across a little tribute to my buddy Freddie. He would have been 65 today; old enough to officially retire and collect a pension. Old enough to get free coffee at McDonald's and to order off the back of the menu at a variety of restaurants. Old enough to be considered a 'senior'. I think Freddie would have rode that bus all day long!
Alas, I have never met the man, nor would he need to cash in on any of the above perks. Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Balsara, was the iconic lead singer of the super group Queen, who died after a long battle with AIDS related pneumonia 20 years ago today. He was both talented and reckless, which for a rocker is a dangerous combination. But you only have to listen to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' once to appreciate the incredible gift he possessed. I watched a documentary on his life a while back where they interviewed his mother and sister. He was, by all accounts, a rather shy boy who really only escaped that shyness when he embraced his stage persona. The music, the videos, allowed him to express all that swagger he never felt he could do as himself. Our perception of the man with the four octave range was one of an flamboyant diva with a little crazy thrown in. Regardless, you could not deny the voice; that voice kept us captivated.
Still, Queen was much more than one man. The incredibly tight harmonies of the four men took their craft to a whole other level. And the band was also the first to do the big arena shows with lights shows and plenty of theatrical stimuli to keep their audiences completely present. Queen did tour again after Freddie died, but it just wasn't the same. John (bass) bowed out, and Roger Waters was brought in for vocals, which left Brian and Roger as the only original members. Somehow, it felt
When Queen visited Vancouver in 1980 I never went... I regret that to this day.
Other than the Beatles, Queen is the only band of my all time favourites that I never saw in concert. No doubt it would have been brilliant.
So, to you Freddie, I lift my glass to you. Your music will continue as a living testament to your talent. Hope you're still havin' a good time!
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/user/queenofficial#p/c/A6C8C05530040EF8/6/HgzGwKwLmgM
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