Queen were one of the most popular groups of their time. It all started when Freddie Mercury teamed up with Roger Taylor and Brian May, and a year later the quartet was completed with the addition of John Deacon.

Brian May and Roger Taylor had played with another musician, Tim Staffel, in the group "Smile". When Tim left the group in 1970 he was replaced by the flamboyant figure of Freddie Mercury who then changed the name of the group to Queen.

Freddie Mercury - or Frederick Bulsara, as he was formerly known - actually originates from Zanzibar and had studied art and design before shooting to fame. The other 3 members of the group have also studied various subjects. Brian May, for example has studied astronomy, Roger Taylor biology and John Deacon electronics.

Although Freddie was the main force behind the group, the others can all play various instruments and sing as well.

When they released the masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody" they really never looked back. At first Freddie is convinced that the record would be a flop, as it was such a long lasting piece of music,though certainly unique, linking opera with rock music. With the at the time outstanding idea of using a video to go with music (and what for a video!) it was an instant success

Since that time the group just couldn't go wrong with hit after hit, such as "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Breakthrough", "A Kind of Magic", "I Want to Break Free", "The Show Must Go on" and "Another one Bites the Dust", only to name a few. They even sang the theme tune for the film "Flash Gordon".
Freddie Mercury also had unprecedented success singing with other artists as well, including David Bowie and the spine chilling duet "Barcelona" with Montserrat Caballé.

In November 1991 the whole music industry mourned when they said goodbye to one of the most outstanding talents of all time in music business, when Freddie Mercury finally succumbed to his long fight against aids. A beneficial concert was held in Wembley stadium in April 1992 in his honour with the proceeds going toward The Mercury Phoenix Trust for the distribution to aids charities. The remaining three members performed various Queen songs at the concert with supporting singers George Michael and Lisa Stansfield.

Even today there are rumours of a Queen reunion and the certainty of a new album, but who would take the lead role and who could really follow in a showman's footsteps, like Freddie Mercury's?





  Back to "Profiles"