Freddie Mercury's 65th Birthday

Farrokh Bulsara was born on thursday the 5th of september 1946, better known as Freddie Mercury. He was born on a small island called Zanzibar, his parents from Persian background were Borri and Jer BUlsara. His dad worked for the British Goverment. When Farrokh was 5 years old he visited the Missionary school and was tought by Anglican nons. He already showed a talent for drawing, and painting. In 1952 his sister was born named Kashmira. When Farrokh was 8 years old he was sent to the St. Peters school in Panchani, 80 km from Bombay. Farrokh stayed with relatives. Normaly kids from rich parents would go to schools in India because schools in Zanzibar were not so good. At that school the kids started to call him Freddie and his family started to call him like that to. It was a British school and hat British sports, he loved hockey, sprinting and boxing. When he was 10 years old he became champion at tabletennis. Not only was he good in sports, he was very artistic. he loved art and made lots of drawings for friends and family. When he was 12 years he became Best Junior Student. He also hat a passion for music and played records on a old recordplayer all day long. He used to listen to Indian music, but when ever he got the change he would listen to Western music, he also loved singing along with the both types of music. The director from the school hat noticed Freddies talent for music and asked his parents for extra money so he could take piano lessons, his parents aproved of it. Next to the piano lessons Freddie was a member of the school singinggroup and was active within the theatregroup. He praticed very hard for his piano lessons and not without result he passed his examens very eassie. As a result of this he became in 1958 the paino player of his first rockband, called “The Hectics”.Together with four other bandmembers, Derrick Branche, Buce Murray, Farang Irani and Victory Rana, he would perform on schoolparty’s. In 1962 Freddie finished school and went back to Zanzibar. There he would spent lots of time hanging out on markets and going to the beach with friends. In 1964 it became difficult for the family to stay in Zanzibar, because of poitical stress. Lots of Indian and British family’s were not save at Zanzibar anymore and is was better for them to leave the country. The Bulsara’s moved to England and lived with family untill his parents were able to get their own house. Freddie was 17 at the time and decided to go to the Art academy. But to be able to so he needed a higher profession education. He wrote himself in for the school in 1964. During holiday’s he had several jobs, like serving in a restaurant at Heathrow airport, or working in a wharehouse. At school he worked really hard and passed his exams. With this diploma he was permitted to go to the Ealling school of art, and started with grafical illustration classes. In 1967 Freddie moves from Feldham to Kensington, he moved in with his friend Chris Smith who hat an appartment there. Freddie put drawings he made himself of Jimi Hendrix on the walls, from whom he was a big fan. Another student were he became friends with was Tim Staffel. He took Freddie to rehursels from the band Tim was playing in “Smile”. Members of this band were gitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Freddie could get along very well with Brain and Roger, and he liked the music they were playing. And he admired en resepted Brian May’s gitarplay very much. Inspired by Smile Freddie started to experiment with music. He hat a great voice and his piano play was like a mozart style, he hat a great sence for melody’s. Chris and Freddie started to write music and put them togheter later on. So Bohemian Rhapsody kind of music was created. But none of the songs was finished. In 1969 Freddie leaves school with a diploma for grafic art and design in his pocket.

He moves in with Roger Taylor and during summertime they have a stand on Kensinton market. First they sell Freddies work to other students, later on the sell second hand clothing. towards the end of summer Freddie is introduced to a band from Liverpool named Ibex. Ibex members were gitarist Mike Bersin, bassist John Taylor and drummer Mick Smith. Ten days after Freddie met with Ibex he knew the complete reportoire and added some to it. In august Freddie traveld to Bolton for a concert with Ibex at Boltons Queen park called Bluesology-pop-in. It was in the Boltons evening news, next to it a photo of Freddie. Freddie wants to change the name of the band in Wreckage, but nobody seems to be enthousiast about it, so Freddie calls Mike and tells him the other bandmembers agreed with the new name and Mike gives his ok, to find out later Freddie did this with all the members. When they changed the name the band chandged also, Mike left the band and was replaced by Richard Thompson, but it would not matter anymore, at the end of the 60s Wreckage stopped because there were not so many performances. Mike Bersin left the band to go to college in Liverpool. Freddie started looking for another band and he read an add in Melody maker that a singer was asked for a band called Sour Milk Sea.

He was hired because of his great voice. Not only did he have a great voice he was a showman, it was his charisma, his gift, which was in perfect harmony with his voice. The other bandmembers were Chris Chesney, Paul Milan, Jeremy Gallop and Rob Tyrell. Sour Milk Sea made a few recordings and gave some perfomances in Oxford. Freddie was good friends with Chris, so good that Chris moved in with the other bandmembers of Smile, what Sour Cream Sea members did not like that much, they were a bit jealous over this friendship, Freddie and Chris started to worrie about the existence of the band. To months later, Jeremy, who hat all the music in his posation, left the band, so also this band fell apart.

The beginning of Queen

In 1970 Tim Staffel left Smile. Roger and Brian were looking for a singer. It was clear who this was gonna be. Later on Freddie wanted to change the name of the band to Queen, Brain and Roger did not agree with it they hat there doubts because it did not fit in with there tough appearence. But it did seem right because of Freddies behaviour, Brian and Roger saw the humor of it and the name Queen was born. Freddie also changed his last name into Mercury. When Jimi Hendrix died, Freddie hat a hard time to go on, and did not want to wotk anymore, later he realised that he should start were Jimi ended. In 1971 the band was finaly complete when john Deacon joint Queen to be there bassist. Compered to Roger, Brian and Freddie he was a very quite person. Freddie made a Logo for the band, based on astrology. The letter Q with a crown and de starsigns of the bandmembers, a fairy for Freddie, tow lions for John and Roger, and a lobster for for Brian. John and Brian still hat there studies, but Roger and Freddie could put all there time into Queen. They needed to do lost of concerts, and Roger stopped with his markedstand what did not go with his carreer as a musican.

Freddie found a new partner, he fel in love with Mary Austin, this as a surprise to everybody else, altough Freddie never said he was gay but lots of people knew he was. Within two year that Queen was togheter they did not reallie break through, and they even talked about splitting up. But this did not happen. Looking for a recordcompany was there first small succes . Queen was bussy looking for a record company in the years 1971 till 1973, but not one seen interrested. When they finanly found a company that offert them a lot of money, they did not take it, because they knew Queen was worth a lot of money. They took that offer as a bate, anyway Freddie was waiting for Trident studio’s. He went about it in a very clever way, he would walk in the afternoons on Kensington hoping he would bump in with the producer, and it reallie happend this way, With all his charmes Freddie made an appointment. Trident was very enthousiastic about Queen and signed them within a few months. The contract did not bring them lots of money and they soon realised that despide being so careful this was not the right studio for them. But it was not until 1975 that Queen broke up with Trident, the managment was taken over by John Reid, de manager from Elton John. Queen kept performing just to get a reputation. In the begining this did not go so wel, they hat only a few concerts. In 1973 Queen also signed a contract with EMI records. In july of that year their first single came out “Keep yourself alive” and their first album “Queen”.

The single was no hit. Queen is asked to be the openingact for the concert of Mott and Hoople. This was their first Tour. In the second Tour Queen was the mainact.This happens also because they released their second album Queen II and the single “Seven Seas of Rhye”. Queen gets more famous and gets their first fanclub. Beacuse their record company’s do not know what to do with all the fanmail, Freddie asks two friends to run the fanclub and stays very involved with it himself to because he knows how important fans are. In 1974 Queens third album comes out, “Sheer Heart Attack” with on it their first hit “Killer Queen”.

Now it is that Queen is seen like a band you can expect somthing from and is not yust a one day band. Freddie is seen by many people as unique. He manifests himself on stage as a real star. Queen was always on time en did not get starallures. The uniquenice of Freddie you can find in Bohemian Rhapsody, nobody knew what it ment, it were different songs mixed together, but it made a number one postion in England and everybodie thought is was great. The succes of Bohemian Raphsody was also because of its videoclip, that was one of a kind. The album that came along with it “A Night at the Opera” was a big mark in pop historie. People who knew Freddie said he did not change, he hat only more money to spent and could afford more luxuary. In those days Freddie discoverd New York, his second home, were he felt at home, not only for the gayscene. Freddie loved the charme of the city. Later on Freddie said he was addicted to the night live of New York. He also admitted to be crazy about cocaïne, but he was never addicted of it, because he stopped using it from on day to another. Freddie acted like a real rockstar, with sexs, drugs and rock & roll, what became fatale for him after 15 years.

In 1981 Freddie left New York for München. The city were he would live. In 1984 he got a relation with pornstar Barbara Valentin. When he met Barbara he was already in a relationship with Winnie Kichberger, a Austrian with an apierence like a unwashed truckdriver. Barbara hat the best intesions with Freddie, while Winnie would only put him down, but in a strange way this was atrackting to Freddie. But it was clear that Freddie and Barbara were in love, but they did not sleep togheter. She also had a good relation with Mary Austin. In 1985 Freddie met Jim Hutton, a hairdresser from England. Freddie used Jim to get Winnie jealous, he would let Jim come over from England to sent him away again after just a few hours. But Jim was loyal to Freddie until his death. Finaly Freddie broke with Winnie and his relationship with Jim became better. His relation with Barbara came to end at the end of 1985 when Freddie decides to go back to England, he left Barbara with no reason, perhaps because he found out he had aids and was afraid to tell her. When he found out he had aids he stopped with his nightlive and stayed home al the time in his dreamhouse Gardon Lodge.

Here he lived untill his death togehter with Jim and Peter Freestone, Freddies personal assistant. Mary lived in the neighbourhood. Freddie had never been able to get Mary out of his live, it was said that they had a brother and sister relationship. He left Mary al his belongings after his death.

The end of a Legend

Freddie dies 24th of november 1991 at 19.00 hour, 24 hours after he told the world he hat aids. The funeral was arragent by Peter Freestone, because he knew Freddie very well. Freddie did not have any special wishes as long as it would be quick so that everybodie could go on with their lives. He was cremated what his parents did not like but they have Freddies ashes. On the 20th of april 1992 a big concert was held in honour of Freddie Mercury, were the bandmembers performed with many superstars. Later that year the Mercury Phoenix Trust was set up. A foundation to rase money for aidsvictoms. The money from the tribute went into this Trust and also the money they made from releasing Bohemian Rhapsody again. Still the foundation raises lots of money.