Biography of Freddie Mercury

Is this the real life
Is this just fantasy
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy,I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
A little high, little low,
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me,
To me.

These opening lines of the popular song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was penned and composed by Freddie Mercury, singer and songwriter of Britain's famous band, 'Queen'. Freddie was a pioneer of pop music in the mid 20th century and is known to be 'Britain's first Asian rock star'. He was a multi-talented person who not only was a singer and song writer, but also a graphic artist, guitarist and pianist. He was innovative and creative which could be seen through the way he mixed different genres of music to create a song. Some of the biggest hits of 'Queen' were the songs written by Freddie. They include: Killer Queen, Seas of Rhye, Crazy Little thing Called Love, We are the Champions, etc.

Early Life and Education

Freddie Mercury, the eldest son of Bomi and Jer Bulsara was born in Zanzibar, a small island of Africa on September 5, 1946. Freddie was named Farrokh Bulsara by his Parsi parents, who were originally from India. He was sent to India for his studies at the age of 8, and did his schooling at St. Peter's English Boarding School, Panchgani, where he was renamed Freddie by his friends. It was in this school that the foundation for Freddie's musical career was laid. He had an inclination towards sports and music rather than in academics. In sports, he was a champion in boxing, sprint and hockey. His musical talent was appreciated by his school Principal, who encouraged him to take up piano lessons. It was also in this school that Freddie formed his first musical band, The Hectic, in which he was a pianist. This band played for school functions and festivals. After completing his education from Bombay's St. Mary's ISC, he returned back to his parents in Zanzibar. However, in 1964, he along with his parents and sister migrated to England due to the Revolution that erupted in Zanzibar.

Musical Career

Freddie Mercury's family settled in Feltham, London and he took up an art course at the Isleworth Polytechnic College. Later, he enrolled at Earling Art College for a diploma in Art and Graphic Design. Even when he was in college, he continued to pursue his intense interest in music and it is during this period that his intense vocal prowess was discovered. His first public performance was with the Ibex, a Liverpool band, later named as Wreckage under Freddie's insistence. This band did not have much success and broke apart by the end of 1960s. After this, Freddie joined the 'Sour Milk Sea' as the lead singer. Although they performed at few places in Oxford, the group separated due to certain problems between the members. It was after this that Freddie got his big break, when he became a member of the band called 'Smile' (which he was earlier acquainted with), when its lead singer left the band. When Freddie joined this band, he not only changed the name of the band to 'Queen', but also his last name to 'Mercury'.

'Queen' was a fresh beginning for Freddie and along with the other band members, including Brian May (guitar), Roger Taylor (drummer) and John Deacon (bass player), he created history. Freddie with his innovative and creative ideas not only composed memorable songs, but using his artistic skills designed a unique logo with the zodiac signs of each group member. 'Queen' was an instant success and they toured around the world. Along with his compositions and voice, it was his charismatic personality that enthralled the audience. It was said that the shy and rather serious Freddie turned into an extremely flamboyant person in front of the audience that fetched him a huge fan following. However, their biggest success was at Wembley Stadium, at the show called 'Live Aid'. It was the most memorable performance of 'Queen', attended by almost 72,000 people. By this time Freddie's solo career had also become a success with popular songs like 'Mr. Bad Guy' and 'I Was Born To Love You'.

Personal Life

Freddie Mercury's personal life was media's prime focus, as he was a bisexual. Freddie had a relationship with Mary Austin and they lived together for almost 7 years. But, their relationship came to an end when Freddie had an affair with a male record executive. Although, he had relationships with many men, he never forgot Mary. They remained friends and it is said that many of the romantic songs he composed, were based on her. When he died, a large share of his property went to Mary.

Freddie had a series of affairs with various men and it is believed that he contracted AIDS through one of them. Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991, one day after he publicly announced that he had that disease.

Freddie's contribution to the world of music has been enormous. He composed songs even when he was critically ill. A concert was organized in honor of Freddie at the Wembley Stadium, on April 20, 1992. It can be said without a doubt that Freddie had a natural talent, looking at the way this untrained singer became a craze among music lovers.