Freddie Mercury was a British singer, musician and songwriter who became world famous as the iconic lead singer of the rock band Queen. He was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar on 5 September 1946. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, were Parsis of Indian origin, and the family later had a daughter. Freddie spent most of his childhood in India, where he attended an English-style boarding school. He began taking piano lessons at the age of seven, and his schoolmates gave him the nickname “Freddie”. From an early age he showed his artistic temperament and, at the age of twelve, joined a school band as a singer and pianist.
At the end of 1963, Zanzibar gained independence from the United Kingdom. A few months later, in January 1964, a revolution broke out against the Sultan, and the Bulsara family left Zanzibar and settled in England. Freddie studied graphic design at Ealing College of Art while also becoming actively involved in music, singing and playing in various bands.
In 1970 he formed, together with Brian May and Roger Taylor, the band that would become Queen, while John Deacon joined in 1971. Around this time he adopted the stage name Freddie Mercury. Queen went on to become one of the most important rock bands of all time, while Mercury became famous for his extraordinary voice, theatrical stage presence and distinctive performance style. Among the great successes associated with him were “Somebody to Love”, “We Are the Champions”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, during the final years of his life, “The Show Must Go On”. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, released in 1975, remained at the top of the British charts for nine weeks.
During the 1970s Freddie was in a relationship with Mary Austin. He later told her that he was gay, and their romantic relationship ended, but they remained close friends until the end of his life. Austin was also the principal beneficiary of his estate.
In the early 1980s Mercury spent periods living in New York and Munich, leading an intense social and personal life. In the middle of the decade he settled in Kensington, London. In 1985 he met Jim Hutton, who became his partner and remained by his side until Mercury’s death.
At the same time, Mercury developed a successful solo career. In 1985 he released his first solo album, *Mr. Bad Guy*, while in 1986 he collaborated with Dave Clark on the musical *Time*. In 1987 he fulfilled one of his great artistic ambitions by collaborating with the celebrated Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé. Their collaboration resulted in the album *Barcelona*.
By the mid-1980s Mercury had contracted HIV. For a long time, the state of his health remained private, and he did not publicly confirm the rumours surrounding his condition. Despite his declining health, he continued to work with Queen. In 1989 the band released the album *The Miracle*, for which they did not undertake a promotional tour. Mercury appeared in the music videos visibly thinner, and the seriousness of his condition had by then become increasingly apparent to the public.
In 1991 Queen released *Innuendo*, the last album completed while Mercury was alive. It included “The Show Must Go On”, one of the most powerful songs of his final period.
On 23 November 1991 Freddie Mercury publicly announced that he had AIDS. The announcement came after years in which he had kept his illness away from the public eye. The following day, 24 November 1991, he died at his home in London at the age of 45. He died from complications associated with AIDS.
His death caused worldwide mourning and marked the end of the life of one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of rock music. In April 1992, a major tribute concert was held at Wembley Stadium, attended by some of the world's leading musicians. The concert and Mercury's legacy also led to the creation of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charitable organization established by the members of Queen and their manager Jim Beach to support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
