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John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician, best known for being the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He composed several songs for the group—including Top 10 hits 'You're My Best Friend', 'Another One Bites the Dust', 'Back Chat', and 'I Want to Break Free'—and was involved in the band's financial management.

Deacon grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, playing bass in a local band, The Opposition, before moving to study electronics at Chelsea College, London. He joined Queen in 1971 on the strength of his musical and electronic skills, particularly the home-made Deacy Amp which guitarist Brian May used to create guitar orchestras throughout Queen's career. From the third album, Sheer Heart Attack, onwards, he wrote at least one song per album, several of which became hits. As well as bass, Deacon played some guitar and keyboards on Queen's studio work.

After the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991 and the following year's Tribute Concert, Deacon performed only sporadically with the remaining members of Queen before retiring from the music industry in 1997 after recording 'No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)'. He has not performed on any of the other projects that the other two surviving members, Brian May and Roger Taylor, have put together.

Early life

John Richard Deacon was born on 19 August 1951 in Leicester^[1] to Arthur Henry and Lilian Molly Deacon (née Perkins).^[2] His father worked at the Norwich Union insurance company and in 1960 the family moved to the dormitory town of Oadby.^[3] Deacon was known to friends and his bandmates as 'Deaks' or 'Deaky' and attended Linden Junior School in Leicester, Gartree High School and Beauchamp Grammar School in Oadby. He became interested in electronics, reading magazines on the subject and building small devices, including the modification of a reel-to-reel tape deck to record music directly from the radio.^[4][5] He studied well and achieved 8 GCE O level and 3 A level passes, all at grade A.^[6] He particularly enjoyed soul music.^[7]

Career

Deacon joined his first band, The Opposition, in 1965 at the age of 14. The band played covers of chart hits; Deacon played rhythm guitar using an instrument he had bought with money borrowed from the group's founder, Richard Young.^[8] He switched to bass the following year after the original bassist was fired for not improving his playing as much as the other members.^[9] As well as a dedicated musician, Deacon also was the band's archivist, taking clippings from newspapers of even the advertisements featuring The Opposition. After being in the band for four years, not long after the group cut an acetate of three songs, Deacon played his final concert with the band (then called The Art) in August 1969.^[10][11] He left as he had been accepted to study at Chelsea College in London (now part of King's College London), where he obtained a First Class Honours degree in Electronics in 1971.^[1] Having become a fan of Deep Purple, he saw the group perform the Concerto for Group and Orchestra with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall that September.^[12]

Although he left his bass and amplifier at home in Oadby, after less than a year of studying in London, he decided he wanted to join a band.^[13] In 1970, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor had formed Queen; Deacon saw them in October that year but was not immediately impressed.^[11] Later in the year, he briefly formed a band called Deacon that made one live appearance at Chelsea College.^[14]

In early 1971, Deacon was introduced to Taylor and May by a friend at a disco who told him that they were in a band that had just lost its bassist. A couple of days later he auditioned in a lecture room at Imperial College London and became the last member of Queen to join.^[11] Deacon was selected for his musical talent, his quiet demeanour and his electrical skills.^[15] A persistent legend claims Deacon was the seventh bassist auditioned,^[16] but more recent sources show Queen's bassists were, in order: Mike Grose, Barry Mitchell, Doug Bogie and Deacon.^[17][18] Deacon played his first show with Queen at the College of Estate Management in Kensington in June.^[1]

On Queen's first album (1973) he was credited as 'Deacon John',^[19] in order to make him 'sound more interesting'. He asked to be credited under his real name, which was done on all albums from Queen II (1974) onwards.^[20][21]

Deacon's first writing credit came on Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack (1974). He wrote 'Misfire', a Caribbean-themed song where he played almost all guitar parts, and co-wrote 'Stone Cold Crazy' with the rest of the band. He also played some guide guitar parts on the album as May had been hospitalised with hepatitis when recording started.^[22] His second song was written for his wife-to-be Veronica, 'You're My Best Friend' (1975) was featured on the group's fourth album, A Night at the Opera, and went on to be an international hit. Subsequently, Deacon tended to write one or two songs for every Queen album, until The Miracle (1989) and Innuendo (1991), which credited the band as a whole.^[23] He wrote the hit 'Another One Bites The Dust' (1980) as a dance song based on his early love of soul. The song saw radio play on both black and white US music stations.^[7] He began to collaborate more with Mercury during the 1980s, as they both wanted to change the band's musical direction.^[24]

Deacon played a larger role on the band's 1982 album Hot Space. He played rhythm guitar on the opening 'Staying Power' because of his soul and Motown-influenced style, and insisted on playing guitar on his own composition 'Back Chat' and not allowing May to play any guitar solos because the style did not fit what Deacon wanted. This led to an acrimonious argument between the two.^[25] By the mid-1980s, Deacon had started to play with other bands as well. He performed on the single 'Picking Up Sound' by Man Friday & Jive Junior, a supergroup also featuring Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham, Bad Company's Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs, and The Pretenders' Martin Chambers.^[26][27] and played with The Immortals, which released the track 'No Turning Back' as part of the soundtrack to the film Biggles: Adventures in Time.^[15] Deacon played bass on Mercury's single with Montserrat Caballe 'How Can I Go On'^[28] and also worked with Elton John and Hot Chocolate's Errol Brown.^[15]

Deacon considered his songwriting to be of equal importance to his musical skills in Queen. He later said 'If I'd just been a bass player all my life with the band, I wouldn't be as satisfied .. I only consider that as part of what I do'.^[29]

Retirement

Deacon was upset the most by Mercury's death in November 1991, which resulted in a reduction in his musical activity. He later said, 'As far as we are concerned, this is it. There is no point carrying on. It is impossible to replace Freddie.'^[15] After playing live with Queen three more times – at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness on 20 April 1992, in a charity concert with Roger Taylor at Cowdray House in Midhurst on 18 October 1993, and at the opening of the Bejart Ballet in Paris on 17 January 1997, performing only 'The Show Must Go On' with Elton John on lead vocals – he made the decision to retire from music,^[30] re-appearing only briefly by joining his former bandmates in October 1997 for the recording of the final Queen song 'No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)', included on the Queen Rocks album released a month later.^[31]

Deacon has reportedly spoken unfavourably about the May/Taylor/Robbie Williams cover of 'We Are the Champions', recorded for A Knight's Tale.^[32]

Deacon has stayed out of the public eye since retiring. He chose not to be present at Queen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He also did not join the collaboration with singer Paul Rodgers (as Queen + Paul Rodgers),^[33] where he was replaced on bass by Danny Miranda.^[34] On the Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration album The Cosmos Rocks which featured new material from the trio, he was thanked in the notes on the CD. Brian May has since said that Deacon is still involved on the business side of Queen but chooses to stay out of the limelight. May also confirmed that Deacon approved of the making of the band's biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, where he was played by Joseph Mazzello.^[35]Minecraft xbox360 skin pack 1 free download.

In 2013, a newly-discovered species of the genus Heteragrion (Odonata : Zygoptera) from Brazil was named Heteragrion johndeaconi after Deacon, in honour of his musical and songwriting skills – one of four Heteragrion flatwing damselflies named after the bandmates, paying tribute to the 40th anniversary of Queen's founding.^[36]

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone magazine regarding the forthcoming Queen + Adam Lambert North American tour with Adam Lambert, May and Taylor admitted that they no longer have much contact with Deacon except regarding finances, with Taylor stating that '[Deacon]'s completely retired from any kind of social contact', and describing him as 'a little fragile'. May added, however, 'he still keeps an eye on the finances, though. John Deacon is still John Deacon. We don't undertake anything financial without talking to him.'^[37] Session bassist Neil Fairclough covered the tour.^[38]

Musical style and equipment

In 1973, Rolling Stone wrote that the combination of Taylor and Deacon 'is explosive, a colossal sonic volcano whose eruption makes the earth tremble.'^[39] Deacon played guitar in addition to bass, taking over rhythm parts on many albums, as well as several acoustic performances. Some of the guitar work on Hot Space (the clean Fender Telecaster single-coil sound) is Deacon's. He would occasionally play synthesizers on his own compositions and often composed at the piano, playing a Wurlitzer electric piano on 'You're My Best Friend'.^[40] He can also be seen playing the grand piano in the music video to 'Spread Your Wings',^[41] although on the actual recording the piano was played by Mercury.^[42] Unlike the other three members of Queen, Deacon did not sing on the group's records, though he did occasionally sing backing vocals during live performances.^[43]

Deacon's first bass, used in The Opposition, was an Eko, later switching to a Rickenbacker 4001. For most of Queen's career, he used a Fender Precision Bass, which underwent a number of cosmetic changes. Towards the end of the group's career, he used a custom bass designed by Roger Giffin.^[15][29] He also used an Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray live on occasion.^[44] As a trained electronics engineer, he was able to build equipment for the band. His most famous creation is the 'Deacy Amp', built in 1972 from pieces of electronic equipment found in a skip, and used by himself and May throughout Queen's recording career. Many of the so-called 'guitar orchestras' on Queen albums use this amplifier.^[45]

Deacon usually played the bass with his fingers, instead of using a plectrum. He counted his influences as Chic, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. His favourite bass players were Chris Squire of the progressive rock band Yes^[46] and The Who's John Entwistle.^[47] A trademark of Deacon's playing is his bass runs. A 1975 review of Sheer Heart Attack said 'Only at the end would a new initiate to Queen recognize John Deacon's unmistakable trademark .. the least well known musician in Queen is one of his rock generation's most able.'^[48]

Personal life

Deacon has often been described as the 'quiet' member of the band. Although the rest of the band felt he was the right bassist for them, he barely spoke in rehearsals and avoided arguments.^[1] He lives in Putney in Southwest London with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff, whom he married on 18 January 1975,^[49] and is the father of six children.^[50] One of the reasons for Queen splitting from Trident, their original management company, is that it refused to lend Deacon money to put a deposit on a house.^[51][52]

According to the 2019 Sunday TimesRich List, Deacon was worth £130 million.^[53]

Discography

Queen songs Deacon wrote that were released as singles:

• 'You're My Best Friend' from A Night at the Opera^[27]
• 'Spread Your Wings' from News of the World^[54]
• 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Need Your Loving Tonight' from The Game^[27]
• 'Back Chat' from Hot Space^[55]
• 'I Want to Break Free' from The Works^[55]
• 'Pain Is So Close to Pleasure', 'Friends Will Be Friends' (both co-written with Freddie Mercury) and 'One Year of Love' from A Kind of Magic^[56]

Selected Queen album tracks:

• 'Misfire' from Sheer Heart Attack^[57]
• 'You and I' from A Day at the Races^[58]
• 'Who Needs You' from News of the World^[59]
• 'If You Can't Beat Them' and 'In Only Seven Days' from Jazz^[60]
• 'Cool Cat' from Hot Space (co-written with Freddie Mercury)^[61]
• 'Rain Must Fall' (credited to Queen) from The Miracle.^[62]

Selected solo efforts:

• Jive Junior and Man Friday: 'Picking Up Sounds' (7' single, 1983)^[27]
• The Immortals: 'No Turning Back' (single from Biggles: Adventures in Time soundtrack) (1986)^[63]

References

Citations

1. ^ ^abcdDean 1986, p. 11.
2. ^[1]
3. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 12.
4. ^'John Deacon'. International Queen Fan Club. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
5. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 13.
6. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 27.
7. ^ ^abDean 1986, p. 46.
8. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 15.
9. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 17.
10. ^Hodkinson 2004, pp. 25–26.
11. ^ ^abc'Queen before Queen – the 1960s recordings Part 4 – The Opposition'. Record Collector. February 1996. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
12. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 26.
13. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 176.
14. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 177.
15. ^ ^abcde'The Invisible Man'. Bassist magazine. April 1996. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
16. ^Dean 1986, pp. 9,11.
17. ^Hodkinson 2004, pp. 174–176.
18. ^Blake, Mark (31 March 2011). 'Is This the Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen'. PopMatters. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
19. ^Queen (Media notes). EMI / Trident. 1973. EMC 3006.
20. ^'John Deacon'. Queen (official website). Retrieved 7 December 2015.
21. ^Purvis 2012, p. 82.
22. ^Purvis 2012, p. 88.
23. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 188.
24. ^Purvis 2012, p. 163.
25. ^Purvis 2012, p. 181.
26. ^Dean 1986, p. 66.
27. ^ ^abcd'John Deacon'. Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
28. ^Purvis 2012, p. 290.
29. ^ ^abNewell, Roger (25 October 2011). 'Bass Legends: Queen's John Deacon'. Music Radar. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
30. ^Greene, Andy (17 October 2013). 'Flashback: Queen and Elton John Perform 'The Show Must Go On''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
31. ^Queen Rocks (Media notes). EMI. 823-091-2.
32. ^'The Royal Family'. Classic Rock. December 2001. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
33. ^Purvis 2012, p. 1464.
34. ^Wright, Jeb. 'CRR Interview – Danny Miranda'. Classic Rock Revisited. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
35. ^'Brian May disappointed by John Deacon's movie snub – Sound Bites – Display – Sound Bites'. The Sound. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
36. ^Lencioni, F.A.A. (9 July 2013). 'Diagnoses and discussion of the group 1 and 2 Brazilian species of Heteragrion, with descriptions of four new species (Odonata: Megapodagrionidae). Zootaxa 3685 (1): 001–080'(PDF). Zootaxa. Magnolia Press – Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
37. ^Andy Greene (6 March 2014). 'QA: Queen, Adam Lambert Talk New Tour, Pressure and John Deacon Music News'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
38. ^'Neil Fairclough'. Samson Tech. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
39. ^'Queen'. Rolling Stone (149). 12 December 1973. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
40. ^Jones 2012, p. 159.
41. ^Saleksi, Mark (28 October 2015). 'Queen, 'Spread Your Wings' from News of the World (1977): One Track Mind'. Something Else Reviews. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
42. ^Purvis 2012, p. 126.
43. ^'Top 10 John Deacon Queen songs'. Classic Rock. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
44. ^'Ernie Ball Announces 40th Anniversary StingRay'. Premier Guitar. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
45. ^'KAT Deacy Amp Replica'. Knight Audio Technologies. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
46. ^'Guitar Magazine – September 1999'. brianmay.com. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
47. ^Purvis 2012, p. 10.
48. ^'03-XX-1975 – Sheer Heart Attack – Circus'. Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
49. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 234.
50. ^'Legacy of music legends: Why Queen will still rock you'. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
51. ^Jones 2012, p. 129.
52. ^Hodkinson 2004, p. 239.
53. ^'Ed Sheeran tops Adele as Stormzy joins Sunday Times Rich List'. BBC. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
54. ^'Spread Your Wings'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
55. ^ ^ab'Queen : The Singles Collection'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
56. ^'Queen : Song Highlights'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
57. ^'Queen : Sheer Heart Attack'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
58. ^'Queen : A Day At The Races'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
59. ^'Queen : News Of The World'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
60. ^'Queen : Jazz'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
61. ^'Queen : Hot Space'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
62. ^'Queen : The Miracle'. AllMusic. 11 December 2015.
63. ^Purvis 2012, p. 730.

Sources

• Dean, Ken (1986). Queen : A Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN978-0-7119-0857-4.
• Hodkinson, Mark (2004). Queen : The Early Years. Omnibus Press. ISBN1-84449-012-2.
• Jones, Lesley-Ann (2012). Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury. Simon and Schuster. ISBN978-1-4516-6395-2.
• Purvis, Georg (2012). Queen: Complete Works. Titan Books. ISBN978-1-78116-287-3.

Further reading

• Mark Blake (Editor) (2005). MOJO Classic Queen Special Edition. EMAP Metro Limited.

Freddie Mercury (5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991), born Farrokh Bulsara, was a Britishmusician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen. He died of bronchopneumonia induced by HIV (AIDS), only a day after going public with an announcement of his illness.

See also:

Queen

Quotes[edit]

• It all began with the three wise men, followed a star took them to Bethelehem, and made it heard throughout the land — born was the leader of man. All going down to see the Lord Jesus.
  • 'Jesus' on Queen (1973).

• We’re confident people will take to us, because although the camp image has already been established by people like Bowie and Bolan we are taking it to another level. The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic. Glamour is part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageous instantly.
  • On Queen, in 'Standing Up For Queen' (28 July 1973).

• Gay as a daffodil.
  • On himself, as quoted in Interview by Julie Webb for New Musical Express (12 March 1974); he is often reported to have said 'I'm as gay as a daffodil, my dear!' but it does not appear in that form in the article.

• I hate pockets in trousers … By the way, I do not wear a hose. My hose is my own. No coke bottle, nothing stuffed down there.
  • As quoted in NME (2 November 1974).

• Jimi Hendrix is very important. He's my idol. He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place.
  • As quoted in 'Queen's Freddie Mercury Shopping For An Image In London' by Scott Cohen in Circus Magazine (April 1975).

• Liza, in terms of sheer talent, just oozes with it. She has sheer energy and stamina, which she gets across the stage, and the way she delivers herself to the public is a good influence. There is a lot to learn from her
  • As quoted in 'Queen's Freddie Mercury Shopping For An Image In London' by Scott Cohen in Circus Magazine (April 1975).

• Led Zeppelin is the greatest. Robert Plant is one of the most original vocalists of our time. As a rock band they deserve the kind of success they're getting.
  • As quoted in 'Queen's Freddie Mercury Shopping For An Image In London' by Scott Cohen in Circus Magazine (April 1975).

• All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, but it's simply impossible. The only friend I've got is Mary and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that's enough for me.
  • On Mary Austin, a long time companion, and the inheritor of most of his estate, as quoted in 'For A Song : The Mercury that's rising in rock is Freddie the satiny seductor of Queen' by Fred Hauptfuhrer, in People magazine (5 December 1977)

• I just like having fun. It's a very good release, rock music, but you know you say that I am a different person on stage and that same thing could be said of anyone going out to do his job. It's my work, and I'm very serious about it, getting it right - when we began, we approached it the way we did because we were not prepared to be out-of-work musicians, ever. We said either take it on as a serious commodity or don't do it at all.
  • 'The Man Who Would Be Queen' in Melody Maker (2 May 1981).

• I like people to go away from a Queen show feeling fully entertained, having had a good time. I think Queen songs are pure escapism, like going to see a good film - after that, they can go away and say that was great, and go back to their problems. I don't want to change the world with our music. There are no hidden messages in our songs, except for some of Brian's.
  • 'The Man Who Would Be Queen' in Melody Maker (2 May 1981).

• Listen, if you guys wanna move around a bit and shake your asses, it's okay. It's okay by us. You can take all your clothes off if you like, too. It doesn't matter.. Fuck off! [laughs]
  • During a concert in Montreal, Canada, (24 or 25 November 1981), first released as videotape We Will Rock You (1984), and later on DVD as Queen Rock Montreal (2007).

• Hello everybody! Hey hey hey! Okay! Do you know it's not.. it's not very often that we do shows in daylight. And I fucking wish we'd done before, I can see you all now. And there's some beauties here tonight, I can tell you!
  • Live at Milton Keynes Bowl (5 June 1982).

• I would have loved to have been on the Band Aid record but I only heard about it when I was in Germany. I don’t know if they would have had me on the record anyway, because I’m a bit old.
  I’m just an old slag who gets up every morning, scratches his head and wonders what he wants to fuck.
  • As quoted in 'Blame it on Rio' by Robin Smith, in Record Mirror (26 January 1985).

• I'm possessed by love — but isn't everybody? Most of my songs are love ballads and things to do with sadness and torture and pain.
  In terms of love, you're not in control and I hate that feeling. I seem to write a lot of sad songs because I'm a very tragic person. But there's always an element of humour at the end.
  • As quoted in 'I am the Champion' by Nick Ferrari in The Sun (19 July 1985).

• Montserrat Caballé is sensational. She has that same kind of emotion as Aretha Franklin. The way she delivers a song is so very natural. It's a very different gift.
  • 'I am the Champion' by Nick Ferrari in The Sun (19 July 1985).

• You can have everything in the world and still be the loneliest man. And that is the most bitter type of loneliness, success has brought me world idolisation and millions of pounds. But it's prevented me from having the one thing we all need: A loving, ongoing relationship.
  • As quoted in 'Rock On Freddie' (1985).

• Can you imagine how terrible it is when you've got everything and you're still desperately lonely? That is awful beyond words.
  I'm so powerful on stage that I seem to have created a monster. When I'm performing I'm an extrovert, yet inside I'm a completely different man.
  • As quoted in 'Rock On Freddie' (1985).
• I can’t win. Love is Russian roulette for me. No one loves the real me inside. they're all in love with my fame, my stardom.
  I fall in love far too quickly and end up getting hurt all the time. I've got scars all over. But I can't help myself because basically I'm a softie I have this hard, macho shell — which I project on stage but there's a much softer side. too, which melts like butter.
  • 'Rock On Freddie' (1985).

• Our love affair ended in tears but a deep bond grew out of it, and that's something nobody can take away from us. It's unreachable … All my lovers ask me why they can't replace her, but it's simply impossible.
  I don't feel jealous of her lovers because. of course, she has a life to lead, and so do I. Basically, I try to make sure she's happy with whoever she's with and she tries to do the same for me.
  We look after each other and that's a wonderful form of love. I might have all the problems in the world, but I have Mary and that gets me through.
  • On his relationship with Mary Austin, as quoted in 'Rock On Freddie' (1985).

• You know something? There's been a lot of rumors lately about a certain band called Queen. The rumors are that.. The rumors are that we're gonna split up. What do you think? [audience replies 'No!'] [Pointing to his posterior] They're talking from here! [audience replies 'Yes'!] My apologies, but I say what I want. You know what I mean? So forget those rumors. We’re gonna stay together until we fucking well die, I’m sure of it. I keep — I must tell you — I keep wanting to leave, but they won’t let me. Also, I suppose we’re not.. We're not bad for four aging queens, are we? Really, what do you think?

• Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.
  • Statement to the press (23 November 1991), the day before his death, as quoted at The Biography Channel.

• This next song is only dedicated to beautiful people here tonight. That means all of you. Thank you for coming along.. and making this a great occasion.
  • Source: Live Aid, 1985/07/13 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A22oy8dFjqc?t=12m5s

Quotes about Mercury[edit]

• I lost somebody who I thought was my eternal love … When he died I felt we'd had a marriage. We'd lived our vows. We'd done it for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. You could never have let go of Freddie unless he died — and even then it was difficult.
  • Mary Austin, his longtime companion in 'The Ex-Lover Of Freddie Mercury Mary Austin Shares Her Memories Of The Late Queen Singer Inside His Home' in OK! (17 March 2000).

• The difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was that he was selling the voice.
  • Montserrat Caballé in Freddie Mercury : A Kind of Magic (2006) directed by Matthew Cain.

• Freddie Mercury was a huge source of inspiration to me as a child. I religiously attended Queen's concerts year after year. This is a sad day.
  • George Michael, after Freddie's death.

• I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now. I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're backstage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddy [sic] Mercury who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy.
  • Kurt Cobain, in his suicide note (5 or 6 April 1994).

• When we lost Freddie, we not only lost a great personality, a man with a great sense of humour, a true showman, but we lost probably the best. The best virtuoso rock 'n' roll singer of all time. He could sing anything in any style. He could change his style from line to line and, God, that's an art. And he was brilliant at it.
  • Roger Daltrey as quoted in 'The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert' by Jim O’Donnell (20 April 1992).

• My tribute really was 'The Show Must Go On.' There's a lot in there. I remember writing this line — 'my soul is painted like the wings of butterflies' — and I brought it to him one morning, a little worried about what he would think of it. I said, 'Do you think that's okay? Can you sing that?' And he went, 'Darling, I can sing that and I will give it my all.' Because he knew what it was all about and it didn't need to be said.
  • Brian May, as quoted in 'Queen Is Alive, Long Live The Queen' by Corey Levitan, in Circus Magazine (30 September 1992).

• If I didn't have Freddie Mercury's lyrics to hold on to as a kid, I don't know where I would be. It taught me about all forms of music. It would open my mind. I never really had a bigger teacher in my whole life.
  • Axl Rose, as quoted in 'Queen Is Alive, Long Live The Queen' by Corey Levitan, in Circus Magazine (30 September 1992).

• We were very close friends, he was a very special person to me. Freddie was probably the most creative individual I ever met, and he was really fun. He had a great zest for life. He was also very unselfish and very caring. He put himself out to work with me and it was a phenomenal experience.
  • Billy Squier, as quoted in 'Queen Is Alive, Long Live The Queen' by Corey Levitan, in Circus Magazine (30 September 1992).

• I adored Freddie Mercury and Queen had a hit called Radio Gaga. That's why I love the name. Freddie was unique - one of the biggest personalities in the whole of pop music. He was not only a singer but also a fantastic performer, a man of the theatre and someone who constantly transformed himself. In short: a genius.
  • Lady Gaga, as quoted in 'My new album is all about the dark side of celebrity, says Lady Gaga' by John Dingwall, in Dailyrecord.co.uk (27 November 2009).

• Freddie Mercury was - and remains - my biggest influence. The combination of his sarcastic approach to writing lyrics and his 'I don't give a fuck' attitude really inspired my music.”
  • Katy Perry, as quoted in 'Freddie Mercury inspired Katy Perry to 'Kiss A Girl', in NME.com (26 September 2008).

• I’m a Freddie Mercury fan. (In response to an interviewer backstage at a Queen concert at the LA Forum, who asked: Can I tell my viewers that Michael Jackson is a Queen fan?)
  • Michael Jackson, as quoted in 'Michael Jackson: Life in the Magical Kingdom', in Rolling Stone (17 February 1983).

• Every band should study Queen at Live Aid. If you really feel like that barrier is gone, you become Freddie Mercury. I consider him the greatest frontman of all time. Like, it's funny? you'd imagine that Freddie was more than human, but … You know how he controlled Wembley Stadium at Live Aid in 1985? He stood up there and did his vocal warm ups with the audience. Something that intimate, where they realize, 'Oh yeah, he's just a f***ing dude.
  • Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, as quoted in 'Dave Grohl: How To Make An Arena Feel Like A Punk Club in NPR (2011).

• What I dug about him so much is he was completely uninhibited as a performer. He just didn't care. He would just go out and wear what he wanted — nothing mattered. He wasn't afraid. As a young performer, that's what you aspire to:to be able to not care. The more you restrict yourself within the confines of an established art form like jazz, when you become successful at it, it becomes more and more difficult to be uninhibited, because you like the success, you like what's happening to you.
• Freddie Mercury was one of those guys who didn't care. That's extremely rare, I think, When you couple that with his musical abilities, well, I wouldn't say he was the greatest piano player in the world, but he was certainly intensely musical. And his vocals; there's a guy I wouldn't want to have a cutting contest with as a singer. He had just silly ability. When you listen to his vibrato, it's erratic. That's just talent, straight-up talent and creativity. That's ridiculous. Imagine what he would have been able to do if he had been trained. It wouldn't have affected his spontaneity or creativity. I think that's a big myth, this idea that when you become educated, it takes away from the soulful part. That's just once-in-a-century talent.
  • Harry Connick, Jr, as quoted in 'PBS lights the way for Harry Connick Jr. by Alex Strachan, in Calgary Herald (3, March 2011).

• Of all the more theatrical rock performers, Freddie took it further than the rest.. he took it over the edge. And of course, I always admired a man who wears tights. I only saw him in concert once and as they say, he was definitely a man who could hold an audience in the palm of his hand.
  • David Bowie, as quoted in 'Queen singer is rock's first major AIDS casualty' by Jeffry Ressner in Rolling Stone Magazine (9 January 1992).

• My lifetime role model and hero is Freddie Mercury of Queen. His songwriting skills, I cannot even approach, but his showmanship, I learned it from videos. I’m No. 1 in the U.K. right now, so if I have any chance to go there, I want to meet Queen and to tell them how much I got inspired by their music.
  • Psy, as quoted in 'His Style Is Gangnam, and Viral Too' by Melena Ryzik, in New York Times (14 October 2012).

External links[edit]

• Freddie Mercury on IMDb

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