• Slide 1 of 11: On November 24, 1991, the world lost one of the greatest rock singers of all-time, Freddie Mercury. The Queen frontman was just 45 when he lost his life to AIDS, leaving his fans and music lovers all over the globe in mourning. Known for his energetic performances, flamboyant outfits and powerful voice, Freddie is still an icon to this day and Queen's music is as popular as ever. To remember the rock 'n' roll showman, here is a look at the incredible life and career of Freddie Mercury...

  • Slide 2 of 11: The classic line-up of Queen – Freddie, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon – was fully formed in 1971. That version of the band played their first gig at a Surrey college on July 2 that year. Their debut album 'Queen' was released in 1973 and their first single was 'Keep Yourself Alive'. Brian – who penned the song – has admitted he wasn't convinced of his talents as a songwriter before their first track came out. He said:

  • Slide 3 of 11: Freddie's birth name was Farrokh Bulsara but he legally changed his name to Freddie Mercury. He was born in Zanzibar in 1946 but spent most of his childhood in India. His family lived in Zanzibar whilst his father worked as a cashier at the British Colonial Office.

  • Slide 4 of 11: The six-minute rock opera was the band's first chart-topper, topping the UK singles chart for nine weeks and sold almost a million copies. Despite the grandiose style of the song, Freddie claimed the track had

  • Slide 5 of 11: Written by Mercury in 1979, Crazy Little Thing Called Love reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, but it went on to become Queen's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and remained there for four weeks. It was penned as a tribute to his musical heroes Elvis Presley and Sir Cliff Richard and it was the first song on which Freddie played rhythm guitar. He told Melody Maker:

  • Slide 6 of 11: Freddie's fantastic smile was the result of the singer having four extra teeth in his upper jaw, which gave him a slight overbite and a unique look. However, he was self-conscious about his teeth and would often cover his mouth during interviews.

  • Slide 7 of 11: The We Will Rock You singer started his stamp collection as a child. His father, Bomi, kept his childhood stamp collection and auctioned both his and his son's collections, which were bought by the London Postal Museum in 1993. In 2016, they were shown alongside John Lennon's stamps. The pair's collection includes stamps from the UK, Zanzibar Yemen, New Zealand and Monaco. The money raised was donated to the AIDS charity, Mercury Phoenix Trust.

  • Slide 8 of 11: On Saturday, July 13, 1985, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure hosted Live Aid to raise money to help famine victims in Ethiopia. The musical extravaganza was hosted simultaneously at London's Wembley Stadium and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Wembley hosted music icons such as David Bowie, The Who and Elton John, but it was Freddie and Queen who stole the show. The band's 21-minute set – which featured 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'We Are The Champions' – was voted the greatest live performance in the history of rock in a 2205 industry poll of more than 60 artists, journalists and music executives.

  • Slide 9 of 11: In July 1986, Queen returned to the scene of Live Aid to play two historic concerts at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the 'Magic Tour'. The shows – which have been immortalized as a live film – have been described by guitarist Brian May as the

  • Slide 10 of 11: Freddie was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, but he did not reveal that he had AIDS until the day before his death On November 24, 1991. He gently slipped away at his Kensington home in London in the company of his partner Jim Hutton who held him in his arms. In his final days, Freddie was surrounded by loved ones, including his former girlfriend Mary Austin, to whom Mercury left his house.

  • Slide 11 of 11: In 2018, the world finally got the much rumored Freddie Mercury biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody', a project in development since 2010. The movie told the incredible true story of Freddie's life and music from the formation of the band up to their 1985 Live Aid performance. Rami Malek – who grew up a Freddie fan - was cast as Freddie and his portrayal was universally praised. As well as introducing Queen's music to new generations, the movie won four Academy Awards for Best Actor for Malek, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

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Those were the days of our lives...

On November 24, 1991, the world lost one of the greatest rock singers of all-time, Freddie Mercury. The Queen frontman was just 45 when he lost his life to AIDS, leaving his fans and music lovers all over the globe in mourning. Known for his energetic performances, flamboyant outfits and powerful voice, Freddie is still an icon to this day and Queen's music is as popular as ever. To remember the rock 'n' roll showman, here is a look at the incredible life and career of Freddie Mercury...

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

The start of Queen's reign

The classic line-up of Queen – Freddie, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon – was fully formed in 1971. That version of the band played their first gig at a Surrey college on July 2 that year. Their debut album 'Queen' was released in 1973 and their first single was 'Keep Yourself Alive'. Brian – who penned the song – has admitted he wasn't convinced of his talents as a songwriter before their first track came out. He said: "I wasn't very sure that I was a songwriter, but I just sort of had this idea. Strange enough, the lyrics to 'Keep Yourself Alive' are meant to be kind of a comment. They're meant to be slightly ironic."

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Freddie Mercury wasn't his real name

Freddie's birth name was Farrokh Bulsara but he legally changed his name to Freddie Mercury. He was born in Zanzibar in 1946 but spent most of his childhood in India. His family lived in Zanzibar whilst his father worked as a cashier at the British Colonial Office.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Bohemian Rhapsody was Queen's first number one

The six-minute rock opera was the band's first chart-topper, topping the UK singles chart for nine weeks and sold almost a million copies. Despite the grandiose style of the song, Freddie claimed the track had "no real meaning, it's all rhyming nonsense".

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Freddie played guitar on Queen's first American number one

Written by Mercury in 1979, Crazy Little Thing Called Love reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, but it went on to become Queen's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and remained there for four weeks. It was penned as a tribute to his musical heroes Elvis Presley and Sir Cliff Richard and it was the first song on which Freddie played rhythm guitar. He told Melody Maker: "I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing, because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords."

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Freddie had four extra teeth

Freddie's fantastic smile was the result of the singer having four extra teeth in his upper jaw, which gave him a slight overbite and a unique look. However, he was self-conscious about his teeth and would often cover his mouth during interviews.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Freddie was a stamp collector

The We Will Rock You singer started his stamp collection as a child. His father, Bomi, kept his childhood stamp collection and auctioned both his and his son's collections, which were bought by the London Postal Museum in 1993. In 2016, they were shown alongside John Lennon's stamps. The pair's collection includes stamps from the UK, Zanzibar Yemen, New Zealand and Monaco. The money raised was donated to the AIDS charity, Mercury Phoenix Trust.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Queen steal the show at Live Aid

On Saturday, July 13, 1985, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure hosted Live Aid to raise money to help famine victims in Ethiopia. The musical extravaganza was hosted simultaneously at London's Wembley Stadium and at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Wembley hosted music icons such as David Bowie, The Who and Elton John, but it was Freddie and Queen who stole the show. The band's 21-minute set – which featured 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'We Are The Champions' – was voted the greatest live performance in the history of rock in a 2205 industry poll of more than 60 artists, journalists and music executives.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Queen's live 'pinnacle'

In July 1986, Queen returned to the scene of Live Aid to play two historic concerts at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the 'Magic Tour'. The shows – which have been immortalized as a live film – have been described by guitarist Brian May as the "pinnacle" of Queen as a live rock band. Brian said: "The Wembley concerts in 1986 were the pinnacle for us. "We were at our height band-wise, and Freddie had developed this phenomenal way of dealing with stadium audiences. Being back home in London playing two sell-out nights was such a big, big occasion for us. None of us realized that this would be almost the last time we played together..."

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Freddie's peaceful death

Freddie was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, but he did not reveal that he had AIDS until the day before his death On November 24, 1991. He gently slipped away at his Kensington home in London in the company of his partner Jim Hutton who held him in his arms. In his final days, Freddie was surrounded by loved ones, including his former girlfriend Mary Austin, to whom Mercury left his house.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Immortalized in film

In 2018, the world finally got the much rumored Freddie Mercury biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody', a project in development since 2010. The movie told the incredible true story of Freddie's life and music from the formation of the band up to their 1985 Live Aid performance. Rami Malek – who grew up a Freddie fan - was cast as Freddie and his portrayal was universally praised. As well as introducing Queen's music to new generations, the movie won four Academy Awards for Best Actor for Malek, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

11/11 SLIDES