Zanzibar in the 1940s-what do you think of? If you are like me, you have a hard time. At the time, it was a colony of Great Britain. Its residents included Bomi and Jer Bulsara, Parsi transplants from India who relocated there for Bomi's work with the British Colonial Office. On September 5, 1946, Jer gave birth to a son Farrokh. Farrokh spent a few years in Zanzibar before being sent to India to attend school. Young Farrokh learned music at an early age, learning to play piano and even starting a band with his classmates at the age of twelve. The Bulsaras would flee to England in 1964 as a result of an uprising in Zanzibar in which ethnic Indians were killed. Farrokh enrolled at and graduated from art school in 1969. He worked odd jobs such as being a baggage handler at Heathrow International Airport while also joining local bands. One year after graduation he teamed up with Roger Taylor and Brian May in a group called Smile. The following year, John Deacon joined the band, which changed its name to Queen. Farrokh also changed his last name to Mercury. The introverted, somewhat shy young man came alive onstage, with performances that some might call bombastic, or theatrical, or outrageous. Farrokh, who long gave up his birth name for Freddie, pushed his bandmates to embrace the daring. The band had modest success in its early days, but they were fortunate in that they were well-regarded critically and were generously given use of a studio to record their music.
In 1975, the band who enjoyed somewhat modest success burst onto the scene with a song that their own record company soured on. Bohemian Rhapsody was based on music that Freddie created while still in college. Bandmate Brian May was a fan of the concept and gave the go-ahead for the group to proceed. It was a song which took three weeks to record, relying on overdubs of the individual members singing. Despite the criticism from their own record label, Queen was confident in their product and began playing it on radio stations. A star was born in the band, and particularly in Freddie Mercury. He quickly became known for his showmanship-energetic performances, elaborate costuming, and a way to connect with his audience that few artists at that time had. The quiet, laid back man off the stage became a larger than life performer. Freddie was partnered with longtime girlfriend Mary Austin, but he purportedly always questioned his sexuality. Eventually, Freddie decided to part with Mary as a romantic partner, though he still considered her his "wife" in later years. When Freddie decided to explore his sexuality, he was reported to have attended many parties, clubs, etc. and also purportedly did a lot of drugs. AIDS was discovered in 1981 and was found to be spreading in the gay community. Unfortunately, that meant that anyone who was having sex was at a high risk of contracting the disease. Based on the reports of Freddie's sexual life, he had many partners and was a prime candidate for the disease.
In 1987, Freddie's worst nightmare became true-he was formally diagnosed with AIDS. It was reported that he had symptoms as early as 1982 and suspected that he had the illness before his actual diagnosis. Freddie struggled emotionally with the diagnosis; he was very private about his health and was said to have grieved tremendously. Still, he continued to work and remain an active part of Queen. The band would record Freddie's final album in 1991. That June, he became too weak to continue. The last few months of Freddie's life, he was confined to his home. Freddie reportedly lost his vision and was in tremendous pain. On November 24, 1991 Freddie lost his battle and passed at his home, surrounded by those who loved him most, former partner Mary and good friend Dave Clark among them. Freddie's death was significant in that he was the first major celebrity to die of AIDS related illness.
As for me, I came of age musically towards the latter half of the 1980s. Of course, I knew We Will Rock You as most people did who attended or watched a sporting event. But Queen's music never really registered with me because by that time, some of their greatest hits and success were behind them. Around the time of Freddie's passing, they became popular again with Wayne and Garth bashing their heads to Bohemian Rhapsody. I never knew too much about Freddie personally, particularly his sexuality. I remember distinctly that two of his other fellow Brits-Elton John and George Michael, were still in the closet. However, there was very public speculation about their sexuality. I vaguely remember at the time of Freddie's passing the discussion of his sexuality. I think the general consensus was that nobody was "surprised" at his passing, but thankfully I do not remember much moral outrage. Being gay was still very much scorned upon and judged, particularly in the United States, at that time. I still do not remember a lot of condemnation. Freddie was so well-respected for his artist, and for that I am grateful.
When I became an adult, I grew to appreciate Freddie and his life. What I love about him so much is his boldness and confidence onstage. This otherwise quiet man had a side of him that not only came alive onstage, but thrived in a way that few others of his artists did. Freddie knew exactly who that side of him was and allowed himself and his fans to experience every second of it. He was an original and dared to show that side of himself to massive audiences. When it was announced that a movie about Freddie's life was being made, and that it would star Rami Malek, I couldn't have been more overjoyed. Rami is one of my favorite actors from his Mr. Robot days, and every character he portrayed was to perfection. Even though the movie was in many ways fictitious, Rami absolutely embraced the life and person of Freddie and won many rightfully deserved awards for it, including an Academy Award. I could tell how much Rami respected Freddie, and you probably couldn't have picked a better person to portray him.
More importantly, I loved who Freddie Mercury was as a person. There were so many facets to Freddie's gem. I am attracted to people who know who they are, every bit of themselves, and Freddie personified that. Off stage, Freddie was the sensitive person who was a cat father. Freddie and Mary's relationship dared to explore the complex relationship of gay men and the women who love them for anyone who cared to pay attention. I know from close friendships with gay men that they do love the women in their lives, and very deeply. A lot of people do not understand that. They do not understand that your "soulmate" does not necessarily have to be your romantic partner. Freddie and Mary were wise enough to understand that. Freddie also understood that while he was by nature an introvert, there was part of him that was a complete deity waiting to come out onstage. He was wise and confident enough in himself to let that part of him shine. He was both a composer and interpreter of music. Freddie understood exactly who he was and shared his full self with the whole world. I have always felt a kinship with Freddie because of that reason. I am also an introvert who has many facets to me, and it is one of the things I appreciate most about myself.
It was widely speculated that Freddie would have survived his diagnosis if the proper medicine was available to him at the time. AIDS is not a death sentence in the 21st century, far from it. For many of us, Freddie is frozen in time. He will forever be the young man with so much energy, with the looks of many characters, moving across the stage and dazzling us with his lyrics, beautiful voice, and presence. I have often wondered what life would have been like for Freddie if he had lived longer. I suspect it would have been more of what he did best. He never slowed down despite his diagnosis, and I think he would have still continued creating his music, toured, and blessed us with the gift that is Freddie Mercury.
Happy 75th birthday, beautiful and wise soul.
