Freddie Mercury: 27 Years Since the Death of a Legend

Regal and infinite; these are the first adjectives that come to mind when I think of Freddie Mercury. His idiosyncratic voice, the timeless lyrics he wrote, his performing abilities — everything he was created the legend that is so righteously revered today. Freddie is the reason Queen became Queen, without him the band wouldn’t have prospered. Even 27 years after his death, Freddie’s legacy continues to touch people around the globe. The music he created with his bandmates (Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon) is immortal. Queen conquered the music scene, and Freddie conquered the world — nobody ever expects a revolution.

The Queen frontman passed away on this date of 1991, due to complications of AIDS. He was one of the first revered casualties of the AIDS epidemic. The virus was a pivotal concern of the rising gay scene of the ‘80s and 90’s, and those who disapproved and shunned the actions and lifestyle of these people named it a “gay cancer,” set out to cleanse society of the perceived-to-be wrongdoings of individuals. Though Freddie remained closeted for most of his life (or not, depending on how closely you listen to the ballads of Bohemian Rhapsody), his sexuality was widely speculated by the public, which earned him loads of criticism.

Despite the horrid reports the tabloids published, Freddie was still a man of the people. No matter how much critics and the older affluent generations badmouthed him, his charisma and theatrical performances engaged his audience and caused them to unravel in awe, almost as if Freddie — and Freddie alone— had the ability to hypnotize the grand masses. The Live Aid concert of 1985 is evidence of this. Regarded as the best rock performance in music history, Queen’s set had the ability to transcend the crowd into another dimension, due to the extraordinary interaction Freddie initiated with the audience. His vocal runs of “heyo-s” and musical gibberish sealed the reciprocated atmospheric excitement in the stadium. For a little over twenty minutes, everyone in the crowd belonged to Queen. If you weren’t a fan of them before, you sure as hell were now.

Freddie created music that would live on for generations to come, and with the new Queen tribute movie in theaters, Bohemian Rhapsody (the movie) has introduced the legends to people that came long after the band’s active years with their grandiose frontman. Younger generations are discovering the quintessential rock band that revolutionized not only the music industry, but the world with hit after hit: Somebody to Love, Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions. Their songs appealed to the human spirit in a multitude of aspects: love, unity, fear, success, and so on. There lies the undeniable humane factor woven in their songs, which successfully moves people emotionally, and serves as a mirror in which they see themselves represented.

Freddie knew he was born to be a star, but stars fizzle out, and their light eventually transforms into substances not worth remembering. Freddie is a universe, home and creator of a vast array of constellations compiled of musical and humane accomplishments. The stellar prosperity of his existence is one that will never be called to question, and it will be forever crowned with the most flamboyant and ostentatious of the queen’s precious jewels.