Last Updated on 05/08/2008
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Last Updated on 05/08/2008
FREDDIE.
BRIAN,
ROGER,
JOHN 
FREDDIE MERCURY
Real
Name: Farookh Bulsara
Birthday: September 5, 1946
Birthplace: Zanzibar, Tanzania
Died: November 24, 1991 of AIDS in his home, in London.
Height: 5' 9"
Talents: Vocals, piano, tantrums, guitar, keyboards, synth, vocals and more
vocals!
Favourite singer: Aretha Franklin
Favourite actress: Marilyn Monroe
Favourite drink: Champaign, iced Vodka
Favourite food: Indian
Thursday, September 5, 1946 was the day Faroukh Bulsara was born. This took
place in Zanzibar, East Africa, to parents Bomi and Jer. In 1947, Freddie
moved to India. There he attended St. Peter's Boarding School in Panchgani,
just outside Bombay. While in school, he began his piano lessons, reaching
grade 4 in practical and theory, he began to be called Freddie, and he joined
his first band. They were called The Hectics, and they only performed within
the school (parties, school dances, etc...). In 1963, his family, including
his younger sister Kashmira, moved to England. Freddie decided he wanted
to go to Ealing College Of Art, so he attended Isleworth Polytechnic School
to get an extra A that would assure his acceptance into the college. Freddie
left Isleworth School in September 1964 with three O levels and one A level
in Art. He then attended Ealing College of Art to study Graphic Illustration.
He left college in 1969 with a diploma in Graphic Art & Design. Freddie,
being 5 ft. 9 1/2 inches tall with black hair and sparkling dark brown eyes,
was introduced to a band called Ibex. He sang with them alot, usually taking
over the lead vocals. After Ibex decided to split up, Freddie became the
lead singer of Sour Milk Sea. After Sour Milk Sea came to an end, Freddie
decided to start a band of his own. The result was Wreckage. In March 1970,
Freddie realized that Wreckage seemed to be heading nowhere, so he decided
to call it quits and leave. Tim Staffell, a fellow student at Ealing College
of Art, had introduced Freddie Bulsara to Smile in 1969. Smile is the band
which included Brian May, Tim Staffell, and Roger Taylor. Freddie soon became
a keen fan of the band. In 1970, Smile decided to call it a day because nothing
seemed to be happening for them. Tim went his own way and joined a band called
Humpy Bong, and Freddie remained friends with Brian and Roger. In April 1970,
Freddie, Brian, and Roger decided to hook up and form a band. Freddie changed
his name by deed poll to Mercury and the band's name was changed to Queen.
In February 1971, John Deacon was taken on as the fourth member of Queen,
after three temporary bassists had been and gone. That is how Queen began!
Freddie remained single and shared his large house and garden with several
cats, creatures he adored. He loved opera and ballet. Marilyn Monroe was
his favourite actress and Aretha Franklin was just one of his favourite singers.
He also liked to drink Cristal Champagne or iced vodka and loved Italian
food. On November 23, 1991, Freddie announced to the world that he had aids.
He sadly passed away the next day (November 24, 1991) at his London home
peacefully surrounded by close friends and family. Freddie is still regarded as
the greatest Rock showman and vocalist of all time! His death has spawned a
number of tribute artists and bands but my favourite is Flash Harry who I think
has a voice which comes nearest to Freddie's but then you can never copy
perfection!
Birthday:
July 19, 1947
Birthplace: Twickenham, England
Height: 6' 1"
Talents: Guitars, synths, vocals
Favourite song: "Tracks of my Tears" by Smoky Robinson and The Miracles
Favourite actor: Clint Eastwood
Favourite drinks: Guinness
Brian has been among the most
influential rock guitarists during the last three decades.
Brian Harold May, was born on the 19th of July 1947, in the small English
village of Twickenham. Brian's mother claimed that in the beginning Brian wanted
to be a surgeon, but Brian has no recollection of that. One thing is certain,
already in the early years you could see that he was going to be a great
musician. He started learing to play piano at the age of 5, the ukelele at 6 and
for his 7th birthday his father bought him his first accoustic guitar. In August
of 1963 when Brian was 16, he and his father Harold began work on his electric
guitar. The neck is made out of Mahogany from an old fireplace. The body is
mainly oak and the tremolo is made from an old knife edge and two motorbike
valve springs. The fret-marks on the neck of the guitar are made from old pearl
buttons. The guitar quickly became known as the 'Red Special'. For guitar pics,
Brian uses something so special as an old sixpence piece. Brian is, like all
other members of Queen, highly educated. He holds a BSc honours degree in both
Mathematics and Physics. He also tried for one in Astronomy but never finished
it. As well as the twenty albums that Queen recorded, he also has 3 solo albums.
Two studio albums, 'Star Fleet Project' and 'Back to the Light' and one live
album 'Live at the Brixton Academy'.
1991 was not an easy year for Brian, his marriage to wife Chrissy was suffering
from major problems. Then in mid '91 Brian's very much loved father Harold May
died. The pressure of his father's death finally blew open the riff between
Brian and wife Chrissy and Brian moved in with Anita Dobson. Finally in November
1991 Freddie died and Brian for a while felt that he had lost all control over
his life. To his own admission Brian came very close to suicide following
Freddie's death. In the end however, he decided to fly to his home in New York,
where he locked himself away with his guitar and gave himself time to recover
from the constant blows that had been delt to him during the last year. On the
25th of November, his first solo single 'Driven by You' formerly written as the
title theme for a series of Ford adverts was released. It made the top ten in
the UK charts.
Brian May's solo career has been highly successful and his family life has now
stabalised with Brian being in a happy relationship with actress Anita Dobson
and his three children Jimmy, Louise and Emily Ruth. Sadly in April 1997 Brian's
mother Emily May died. Brian is now concentrating on his 4th solo album and
hopes to tour sometime this year. Brian is the author of many Queen classics such as Now I'm Here, Tie Your Mother Down, We Will Rock You, Save Me and Who Wants To Live
Forever and has been among the most influential rock guitarists
during the last three decades. The distinctive sound of his guitar is an essential element to
Queen's music in the same way that Freddie Mercury's vocals are. He has
been with his partner Anita Dobson (Angie in Eastenders) for some years now and
they are still very much in love. Brian worked on the "We Will Rock You" musical
which he has produced alongside Roger and Robert De Niro. On top of that he
played a guitar solo of "God save the Queen" from the roof of Buckingham Palace
for the Queens 50th anniversary celebrations in 2003. "We Will Rock You" made
it's American debut at the Paris in Las Vegas during Sept. 2004 to rave reviews.
Together with Roger he decided to do a Queen tour in 2005 and brought Paul
Rodgers of "Free" fame to do lead vocals after he (Paul) had sang a couple of
Queen songs alongside Brian at a charity concert. Brian and the band completed a
39 date tour in Japan on the 3rd Nov. 2005. They will start a 23 date tour of
the US and Canada this coming spring 2006. In December 2006 Brian entered into
negotiations with a Hollywood director to make a fim about Freddie's life which
will also include Status Quo. Brian has revamped his website to include all the
guitars he has used at
www.brianmayguitars.co.uk. Lately Brian has resumed has resumed his studies
for a PHD in Astronomy which he gave up to be a Rock star.
He is to hand in his astronomy PhD thesis - 36
years after abandoning it to join the band (Aug 2007). May recently carried out
observational work in Tenerife, where he studied the formation of "zodiacal dust
clouds". He recently co-authored a book with Sir Patrick Moore.
Bands: The Bubblingover Boys, Beat Unlimited, The Cousin Jacks, The Reaction ,
Smile , Queen, The Cross
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: blue eyes
Height: 5ft 10"
Weight: 8 stone
Instruments: Drums, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Synths, Percussions etc..
Favourite Colour: Silver
Favourite Drink: Southern Comfort, White Wine, Vodka
Favourite Food: Japanese or anything spicy
Favourite Queen Song: March of the Black Queen
Favourite Queen Album: A night at the Opera
Roger Meadows Taylor was born on the 26th of July 1949 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk
(his second name lost use through time) to parents Winifred (nee Hickman)&
Michael Meadows Taylor. He has a sister (Clare) and children - Felix
Luther(1980) and Rory Elenor(1986) (with ex-wife Dominique Beyrand)
Rufus Tiger(1991) , Tigerlilly(1994) and Lola(2001) (with ex-girlfriend Deborah
Leng). At 8 years old he decides to learn how
to play the ukulele after seeing his cousin play. His first band, called The
Bubbling Over Boys, was formed with some friends, but Roger thought that none of
them could play well. At 11 year-old Roger was studying in the Truro Cathedral
School, and had saved enough to buy a cheap acoustic guitar: he formed the band
Cousin Jacks but then he found that the percussion was his element, and started
playing the drums. One year later he joined another band called Johnny Quale and
the Reaction (later changed to Reaction), in which Roger played and sang for
some years. Roger was a good student of medicine, and he was in the London
Hospital Medical School studying dentistry when a friend told him the news of
the Imperial College bulletin board: Brian May and Tim Staffell were looking for
a drums player, so Roger was postulated. Brian and Tim were so impressed with
him that they accepted him immediately (Brian once said "we saw him playing and
striking and we thought that it was perfect"). Smile was born. In a while Smile
became Queen when Tim left and Freddie Mercury and John Deacon joined the band,
and from then on Roger has had a good hits number. Always known for being
intensely fascinating with women and the unusual names he gave to his children.
In the early 70ies Roger had more groupies than any other member of the band!
His first girlfriend was Eileen Wright. Roger and Dominique met the first time
on the Hyde Park concert on September 18th 1976 They married on January 3rd 1988
and only 25 days later,
Roger left her ,īcos he met the model Debbie Leng.
Queen's drummer and author of classics such as I'm
In Love With My Car, Sheer Heart Attack, Radio Ga Ga, A Kind Of Magic, and
Heaven For Everyone.
Apart from playing drums and many other instruments, Roger is a great guitarist as proven
by his solo albums. His singular voice has been an essential complement to Freddie
Mercury's leading vocals throughout Queen's career. Intelligence, creativity and sense of
humour are his obvious trademark. Roger has
presented single albums too: three of them were recorded with The Cross, the
band he was part of from 1988 to 1991. He never had the same success that
Freddie and Brian reached with their solo works, the best he accomplished was
22nd in 1994. Roger has been involved in setting up a nostalgia tour in 2005
with Brian and Paul Rodgers.
Click Here
to see an interview by Sounds Magazine in 1980.
Smile Albums -
1969 - Earth / Step On Me (US Single)
1982 - Gettin' Smile (Japanese LP)
1997 - Ghost Of A Smile (Dutch CD)
The Cross Albums -
1988 - Shove It
1990 - Mad Bad And Dangerous To Know
1991 - Blue Rock
Solo Albums -
1977 - I Wanna Testify (Single)
1981 - Fun In Space
1984 - Strange Frontier
1994 - Happiness?
1998 - Electric Fire
Born: 19 august 1951
Education: London University.
Favourite musician: Stevie Wonder
Favourite band: Police
Favourite film: One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
Favourite drink: Tea
John Richard Deacon is born at St. Francis Private Hospital, son of Arthur and
Lillian. Arthur works in insurance at Norwich Union in Leicester.
In 1956 John starts his education at Oadby Infants School and later
moves to Gartree High School.
In 1958 he is given his first guitar on his eighth birthday - a red
plastic Tommy special. In 1962 he moved to Beauchamp Grammar School. Later in the
year John's father dies.
John Deacon aged fourteen (1965) plays his first gig with local outfit
Opposition, at Enderby Youth Club. The band play a mixture of pop, soul and
Tamla Motown songs - all cover songs except "Heat Full Of Soul" the one song
they wrote themselves. In 1968 the band changed name into The New Opposition
(they changed the name due to line-up changes). The band had become quite
popular and had bookings every week end.
Leaving Beuachamp in 1969, John enrols at Chelsea College for and electronics
degree. Still harbouring aspirations of "being a rock star" he keeps up his bass
playing in various small London bands. In 1970 Freddie Mercury, Roger
Taylor, Brian May and Mike Grose become QUEEN, Freddie changed his last name
from Bulsara to Mercury. In January 1971, Barry decides that he no longer fitted
in the band and leaves. John Harris, a friend who helped the band out with their
lights and equipment took Roger and Brian to a disco at the Maria Assumpta
Teaching College. There he introduced them to a friend of his - John Deacon.
John was a bass player and the conversation eventually led to music. John who
wasn't in a band at the time was offered an audition for bass player of Queen
and became the youngest member of Queen is the
author of classics such as
You're My Best Friend,
Spread Your Wings,
Another One Bites The Dust and
I Want To Break Free. John's impeccable and quiet demeanour in live
concerts and music videos has always contrasted Freddie Mercury's outrageous
public performances. Unlike the other members of the band, John does not sing
and this has probably contributed to the fact that he hasn't released much solo
material so far.
Freddie once said
"John keeps a very close eye on our business affairs. He is doubling as our
accountant at the moment. He knows everything that's going on and shouldn't be
going on. If God forsakes us now the rest of the group won't do anything unless
John says it's all right".
John has, unfortunately,
become somewhat of a recluse and refused to join Brian and Rodger on their 2005
nostalgia tour.
The Immortals -
Info
1986 - No Turning Back (Single from "Biggles")
bravenet.com
