Freddie Mercury born Farrokh Bulsara ; 5 September β 24 November was a British singer and songwriter who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and four- octave vocal range.
Mercury defied the conventions of a rock frontman with his theatrical style, influencing the artistic direction of Queen. Born in in Zanzibar to Parsi-Indian parents, Mercury attended British boarding schools in India from the age of eight and returned to Zanzibar after secondary school. In , his family fled the Zanzibar Revolution , moving to Middlesex , England. Having previously studied and written music, he formed Queen in with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.
His charismatic stage performances often saw him interact with the audience, as displayed at the Live Aid concert.
He also led a solo career and was a producer and guest musician for other artists. Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in He continued to record with Queen, and was posthumously featured on their final album, Made in Heaven In , the day after publicly announcing his diagnosis, he died from complications of the disease at the age of One year after his death, Mercury received the same award individually.
The Bulsaras had origins in the city of Bulsar now Valsad in Gujarat. The family had moved to Zanzibar so that Bomi could continue his job as a cashier at the British Colonial Office. As Parsis, the Bulsaras practised Zoroastrianism.
