On September 5, 1946, one of the biggest stars in the history of music and the most unforgettable icon of rock, Freddie Mercury, was born. To celebrate his 78th birthday and with In order to get to know Freddie a little better as an artist and a human being, we bring you five interesting facts about Freddie Mercury that you may not have known.
1 – He was so good at graphic arts that he designed the Queen logo
It should not be forgotten that Queen was forged in a university environment. Freddie, while taking his first steps in music, managed to obtain a diploma in Art and Graphic Design. It is possible that he did not put it into practice much on a professional level, despite the fact that he was always passionate about art, but it came in handy when designing the Queen logo itself. And if we told you before that their legacy lives on in music, the truth is that it also lives on in the majestic image that so well represents the band.
2 – I could give you a good beating
Freddie was a very versatile guy! Besides singing, composing and having a creative ability far beyond most mortals, he was also, at least in his youth, good at sports… and more specifically boxing!
“I hated cricket and long distance running; I was completely useless at both sports. But I could sprint, was good at hockey and was brilliant in the boxing ring.“, he revealed at the time in an interview.
3 – He was such a restless person that he hardly slept
It’s no wonder that a guy like Freddie, so restless and full of life, didn’t usually get eight hours of sleep. In fact, Mercury claimed in an interview that he only needed naps of a couple of hours to be at his best. How envious!
“I can go for long periods without sleep, it’s my nature. I can get by on just two or three hours a night. I don’t know what it is, but it’s true. I wish I could tell you. I relax in a way that most people can’t understand, just by sleeping on a plane when I’m flying for 20 minutes. That’s enough for me. I recharge my batteries in no time and I’m up again. I have to do something every day.”
4 – He rehearsed naked… and not exactly for pleasure
Freddie Mercury was an outstanding singer, there’s no doubt about that. However, even the best of the best struggled to manage a few throat problems that, throughout his career, gave him more than one problem. His solution? Rehearsing without clothes.
“I have to be very moderate with red wine because of my throat nodules. To warm up, I do what I call ‘fake opera’. I do it naked, because it’s funny. With clothes on, it doesn’t work, so I sing completely naked. I’ve been to throat specialists – I think I’ve seen them all – but they always tell me to rest and not go on tour… or have surgery. I almost had surgery, but I didn’t like the way the doctor looked and I was a bit disturbed by having strange instruments shoved down my throat.”
5- One of his most famous photos is a “fake”
You’ve probably seen the photo of Freddie with Princess Diana, better known as Lady Di. The story goes that the two went out to a nightclub and that it was there that the photo was taken. Well, while the story of the outing is true, the photo is totally fake. It’s a montage created from an image of the Queen singer with Barbara Valentine. You can see it below!
