# Do you know who Freddie Mercury is/was? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718 "2012-04-23T18:08:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/141 "2012-05-25T20:03:05Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Wasn’t he married to Venus Williams? I think he also was in Rare Earth with Kennth Mars, singing their version of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony that was used in ads for the 1994 Saturn. _applause_ Well done, Chuck, but I’m betting you pulled that list out of Ur Anus.:dubious: [And, for pointing it out so rudely I’m probably bound for – well, I’m not Christian, so perhaps a Roman version of Hades?] At least it won’t be so hot as it was when I flew around the sun. 🆒 —G! Fly me to the moon… ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/142 "2012-05-26T05:55:21Z")
A freakin’ brilliant member of an amazing little band named Queen. IIRC he passed away some time ago. I was born in 1983, if it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/143 "2012-05-26T06:22:24Z")
My Mom used to play A Night at the Opera when I was a kid, and I’ve always been a fan. But lately I’ve been listening to a classic rock station (I do really enjoy classic rock) that plays many of their other tracks. And every time a Queen song comes on I’m just struck by how interesting and unique and good they are. Queen is one of the greatest bands of all time. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/144 "2012-05-26T07:29:28Z")
I was born in '86 and I grew up listening to Queen. I had Greatest Hits and Classic Queen on cassette. And you better believe I read those liner notes. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/145 "2012-05-26T14:50:53Z")
Sacha Baron Cohen would be great as Mercury. He’s actually a decent actor; he was great in _Hugo._ Tall, lanky, good at characterization. Give him an overbite and I think he’d be perfect. I doubt he could sing like him though. Him or anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/146 "2012-05-26T15:01:14Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Without Googling, asking a friend, or reading the responses in this thread. Lead singer for Queen. Born in Zanzibar to Parsee parents – real name was Farouk Bolkhari (or something similar). Died of complications related to AIDS. Probably all of these are repeats, but I’ll add for the record that I’m 52 and slightly surprised that so many of your college-educated thirtysomething acquaintances didn’t recognize the name. I’d guess that they’ve each heard – and would recognize – several examples of Mercury’s work even if they don’t realize he was involved in the songs. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/147 "2012-05-26T15:24:46Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Freddie used to call me at my office. As did Mark Knopfler, Rick Ocasek, Adrian Belew, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltry and Brad Majors. > > \ > > I would pick up the line and it would always be my friend, Bob, who would chastise me for working with some very uncool people. I (also a Bob) recognized most of those, but had to plug Brad’s name into Wiki – I’m one of the few people who’s seen _Rocky Horror_ exactly once, but the name sounds “normal” enough that I probably wouldn’t assume it was a joke even if I had been “hip to” the reference. Similarly, there are probably a bunch of Steven Tylers out there, many of whom had the name before that Tallarico dude changed his. Oh, and had I seen a note that “Rick Ocasek” called while I was out, I’d assume I’d soon be talking to a guy who was sick of always being confused for [Ric](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Ocasek). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/148 "2012-05-26T15:25:16Z")
Am I the only one to enjoy the irony of a poster being pedantic about his peers not knowing who Freddie Mercury is, and in the very same sentence implying that he played guitar ? So, in the interest of fighting ignorance, @OP: Brian May was the one who made his guitar sound like it was about to come. Freddie was the one with the funny teeth. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/149 "2012-05-26T15:52:48Z")
Another one overbites the dust. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/150 "2012-05-26T17:12:28Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Am I the only one to enjoy the irony of a poster being pedantic about his peers not knowing who Freddie Mercury is, and in the very same sentence implying that he played guitar ? > > So, in the interest of fighting ignorance, @OP: Brian May was the one who made his guitar sound like it was about to come. Freddie was the one with the funny teeth. Are you seriously implying Freddie Mercury didn’t play guitar? He wasn’t very good, but he did play… in fact, _Crazy Little Thing Called Love_, written by Mercury, was written with his limitations in mind so he could play it. If you watch the Live at Wembley concert, Mercury plays guitar on stage. I will happily agree that May did almost all the guitar magic with Queen, but stating that Freddie Mercury didn’t play guitar or didn’t play guitar on any Queen albums is factually incorrect. Edit: here’s the wiki article on Mercury. Note there is a pic of him on stage playing guitar. [Freddie Mercury - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freddie_Mercury&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/151 "2012-05-26T17:24:46Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Are you seriously implying Freddie Mercury didn’t play guitar? He wasn’t very good, but he did play… That’s sort of the point. Re-read the OP. “Every two bit hipster who can play only three chords and think they sound like Freddie Mercury” suggests or implies Freddie was _really fucking good_ on his strings. When in reality, well, he could play two, three chords. You know, rythm guitar on a select handful of tunes… ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/152 "2012-05-26T17:33:02Z")
Or, to put it another way: James Hetfield does play quite a bit of backing guitar for _Metallica_. But when you listen to a 'tallica solo, you know the ones, the ones that do make you feel like picking up a guitar yourself and melt faces with it ? It’s not James you’re hearing. E-VAH. So saying “every two bit college kid who picks up a guitar, learns two chords and thinks he’s James Hetfield” would be quite accurate indeed. Same for Freddie. Now, if the OP had said “Kurt Cobain” instead of “Freddie Mercury”… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/153 "2012-05-26T18:25:43Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > That’s sort of the point. Re-read the OP. “Every two bit hipster who can play only three chords and think they sound like Freddie Mercury” suggests or implies Freddie was _really fucking good_ on his strings. When in reality, well, he could play two, three chords. You know, rythm guitar on a select handful of tunes… I think the OP was meaning play 3 chords an _sing_ like Freddie Mercury. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/154 "2012-05-26T19:14:13Z")
That’s how I read it too. And I do know who Freddie Mercury was. The first CD I got, sometime in the early 1990s when I was 10 or so, was a Queen album. So where CDs numbers 2 through 25 or so, over the next five or six years. It took me a while to realize that there’s music other than Queen that is worth listening too. I totally missed out on everything else that went on in then 1990s because I was too busy listening to Queen, putting their posters up in my room, buying T-shirts, and watching documentaries about their music over and over. When I was 18 I went to Budapest and one of the things I did there was visit the Nép stadium where Queen played in 1986, one of the few bands to play on the other side of the Iron Curtain in those days. These days, I hardly ever listen to them anymore. I did go to see Queen and Paul Rodgers, but would not do so again and have no interest in seeing that musical they put out. Not that I hate listening to it, I still enjoy it, and yesterday I listened to their Live Aid performance and loved it. But out of I don’t know how many 1000s of MP3s on my computer, none of them are Queen. I guess I just used up my Queen listening quota in my teenage years. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/155 "2012-05-27T05:15:32Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > I think the OP was meaning play 3 chords an _sing_ like Freddie Mercury. Bingo. They belt it out, obviously thinking they have vocal talent, which they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718/156 "2012-05-27T17:18:02Z")
I’ve heard of the guy,since my name here is a song he wrote…not to mention my Queen tattoo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-freddie-mercury-is-was/619718.md?page=7)