Freddie Mercury was a singer-songwriter and musician whose music reached the top of U.S.

and British
charts in the 1970s and 1980s. As the frontman of Queen, Mercury was one of the most talented and
innovative singers of the rock era. Born Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania, Mercury studied piano in boarding
school in India, then befriended numerous musicians at London's Ealing College of Art. Mercury died of
AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia on November 24, 1991, at age 45. Mercury was born with four extra
teeth in the back of his mouth, causing his now-famous bucktooth grin. In fact, his nickname growing up
was Bucky. Mercury never got his teeth fixed because he was afraid it would ruin his impressive four-
octave vocal range. Mercury met his future bandmates, drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May,
around the time he moved to London in the 1960s. They met up with bassist John Deacon in 1971. The
quartet, which Mercury dubbed Queen, played their first gig together that June. In 1973, Queen
released their first album, titled Queen. They quickly followed up with their second album, Queen II, in
1974, which they recorded in over just one month. The album was the first taste of the group's signature
harmonies and music styles, including ballads, folk, blues, metal, pop and rock, and included the single
"Seven Seas of Rhye."

In the years after his death, Freddie Mercury has become synonymous with flamboyance. His work and
legacy have gone on to influence maverick musicians from Lady Gaga to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and fellow
icon David Bowie. During the early days of Queen, Mercury announced: “I’m not going to be a star, I’m
going to be a legend”. Even until the end, when he performed frail and gaunt in the video for “These are
the Days Of Our Lives”, Mercury maintained professionalism, heart and unabashed style with every
show.
 This outfit is designed by Zandra Rhodes, the mastermind behind
Queen’s outfits in the 70s. Mercury wanted something he could move easily in and loved the idea of
pleats. Before Mercury, Rhodes had never designed menswear before, aside from a Marc Bolan one-off
costume. In an interview with the Telegraph, Rhodes notes that the singer worked on a clothes stall in
Kensington market with his girlfriend Mary Austin, and so he had a clear idea about fashion, as well as
the materials involved. On the aesthetic of Queen, Mercury once announced: “it is not a concert you are
seeing, it is a fashion show.”

Mercury took his style seriously, stating “I dress to kill, but tastefully”. However, he also had an
unrelenting sense of humor and a confidence to execute it perfectly. Whether it was ‘marrying’ Jane
Seymour for Fashion Aid 1985 while wearing his famous military jacket (designed by Emaneuls, who
created Princess Diana's wedding dress), popping on a copper's hat and a crown at their Wembley show
1986, or his video for “The Great Pretender” in which he mocks each of his past video looks by
recreating them video for video, Mercury’s mantra was simple – embrace ridiculousness, but knock
them dead while doing so. Plus, he rocked lipstick like it was nothing.

logo, B. (2021, March 29). Freddie Mercury. Biography.com.

https://www.biography.com/musician/freddie-
mercury#&gid=ci01ac7ce9dd47860c&pid=queen-concert-at-the-omni-coliseum---february-21-
1977.

fashion, D. (2016, November 25). Everything that made Freddie Mercury a style icon. Dazed.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/33843/1/everything-that-made-freddie-mercury-a-style-
icon.