Mercury rising!

Mercury rising!

Hard Rock Cafe celebrates the 72nd birth anniversary of one of the greatest names in the history of music — Freddie Mercury. Lead vocalist of the English rock band Queen was the king of flamboyance and style which made him one of the greatest showmen of all time. Though his natural speaking voice fell within the baritone range, he had a four-octave vocal range for singing. He’s the one to thank for writing Queen’s epic numbers including Don’t Stop Me Now, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Killer Queen, and what can arguably be called the band’s magnum opus, the mock opera Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Born as Farrokh Bulsara on this day in 1946 in Zanzibar (now Tanzania) to Parsi parents Bomi and Jer Bulsara, he started piano lessons at the age of seven. At eight, he went to study at a boarding school in Panchgani where he formed a school band, and he never looked back since. During his late teens he shifted to London and after joining a series of unsuccessful bands, met Brian May, Rodger Taylor and later John Deacon, who together formed the band Queen. 

From selling second hand clothes on the street in London to being recognised as an icon of his generation, Freddie is nothing less than a legend. Hard Rock Cafe Pune, which has a life-sized statue of the artist in its premises, is celebrating his birth anniversary with the enthusiasm he deserves. 

“The statue is erected in commemoration of the rock icon’s phase of life spent in Panchgani which is roughly 100 km from Pune. Freddie studied at St Peter’s School where he formed his first ever band — The Hectics. This is our way of paying homage to the man who brought about landmark changes in the history of rock music across the world,” says Sravanth Murthy, general manager, Hard Rock Cafe Pune. 

The outlet has some Freddie Mercury memorabilia on display too. “We have two original album covers of the band. One is the album cover of Queen, which is the cover page of Freddie’s picture album and the second one is the album cover of Metropolis/ Love Kills, where all band members from Queen are portrayed in cartoon representation,” informs Murthy.

As the band Tribute INC will be performing covers by the artist, the venue will be selling signature Freddie Mercury moustache, proceeds of which will be directed to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity organisation that fights HIV/AIDS worldwide. “We feel very closely with rock music and the artists who have been associated with it. The brand continues to support Queen and the Mercury Phoenix Trust in celebrating Freddie For A Day by selling wearable Freddie moustache. This initiative is also a manifestation of our core mission — Love all, serve all.”

ST Reader Service
Re-live the era and reminisce the life of Freddie Mercury at Hard Rock Cafe on September 5, 8.30 pm onwards.

Enjoyed reading The Bridge Chronicle?
Your support motivates us to do better. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay updated with the latest stories.
You can also read on the go with our Android and iOS mobile app.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
The Bridge Chronicle
www.thebridgechronicle.com