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Biography
1946
On September the 6th in Zanzibar, Jer and Bomi Bulsara have their first child, a son they call Frederick. Of Persian extraction, Freddie
is to have one sister, Kashmira, who is six years younger than he is. In the next year, the family move to India, where Freddie attends a British boarding school from the age of four to thirteen.
Freddie:
I was a very insecure young boy, probably because I was a bit sheltered.
1947
July 19th 1947 and Brian is born at Glouster House Nursing Home to Harold and Ruth May. The family home is in Feltham, Middlesex.
1948
Roger Meadows-Taylor makes his first appearance at West Norfolk and Kings Lynn Hospital - to a standing ovation no doubt! His parents
are Michael and Winifred, ad he as one sister Clare.
1951
August 19, and John Richard Deacon is born at St. Francis Private Hospital, son of Arthur and
Lilian.
1952
Brain starts school at Hanworth Road Primary, aged five.
1954
Harold May starts to teach Brian how to play the ukulele. Brian also begins to learn the piano.
1956
John Deacon starts his education at Oadby Infants School. He later moves to Gartree High School.
1957
Roger and his family move to Truro in Cornwall. Now aged eight he attends Cathedral school and becomes a member of the choir.
1958
In September Brain wins a scholarship to Hampton Grammar School.
1959
Freddie Bulsara and his family settle in England - just around the corner from Brian family in Feltham.
1960
An eleven year old Roger enrols in Truro public school.
1962
John Deacon moves to Beuchamp Grammar School.
1963
Inspired by Lonnie Donegan and Buddy Holly to name a few, a sixteen year old Brian May is keen to start his own band. His interest
in guitar playing is serious, and he persuades his father to help him build a as he can't afford the a decent commercial one. Brian is now a star physics student, and he and his father are both experienced in wood
and metal work. They carve the body of the guitar from a mahogany fireplace, and the spring from the tremolo unit from an old motor bike.
The arm of the trem olo is made from an old knitting needle. The fret board is marked by ¯mother-of-perl- buttons. The now legendary
'Red Special' cost just eight pounds and took eighteen months to make.
After playing with various local bands, Brian meets vocalist Tim Staffell at Hampton Grammar School, and with fellow school friends Dave
Dilloway and John Garnham, and local drummer Richard Thompson they start their own band “1984”. They play their firs t gig at St. Mary®s Church
Hall, Twickenham
Brian:
When I was a boy, we used to paly a lot in the lunch hour in the cycle sheds. We weren®t allowed to play in the school ¯cos rock music
was unacceptable, not cultural, so it was kind of underground. We®d go
and see bands around Richmond and Twickenham, and I saw people like The
Yardbirds, The Stones and Clapton at the local club - they were really hot news!
Meanwhile, in Truro, Roger Taylor has taken up the guitar, against his parents wishes, and started his was through several school bands
before opting for the drums. Over the next few years, he builds up a solid reputation as vocalist/drummer on the loca l gig circuit.
Roger:
I remember when I was a really young kid, I was inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, all the really early rockers. I didn't even
have a record player at the time! My cousin had one though. Later on my big all-time heroes became Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Bob Dylan. Archetypal influences I suppose, but why not?
1965
John Deacon aged fourteen plays his first gig with local outfit Opposition, at Enderby Youth Club
1967
It is the summer of love and, by now, Brian has left Hampton Grammar with three A-Levels, to pursue his ambitions of becoming an
infra-red astronomer. He takes up a degree course in Physics and Maths at Imperial College, Kensington.
Brian:
Astronomy's much more fun when you're not an astronomer. Most of the time while I was studying was spent either making equipment, setting
it up of else typing away at computers trying to analyse the results. The amount of time actually looking at the s tars is minimal. So now in my spare time, I love to peer through telescopes.
'1984' have split up by now and vocalist Tim Staffell joins the Ealing College Of Art, where such promising musicians as Pete Townsend
and Ron Wood are studying. There he meets Freddie Mercury Studying in the same class. It turns out that Freddie has recently changed his name from
'Bulsara', choosing
'Mercury' after the gods mythological messenger.
Roger has left Truro School with seven O-levels and three A-levels (in biology, chemistry and physics). Bowing to family pressure, he
starts a dentistry course at the London Hospital Medical School, later moving to the Hospital College in Whitechapel.
Roger:
I was going to be a dentist once, but that was just a way of getting to London ad gaining the means of support from a student grant.
Being a student was cool then.
Still eager to continue with his drumming, Roger answers a hand-written ad on the Imperial College noticeboard. The ad had been
written by Brian and requests musicians, including a ¯Ginger Baker type
drummer to join him in forming a band. Old Hampton G rammar buddie Tim Staffell answers the ad as well, joining Roger and Brian as
bassist/vocalist. The bans is called Smile.
1968
Brian receives honours degrees in Physics and Maths. Professor Bernard Lovell si so impressed by the twenty one year olds
qualifications that he personally invites him to work on an astronomy research at Jodrell Bank Laboratory. However, Brian politely declines
the offer. Instead, he decides to start a thesis to obtain a doctorate in philosophy (which he never finishes), enabling him to stay at
Imperial, and thus stay close to the band.
Roger, meanwhile, has had enough of teeth to last him a lifetime, and switches to Biology at Imperial. Smile have become known as the
'Imperial College Band' - an ambitious trio of hard rock musicians gigging around the student union bars and pub/club c ircuit of London.
They play covers of “If I Were A Carpenter” and “Mony Mony”, but have a
very strong repertoire of original as well.
1969
Smile meet American producer Lou Reizner at the Speakeasy, after one of their gigs their. He®s responsible for running the British branch
of the US record company 'Mercury' and persuades the band to record a single. With no experience of the music busi ness and its subtleties,
Brian Roger and Tim jump at this seemingly incredible offer. Smile and Reizner exchange contracts, and soon the band are ensconced in Trident
Studio's, London, with producer John Anthony.
The result is a single called 'Earth' written by Tim Staffell with the B-side
'Step On Me' which is written by Brian and Tim. It is released only in the US and it fails to sell, and Mercury's UK division
refuse to have anything to do with it. The deal is short-lived - Smile are signed of, leaving them nothing but one pound in royalties each and
a set of shattered illusions.
The band are understandably depressed. No further than one step up the ladder, and they're back at the bottom again. In summer, while Jimi
Hendrix is busy making history at Woodstock, Roger takes up a second-hand clothes stall in Kensington with Freddi e Mercury. Brian takes a job teaching maths at a comprehensive school in London in the
autumn, uncertain whether or not to pursue his academic studies. The mood is one of disillusionment, but nevertheless, Smile carry on gigging.
Freddie has become a staunch supporter of the band. He joins local band wreckage as vocalist/keyboard player. The band often appear on the
same show as Smile, and Freddie is always willing to give advice.
John Deacon is unaware of the fortunes and misfortunes of Smile. Leaving Beuachamp he enrols at Chelsea College for and electronics
degree. Still harbouring aspirations of ¯being a rock star® he keeps up
his bass playing in various small London bands.
1970
Smile eventually disintegrates with Tim Staffell leaving and joining another band called “Humpy Bong”, who appear on Top of the Pops
- once.
Freddie who always thought the band had the basis of what he wanted to do, leaves wreckage to go and join Brian and Roger. In 1970
, Roger Taylor, Brian May and Mike Gross become QUEEN. The name was Freddie's idea and originally
Roger, and particularly Brian didn't like it. They were slowly persuaded however...
Freddie:
Years ago I thought up the name Queen... It's just a name, but it's very regal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very
universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly a ware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it.
Mike Gross lasts one gig, and is replaced by Doug, who in turn is fired after his one and only show (for upstaging) and is replaced by
Barry Mitchell - who later proves to be 'unsatisfactory'. They play Voodoo Chile during a rehearsal out of respect for one of their idols, Jimi Hendrix who died that day.
Brian:
Freddie in particular was a manic Hendrix fan. I remember him going on about him. Then I saw him at one of Brian Epstein's shows where
he supported The Who and I remember thinking this guy is so far in advance of everyone else. It was like he was on t he same road that we were, but he was almost out of sight. It was frightening and a bit
upsetting for us other guitarists. People are still trying to work out
how he did all that stuff
Freddie, Roger and Brian end the year searching for that allusive, perfect bass player...
1971
John Deacon becomes Queen's bass player for the rest of their career. Throughout John's audition he hardly says a word - but the rest
of the group realise his talent. He presents the ideal ingredients of intelligence and musical solidity that will ble nd into the Queen camp. He is quite a few years younger than the rest of the band, being only
twenty, but his quiet willingness not to upset the already sparkling chemistry more than makes up for his tender years.
Freddie designs a logo for Queen based upon their star signs - Leo, Leo, Cancer and Virgo - and armed with their regal back drop, the
band head of for their first serious gig with their new bass player. Eighty of the invited 120 guests turn up for a private viewing of the band at the Collage of Estate Management in June 1971. More gigs follow
and Queen gradually gain confidence. They enlist friends to help with sound and lighting equipment.
They play a show at St Helen's girls school, where the bottom of Freddie's microphone stand falls of half way through - Freddie, the
consummate professional, carries on and a trademark is born. They record their first ever demo tapes and do a tour of Co rnwall, organised by Roger. They spend new years eve performing at the Rugby Dance Club...
1972
Through a friend of Brian's, the band gets to use the then new De Lane Lea studio's, in return for the band testing the
suitability of
equipment there. Queen record some top quality demo's there and hawk them round to everyone and anyone - but at this time no one is interested.
A constant stream of established production personnel pass through the studio's everyday, checking out the new facilities and listening to
the recording quality. Amongst these are two staff engineers from Wardour Street's Trident Studio's, Roy Thomas Baker and John Anthony. John is impressed with the Band and remembers Brian and Roger from Smile
- he produced their single "Earth". Roy and John both return to Trident convinced they have discovered a hotbed of talent. They persuade their
employers, Barry and Norman Sheffield to investigate the band further.
After Barry Sheffield watches the antics of Freddie Mercury and his colourful friends at the Forest Hill Hospital Dance, he is convinced
that John and Roy are not exaggerating. It is decided that Queen should be signed to Trident as soon as possible. A s soon as possible turns out to be quite a loose term, and the band are finally signed later in the
year after a showcase gig at the Pheasanty in the Kings Road.
Roger:
We had quite a difficult genesis. It was very difficult for us to get a contract, to be accepted in any way. But many groups went through
that, and it does engineer a kind of 'backs to the wall' feeling in a band. So we felt very strong together.
Queen record their first album in Tridents 24-track studio - however were only given down time, that is time when no-one else were
using it, which proved to be quite a haphazard way of recording. In the end the original demo of "A Night Comes Down" was used instead of the one recorded at trident because the quality was so bad.
They also play a gig organised by John to a crowd of SIX people - the most embarrassing moment of his life recalls John. Brian gets a job
making windscreen wipers. John Studies for a B.Sc and Roger dissects bodies for biology.
1973
Despite having a fully recorded album, the band still have no record company to distribute it. Finally, Jack Nelson, an American A&R
man, gets them signed to EMI. After a seemingly unnecessary wait, the first single, "Keep Yourself Alive", and the firs t album, "Queen" are released. The single is rejected by Radio one play-list five times. Even
though, the album makes it to number 23.
So called 'music critics' dismiss the album and Queen, "Britain's answer to the New York Dolls". This 'hostile' relationship with the
press was to remain throughout Queen's career - it has little effect though, Queen are to become one of the biggest bands on the planet, no matter what the inadequate people at NME or the like have to say.
In June a single emerges by a gentleman by the name of Larry
Lurex, who is in fact none other than Freddie Mercury. The single was a bit of a send up of Gary Glitter, immensely popular at the time. It
receives an angry reception from his fans and luckily goes largely unnoticed. Today though, that single has become one of the rarest Queen
collectables.
The band undertake their first major tour as support to Mott The Hoople and record their first Radio One Session for the program 'Sounds
of the Seventies'. Brian May starts a part time job teaching in Stockwell and Freddie discover black nail varnish...
1974
Queen start the year by playing their fist gig in Australia - not a great success. With this less than 'star-like' experience behind them,
the year turns into a milestone for Queen. 1974 is the year it begins to take of for Queen.
Their second album "Queen II", reaches number 5 in the UK chart.
Roger:
It's very difficult to choose one album I prefer out of all of them. But I do like a lot of the work on the second album, second side.
It all runs into one, very epic. Musically it's quite daring because we did lots of counter seven part harmonies and things.
The single "Seven Seas of Rhye" becomes the bands first hit single reaching
number 10. They make their first appearance on "Top of the Pops". The sight of Freddie clad in black and strutting pompously across
the stage sets off an explosion of fan mail.
Freddie:
When I look back on all that black nail varnish and stuff, I think, 'God, what did I do?'. I used to feel a need for all that on
stage. It made me feel more secure.
Queen undertake their first headline tour of the UK, and are faced with hysteria. At Stirling University the Scottish audience refuses to
let them go after three encores. In the ensuing riots, tow people are stabbed and two of Queen's road crew are ca rted off to hospital.
Late in the year they embark on their first North American tour as support to Mott The Hoople. This tour though is cut short due to Brian
contracting hepatitis. They return to England and console themselves by writing songs for the next album. The songs are written with Brian adding his guitar as and when he is able to.
Nearing the end of the year their third album is released, entitled "Sheer Heart Attack", it races up the charts to number two,
accompanied by the single "Killer Queen".
Brian:
Killer Queen in 1974 was the turning point. It was the song that best summed up our kind of music, and a big hit, and we desperately
needed it as a mark of something successful happening to us. We were penniless, you know. just like and other strugglin g rock 'n' roll band. All sitting around in London bed sits, just like the rest.
With the success of the album and single the band embarks on another tour of Great Britain.
1975
They commence their first headline tour of the USA, with massive support from Elektra. Tickets are in such demand that matinee
performances have to be scheduled at certain venues. Unfortunately Freddie is stricken with a throat virus and rest is ordered. Several shows are cancelled, however Freddie soon gets back into the swing of it
and continues touring.
In April Queen arrive at Tokyo airport for their first Japanese tour; they find the airport besieged by thousands of fans. The band are
totally overwhelmed by 'Queen mania'. Freddie falls in love with the country and becomes (overnight) a fanatical collector of Japanese art and antiquities
In September the trouble with the management at Trident become too much for the band and they get Jim Beach to negotiate them out of the
Trident contract. The group signs their own deal with EMI and Elektra and take on Elton John's manager, John Reid, to handle their affairs.
Freddie:
As far as Queen are concerned our old management is deceased. They cease to exist in any capacity with us whatsoever. One leaves them
behind like one leaves excreta. We feel so relieved!
Freddie is presented with an Ivor Novello award for "Killer Queen".
Queen make their first video for Freddie's Magnum Opus, the 5 minute and 55 second "Bohemian Rhapsody". The video costs just 4,500
pounds but is still revolutionary. It is regarded as the first promotional film, as it was recorded on video tape rather than proper film.
The single, that was initially not going to be released by EMI due to its length, stayed at number one for 9 weeks!. "A Night At The
Opera", the accompanying album is released in December and also makes it to number 1. The album is reported to be the most expensive album ever recorded. In order to get things just right the band used no less than
six different studio's.
On tour in Dundee, they are pulled in by the police and are searched for drugs. NONE were found.
1976
In January Freddie receives yet another Ivor Novello award - this time for Bohemian Rhapsody. While out in Japan, for their second tour,
the UK Top Twenty features all four of their albums simultaneously.
Queen tour 'down under' before returning to play over to over 150 000 people at a free gig in London's Hyde Park. That show holds the
attendance record for any show put on at Hyde Park. EMI receive advance orders of over half a million for the next Queen Album "A Day At The Races
and celebrate with an unorthodox reception at Kempton Park Race course. The album makes number 1 in the UK, with the single, "Somebody
To Love" reaches number 2.
1977
Queen spend eight months touring the US, Canada and Europe and unveil their famous 'Crown' lighting rig - costing fifty thousand
pounds. They are awarded a Britannia Award for best single in 25 years (Bohemian Rhapsody) and in October the band release " News of the World". From this album comes the songs "We Are The Champions" and "We
Will Rock You", which become permanent fixtures of popular culture. Freddie buys a lacquered piano during a shopping spree in New York. It
takes US and UK customs 73 hours collectively arranging the return shipment.
1978
Queen split from John Reid and set up their own management company with Jim Beach. In July the band go to Switzerland and
France to record
their new album "Jazz", which reaches number 2 in the UK chart. The single cover and the video for the single, "Fat Bottomed Girls" features naked girls riding bicycles! They hold are party in New Orleans, the
home of jazz, featuring mud wrestlers, jugglers, magicians and a
'special groupie' who gave a the record company executive..."a very good time!".
1979
Early January see the band touring Europe. they stop of at Mountain Studios in Montreux to work on their next album. They like the
studios so much they buy them! In June Queen release a double live album "Live Killers", which reaches number three on the UK chart. Dino Di Laurentiis commissions the band to write music for his new movie, "Flash
Gordon". Roger's Ferrari blows up in the South of France. Freddie meets Prince Andrew and promptly invites him to a nightclub. At the end of the
year Queen embark on the Crazy tour - crazy because the venues are tiny
1980
Queen start recording their first album using synthesisers - "The Game". By June they're back touring in North America. "The Game" is a
huge success everywhere. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites The Dust" both become US number ones. They receive a Dick Clark award as best band; a Billboard awards for 'Top Crossover single'
and numerous nominations for Grammys, Junos, etc. The December "Flash Gordon" is released. At the end of 1980, Queen have sold over 25,000,000
singles and 45,000,000 albums worldwide.
1981
Queen become THE rock pioneers of South America, undertaking the first ever major stadium tour of South America. They play five stadiums
in eight days in Argentina and perform to the biggest ever paying audience for one band - 251,000 at Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium.
Argentine fans show their appreciation by buying enough Queen product to ensure that each and every LP is listed in the top 10 during their tour.
Queen celebrate their second UK no. 1 with "Under Pressure" and Roger releases his first sol o album, "Fun in Space". At the end of the year
greatest Hits, Pix and Flix is released.
1982
The bands 12th LP "Hot Space" is released in May while they are on an extensive tour of Europe. The tour includes a scheduled date at
Manchester which was scrapped due to a lack of portable toilets. The show at the Milton Keynes Bowl is filmed and later shown on channel 4 in he UK. "Under Pressure" goes to number 1 in Argentina. Freddie buys an
apartment in New York and Queen enter the Guinness Book of Records as Britain's highest paid executives. They appear on Top of the Pops
performing a special version of "Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)" and Boston USA declares a whole day as 'Queen Day'
1983
Brian releases his first solo mini-album "Star Fleet" featuring guests such as Eddie Van Halen and Fred Mandell. Freddie refuses to
record any more albums for Elektra so the band moved to Capitol Records for North America. John discovers the art of surf boarding and Roger the art of skiing. Roger is arrested and imprisoned in Monaco during the
Grand Prix for being inebriated and Freddie starts work on his new album in Munich. Freddie records "Love Kills" co-written by Georgio Moroder
which reaches No. 10 in the U.K. John plays bass with tennis ace John McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis who swapped their racquets for guitars.
1984
In February the band release their thirteenth album, appropriately titled "The
Works". "Radio Ga Ga", the first single taken from the album becomes a worldwide hit, reaching number 1 in 19 countries, and getting
into the top ten in many others. The nex t single, "I Want To Break Free", features the entire band in drag - Roger's idea apparently...
Roger releases his second solo LP "Strange Frontier". Queen receive a Silver Clef award for their Outstanding Contribution to British music. that year Queen also tour South Africa and are subsequently black listed
by the United Nations...
1985
Queen return to South America to headline the enormous "Rock in Rio" festival in front of 250 000 people. Freddie releases his first
solo album "Mr Bad Guy", which reaches number 4 in the UK chart. Queen tour Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Queen play at "Live Aid" and steal the show. Refreshed the band go into the studio and record "One
Vision", which makes it to number 7 in the UK, and is used for the theme song for the movie "Iron Eagle". "Queen" is engraved on an obelisk in Antarctica for the ir donations to Greenpeace.
1986
Queen record and release the music for the feature film - "Highlander" starring Christopher Lambert (who features in the video for
"Princes of the Universe") and Sean Connery. The single "A Kind of Magic" gets to number one in thirty five different coun tries and the album of the same name stays in the UK top five for thirteen consecutive
weeks. The European 'Magic tour' plays to over one million people, including Budapest's famous Nepstadion, which was built by Stalin. In December the Album "Live Magic" is released and enters the UK charts at
number 3. By the end of the year Queen have sold a total of
1 774 991albums in the UK alone.
1987
Freddie releases "The Great Pretender" and dresses in drag for the video. Queen receive and Ivor Novello award for their outstanding
contribution to British music and Richard Gray, Queen's designer, receives an award for the cove for "A Kind Of Magic". Freddie meets opera singer Montserrat Caballe and they record and album together, the
single "Barcelona" reaches number 8 in the UK chart. Roger Taylor forms another band called "The Cross". John Deacon discovers
Biarritsz.
1988
The Cross release their first album "Shove It". Freddie appears once on the London musical "Time" starring Cliff Richard. Elaine page
records a "Queen" album.
1989
Queen release their sixteenth album "The Miracle" which enters the UK and numerous other territories charts at number 1. They film a video
for "Breakthru" on a private railway on Cambridgeshire. Brain breaks his arm whilst skate boarding in the USA. Roger makes headlines for
confusing the Ministry of Defence, the media and his neighbours; laser lights roving the sky at his outrageous 40th birthday party are mistaken
for UFO's.
1990
Queen receive a special BPI awards for their outstanding contribution to
British music and hold a 20th anniversary party that goes on all night. They terminate their contract with Capitol in the USA
and sign a major new deal with the Disney owned Hollyw ood Records. they resign with EMI for the rest of the world. Brain composes and records
his first work for the London stage - Macbeth. Roger and The Cross record their second. album whilst Queen records their next album.
1991
Innuendo the single is released in January and crashes into the number one spot, to be later joined the same position by the Album of
the same name. The video representing a compendium of styles wins numerous awards including a 'Gold Camera Award' for d irector Jerry
Hibbet. Hollywood Records goes about releasing the Queen catalogue on Cd in North America and Brian plays his way around radio stations as
promotion for "Innuendo" and his forthcoming solo album. The band
release another Greatest Hits package, surprising no one when it enters the Charts at number 1.
Freddie Dies at the age of 45 in London, 24 November 1991. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is re-released with "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" as a double A-side, with all profits going to charity. It crashes into
the UK Chart at number 1, and stays there for f ive weeks. It becomes the first and only single to be a 'Christmas number one' twice, and
becomes the second biggest selling album in UK history. In December
1991, Queen have ten albums in the UK top 100.
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