Freddie Mercury Now Races Around the Sun

By editorial board on September 5, 2018
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991)

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Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the 1970s rock group Queen, already shared his name with one celestial body, but another has been added to the list.

An asteroid soaring between Mars and Jupiter has been named for the singer, who died in 1991.

The honor was announced on Sunday in a YouTube video by Brian May, the former Queen guitarist who became an astrophysicist after the band broke up. It coincided with a posthumous birthday celebration for Mr. Mercury in Montreux, Switzerland. He would have been 72.

Mr. May said the asteroid measured roughly 2.2 miles across and was located in an asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. He said it reflected only about one third of the sunlight that hit it.

“It’s like a cinder in space, as many of these asteroids are,” said Mr. May. “You need a pretty decent telescope to see it. It’s just a dot of light but it’s a very special dot of light, and maybe one day we’ll get there.”

The rock was previously called Asteroid 17473, Mr. May said. Its new designation was recognized by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass., which studies and names minor planets, asteroids, comets and moons in the solar system. (There is also an asteroid named for Mr. May.)

Mr. May appeared to choke up briefly while reading a citation from the astronomical union celebrating Mr. Mercury’s musical achievements.

“His incredible vocal range and distinctive sound and performance style made him one of the most well-known icons of rock music,” Mr. May said, reading the citation. “And he is regarded as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.”

Mr. Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara, died in London in 1991 at age 45 from complications of AIDS. The asteroid now bearing his name was discovered the same year, Mr. May said.

The asteroid races around the sun at a speed of about 12.5 miles per second but has an elliptical orbit that never brings it closer than 218 million miles from Earth, The Guardian reported.

His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word-

Freddie Mercury was a man of many talents and many different sides. The songs he wrote for and with Queen filled stadiums around the globe and have rightly gone down in history, but he also embarked on a solo career that took him from the clubs of Munich and New York to the great opera houses of the world.

He was the ultimate showman, but he kept his private life away from the prying eyes of the media; a larger than life rock star who loved disco, classical music and ballet. He was a restless spirit, a true chameleon who reveled in his own contradictions.

All the different sides of this iconic musician can be found on Freddie Mercury: Messenger Of The Gods – The Singles. Fittingly released on Mercury Records for the world outside North America, and on Hollywood Records in North America, this box set brings together all 13 of Freddie’s solo singles on individually coloured vinyl. ORDER HERE  https://messengerofthegods.lnk.to/FreddieStore

Messenger Of The Gods also includes two posthumous singles, In My Defence and Living On My Own (No More Brothers Radio Mix), the latter of which became Freddie’s first solo number 1 and was the biggest selling European single of the year in 1993.

On 22 November 1991, Mercury called Queen's manager Jim Beach over to his Kensington home to discuss a public statement. The next day the following announcement was made to the international press on behalf of Mercury:

Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.

 

On the evening of 24 November 1991, a little over 24 hours after issuing that statement, Mercury died at the age of 45 at his home in Kensington.The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Mercury's close friend, Dave Clark of The Dave Clark Five, had taken over the bedside vigil when he died. Austin phoned Mercury's parents and sister to break the news of his death, which reached newspaper and television crews by the early hours of 25 November-

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