The star replied: “Living or dead… umm… the only person I wish I had met was John Lennon ‘cause he’s the one I did idolise and I just thought he was a very beautiful human being.
“And I’m sad to say that I didn’t get to meet him. He’s the only one."
Freddie on wishing to meet John Lennon pic.twitter.com/5USKBKqzYC
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) March 31, 2024
Lennon had tragically been murdered in 1980 at just 40 and the following day Queen performed in London where Freddie sang Imagine in the Beatles star’s memory, alongside sharing a touching tribute.
Freddie told Queen fans the day after Lennon was shot dead: “John Lennon was larger than life, and an absolute genius. Even at a very early stage when they were The Beatles, I always preferred John Lennon’s things. I don’t know why. He just had that magic… to be honest, I would never like to put myself on a par with John Lennon at all, because he was the greatest, as far as I’m concerned.
“It’s not a matter of having less talent, just that some people are capable of doing certain things better than anybody else, and I feel that I’m not equipped to do the things that Lennon did. I don’t think anybody should, because John Lennon was unique, a one-off, and that’s the way it is. I admire him very much and that’s as far as I want to go. When I heard that Lennon was dead, I was shocked and dumbfounded.”
In the footage, Freddie Mercury says: “People will, obviously, no matter how hard you try, will think in terms of your past hits.“I really thought… Ok, Bohemian Rhapsody is a big hit, but as far as my writing ability is concerned I think I can write better.
“And I just looked at it from that point of view. For my estimation, I think a song like Somebody To Love…from the writing aspect…[is] a better song.”
