Freddie Mercury. Image from Virgin EMI
There will be only one Freddie Mercury. His was a voice that could rise to the heavens, inspire anyone who could hear it, and motivate them to become artists themselves.
I, for one, got to discover on my own the music of Queen unknowingly as a child because of the intro of Highlander, the TV series that was shown on a local channel at the time. I was not aware then of the other famous songs he did and if I did get to hear them, I had no clue it was from Freddie Mercury of Queen. Unbeknownst to me, what I was hearing, although only snippets of the actual song were from the one and only Freddie Mercury.
I had no idea at the time that he had already passed away due to AIDS.
For me, as a child, the only thing I could remember was how awesome and enthralling that song. However, I had no idea who was the singer or the band and I could never at the time find out because the end credits of the said TV series were never shown completely. Remember, we did not have access to the internet or social media which were not invented yet. All I did and could do was look forward to watching the Highlander TV series on time to be sure I would catch the beginning of the show just to hear again and again that wonderful song.
That is how I was first introduced to the songs of Freddie Mercury of Queen.
Recently, like a few weeks ago, was the first time that I got to rediscover merely by chance the name of that song from Queen that was used as an intro to the Highlander TV series. I stumbled upon the music video of the song on YouTube and I once again heard powerful lyrics and the operatic voice that had become so familiar to me in my very young years but which through the decades have been relegated in my subconscious mind.
Hearing the song once again gave me a jolt of excitement and quickly brought me back to my childhood days when I would be looking forward each Friday night to watch the TV series, not really for the show, but to listen and be captivated each time by the striking lyrics, rocking melody, and operatic-like voice of the singer. THIS time I finally learn the title of this beautiful song. It is “Princes of the Universe.” And this time too because of the benefits given to all on YouTube, I now have the full pleasure of watching its music video over and over again to witness the charisma, stage presence, and voice that are all second-to-none compared to any other artist nowadays.
Freddie Mercury. Image from Virgin EMI
There is nothing like “Princes of the Universe”, I dare say. And despite the fact that 1986, when that song was released, would later be approaching the final years of Freddie Mercury’s singing career and being alive, that voice is uncanny and beyond anything that I have heard. No wonder his voice, his music, and his songs have lived on forever for fans all over the world for generations now.
The songs that Freddie Mercury sang in Queen—a huge number of them—have been used in movies, television shows, commercials, on other media. Freddie Mercury composed and sang songs that have relevance, deeper meaning, and a generational appeal about them, so that young or old can find something special in them. I, for one, was only exposed to one song very early on in my life, and yet, I can still remember how I felt when I got to hear that one single song. That is how powerful the voice of Freddie Mercury was and still is to this day. When I watch the music video for “Princes of the Universe,” I can still feel that awe-inspiring power in his voice.
Oftentimes, the word legendary gets used and thrown around in the music industry, but believe you me, Freddie Mercury is a legend of the highest regard, and despite he is being no longer around, his songs, music, and artistry live on. If that is not “living proof” of the legendary status of an artist, then I don’t know what is.
Many times, artists gain “immortality” through their music long after they are gone. That is why an example of the musical genius of Freddie Mercury in just one song that has impacted me this much is immeasurable when you include all of the timeless other hits he sang in Queen. Indeed, there will never be another Freddie Mercury.
Belated Happy birthday to Freddie Mercury!
He would have been 77.
Blessed are we because his music lives on.