Freddie Mercury: “Freddie for a Day” goes on

Celebrating Freddie Mercury’s 65th birthday anniversary lots of events are taking place over the world starting from September 5.

On Monday night at the Savoy Hotel in London Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor honored Freddie Mercury‘s memory. Celebrities including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Nicola Roberts, Fearne Cotton, Holly Branson attended the ceremony. Guests were dressed like the legendary musician, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Ben Elton, Chris Evans worn Mercury-style moustaches. There was also an auction to raise funds for The Mercury Phoenix Trust. Ben Elton, Rhys Thomas, Stephen Fry, Bill Bailey, Russell Brand and Paul Gambaccini were some of the stars who payed tribute to the tragic singer, performing classic Queen’s melodies.

“Freddie made the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected. He lived life to the full. He devoured life. He celebrated every minute”. Said Jim Beach, Queen manager.

In Shimbashi Square, Tokyo, one thousand persons came to listen to Freddie Mercury‘s famous songs. Hige-Danshaku, Japanese television star and Roy, a notorious Japanese looking like Freddie, hosted the event.

Toronto honors Freddie Mercury on September 9.

AIDS Committee of Toronto, the Mercury Phoenix Trust partner in Canada, has organized “Are you ready to be Freddie for a Day?” event at Woody’s.

The attendees are invited to dress like their favorite Freddie and to wear moustaches. There are competitions such as the Best Freddie Costume, Best Moustache. Other activities are silent auction, classic tunes of Queen performed by local singers, lip-sync, special Freddie Mercury drink (he was a vodka man).

Bucharest celebrates Freddie Mercury with ”Tribute to Remember Freddie Mercury”.

”Bicycle Race – Be Freddie for A Day” is an event scheduled for September 10 in Bucharest, Romania. Anti-AIDS Romanian Association is a Mercury Phoenix Trust partner and has organized the event with Green Revolution Association and Raiffesen Bank. The bicycles are part of bike-sharing gratuity I’Velo system. Ten pretty girls will lead the march wearing moustaches and Mercury Phoenix Trust T-shirts “Freddie for a Day”.

“Freddie For A Day” Global Charity Network is an initiative of the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Charity partners from countries around the world are selected to join every year in the fight against AIDS. The Mercury Phoenix Trust was founded in 1992, after Freddie Mercury’s death, by Queen’s members and manager Jim Beach and its purpose is to raise money for helping persons with AIDS.

Farrokh Bulsara, known as Freddie Mercury, was born on September 5, 1946. He is famous for singing with Queen as well as for his solo career.

The Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin were among his favourites artsist. The rocker composed hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Are the Champions, Bicycle Race. He repopularized The Platters’ Great Pretender in 1987. He recorded The Show Must Go On (by Brian May) in 1990 while he was ill, Mercury drank vodka,  said “I’ll fuckin do it, darling!” and started to perform.

Freddie Mercury was bisexual and apparently his sexual orientation was a source of disturbance and sadness for him. Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS (although he had denied HIV infection in the previous years) in 1987, said his partner Jim Hutton, and died of bronchopneumonia as an AIDS complication on November 24, 1991.

Mercury left most of his wealth (his home and recording royalties) to Mary Austin, his former girlfriend who was a great comfort for him in his latest years. Freddie Mercury said about her that she had been his only true friend.