My Hero ...Freddie Mercury
Mercury was born on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara,[a] were Parsis from the Gujarati region of the then province of Bombay Presidency in British India.[8] The family surname is derived from the town of Bulsar (also known as Valsad) in southern Gujarat. As Parsis, the family practiced the Zoroastrian religion. The family had moved to Zanzibar in order for his father to continue his job as a cashier at the British Colonial Office. He had one younger sister, Kashmira.[9]
Mercury attended St. Peter's School, a boarding school for boys in Panchgani near Bombay (now Mumbai), India. At St. Peter's, he was a bright student who excelled at several sports. He was especially adept at boxing, with a strong left hook. At school, he formed a popular school band, called The Hectics, for which he played the piano. A friend from the time recalls that he "had an uncanny ability to listen to the radio and replay what he heard on piano."[10] It was also at St. Peter's where he began to call himself "Freddie". Mercury remained in India for most of his childhood, living with his grandmother and aunt. He completed his education in India at St. Mary's (ISC) High School in Mazagon before returning to Zanzibar.
At the age of 17, Mercury and his family fled from Zanzibar as result of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.[5] The family moved into a small house in Feltham, London. Mercury enrolled at Isleworth Polytechnic (now West Thames College) in West London where he studied art. He ultimately earned a Diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College, later using these skills in order to design the Queen crest. Mercury remained a British citizen for the rest of his life.
Following graduation, Mercury joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in the Kensington Market in London. He also held a job at Heathrow airport. Friends from the time remember him as a quiet and shy young man who showed a great deal of interest in music.[11] In 1969 he formed the band Ibex, which was later renamed Wreckage. When this band failed to take off, he joined a second band called Sour Milk Sea. However, by early 1970, this group broke up as well.[12]
In April 1970, Mercury joined with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously been in a band called Smile, and despite reservations from the other members, Mercury chose the name "Queen" for the new band. He later said about the band's name, "I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it."[13] At around this time, he also legally changed his name
Mercury attended St. Peter's School, a boarding school for boys in Panchgani near Bombay (now Mumbai), India. At St. Peter's, he was a bright student who excelled at several sports. He was especially adept at boxing, with a strong left hook. At school, he formed a popular school band, called The Hectics, for which he played the piano. A friend from the time recalls that he "had an uncanny ability to listen to the radio and replay what he heard on piano."[10] It was also at St. Peter's where he began to call himself "Freddie". Mercury remained in India for most of his childhood, living with his grandmother and aunt. He completed his education in India at St. Mary's (ISC) High School in Mazagon before returning to Zanzibar.
At the age of 17, Mercury and his family fled from Zanzibar as result of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.[5] The family moved into a small house in Feltham, London. Mercury enrolled at Isleworth Polytechnic (now West Thames College) in West London where he studied art. He ultimately earned a Diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College, later using these skills in order to design the Queen crest. Mercury remained a British citizen for the rest of his life.
Following graduation, Mercury joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in the Kensington Market in London. He also held a job at Heathrow airport. Friends from the time remember him as a quiet and shy young man who showed a great deal of interest in music.[11] In 1969 he formed the band Ibex, which was later renamed Wreckage. When this band failed to take off, he joined a second band called Sour Milk Sea. However, by early 1970, this group broke up as well.[12]
In April 1970, Mercury joined with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously been in a band called Smile, and despite reservations from the other members, Mercury chose the name "Queen" for the new band. He later said about the band's name, "I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it."[13] At around this time, he also legally changed his name
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I wish I had been around to meet him, but all we can do is idolize the great works he's left behind!