With the 28th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death fast approaching, many fans of the late singer are paying tribute in a variety of ways.
Many fans place flowers at the home of Mercury, who sadly passed away after a long, but secret battle with AIDS. But how do fans in the Northeast pay tribute to the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ singer.
Jean Hay, 42, from Birtley told us of how she first discovered Freddie Mercury: “I’ve grown up listening to his music. My sister, brother and cousin played his music from a young age, and I remember hearing his voice for the first time and thinking… WOWZA”
When asked about her reaction to Freddie’s AIDs Jean said: “I didn’t really know what AIDs was at the time, but I saw what it did to his poor body, and I remember feeling incredibly sad for him. His death was very tragic, he had so much more to give!”
How does Jean pay tribute to Freddie? “I just have a little extra Freddie time; I listen to my favourite Queen songs and being thankful that this man existed!”
We also spoke to James, 43, from Gateshead who said “The thing loved most about Freddie was his Showman ship every time he performed. He was note perfect, gave 100% and wowed you with his unique stage presence.
“When it was confirmed that Freddie had AIDS, it drained the breath out of me, leaving me feeling helpless. This horrible disease with no cure was going to take him from us.
“It’s tradition now to play my favourite Queen song on the anniversary of his death ‘Somebody to love’. I’ll always love him, his work, and the music he left behind. It is a small tribute, but its my way of paying respect to him every year.”
Tony 55, from Newcastle told us “My favourite thing about Freddie is his vocals and his personality. I love that he was a powerful performer and could have the audience in the palm of his hand. I went to the penultimate concert at Wembley Arena, it was amazing, and the memories of that concert will remain with me forever.
“I was in shock when I heard that he had AIDs, just two days before he passed away and I cried when I read the news of his passing. I don’t do anything on the anniversary of his passing, as I feel he is still around because I can hear his voice anytime I want on the radio!”
Finally, we spoke to Eric, 65 from Newcastle who said: “I loved everything about Freddie and Queen. Their music was just amazing. What got me hooked was when I watched Freddie perform at St James Park in 1982, and unlike any other groups, Freddie had the whole crowd singing along, it was magical.
“When I first heard that he had AIDs, I never thought it would take him so quickly. The way Freddie and Queen kept performing before the illness grasped him and took him away took away the thought that he had AIDs.
“Every year, I light a candle for 24 hours and listen to Queen songs all day, fans around the world do the same. Freddie was loved by so many people, and he felt like a part of our families.”
In Sunderland, there will be a Queen tribute act on December 27, 2019. Billy west will be performing as Freddie Mercury.
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