- Mama, I just wrote some facts!
Few bands have had such a massive impact on rock and pop music as Queen and their legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury. He was born on September 5, 1946, which would make him 77 years old today if he was still with us.
So, happy birthday, Mr. Mercury!
He truly was a larger-than-life character, which has inspired endless curiosity in his life. While many of us know about the more controversial and tragic facets of Freddie Mercury’s life, there was a lot about the man that you might not be aware of.
So, let’s celebrate his birthday today with these 8 fun and strange Freddie Mercury facts!
1. Freddie Mercury Had Four Extra Teeth
Freddie Mercury was an extraordinary man in many ways — all the way down to his teeth. He had two pairs of extra teeth in the back of his mouth.
These superfluous chompers were the reason behind Mercury’s distinctive buck-toothed overbite. He also believed they were one of the secrets to his powerful singing voice.
Freddie remained sensitive about how his teeth looked throughout his entire life. Yet, he refused to have his extra teeth pulled and the rest straightened, as he feared it would ruin his vocal ability.
2. Freddie Mercury’s Toothache Launched Sex Pistols’ Career
Speaking of Freddie’s teeth, they were possibly responsible for more than Queen’s success. They made a vital contribution to the rise of punk rock legends Sex Pistols.
In 1976, Queen was slated to appear on the Today show, but Freddie managed to develop a debilitating toothache. He couldn’t perform, so Today booked Sex Pistols to play in their stead.
The ensuing show was riddled with rude behavior, profanity (which was prohibited on British TV at the time), and — allegedly — public drunkenness. The show was a disaster and the ensuing controversy propelled Sex Pistols to fame.
3. Freddie Mercury’s Stage Name Could’ve Been Larry Lurex
Before Farrokh Bulsara became Freddie Mercury, he was the solo artist Larry Lurex. According to Mercury, he chose the name as a “personal piss-take” at the pop singer Gary Glitter.
Yeah, he wasn’t particularly fond of the man.
He released one single under the Larry Lurex moniker, and it sold horrendously. But hey, silver linings — a week later, Queen released its debut album and Freddie Mercury became a thing.
4. Freddie Mercury Was a Monster at Scrabble
Although Mercury often claimed he never relaxes because he considered it a waste of time, he sure loved Scrabble. And why wouldn’t he, since he was monstrously good at it.
Mercury would often play hours-long sessions of Scrabble with his bandmates. The final showdown often came down to him and drummer Roger Taylor squaring off against each other.
Although Freddie usually won, Taylor said he held the band’s score record. He claims his best word in the game was “lacquers,” with the Q tile landing on a triple-score square.
5. Freddie Mercury’s Signature Microphone Stick Was Born by Accident
Freddie is famous for a few props he brought onto the stage — his ridiculously tight pants, his yellow jacket, and the distinctive “bottomless” microphone stand. Yet, the microphone stick wasn’t an intentional accessory at first.
During an early Queen concert, Freddie’s microphone stand snapped into two mid-show. Instead of discarding the broken-off top half, he kept holding onto it and finished the gig.
He must’ve thought the accessory looked cool because it became one of his signature props.
6. Freddie Mercury Was Friends with Princess Diana
Freddie rubbed elbows with many famous people of his time, from other singers to politicians. Among his pals was also the late Princess Diana.
According to one story, Mercury, actress Cleo Rocos, and comedian Kenny Everett once spent a night with Princess Di, watching The Golden Girls. They turned off the volume and ad-libbed their own dialogue over the show.
Afterward, the four headed off to Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a famous London gay club. However, Mercury, Rocos, and Everett had to improvise a disguise for Diana so that she wouldn’t be recognized.
7. Freddie Mercury Wrote Bohemian Rhapsody Over Seven Years
Bohemian Rhapsody is often considered Queen’s magnum opus. It’s an intricate song, so it’s no wonder it took a long time to write — seven whole years, in fact.
According to people in the know, Mercury began toying with ideas that would eventually become Bohemian Rhapsody in 1968. He wrote the introductory piano part first, along with some famous lines, including “Mama, I just killed a man.”
Fun fact, the song’s original name was “The Cowboy Song” as country music inspired some of Mercury’s lines. Maybe it’s just us, but we’re glad they changed the name.
8. Only One Woman Knows Where Freddie Mercury is Buried
Freddie Mercury’s memorial site is in the Kensal Green Cemetery in London. However, his remains are not there.
After his body was cremated, his ashes were handed to his once-girlfriend and lifelong friend Mary Austin. Nobody but Austin knows what happened to the ashes.
Perhaps she still has them, but that seems unlikely. They’re probably buried somewhere — but Freddie Mercury’s final resting place will remain a mystery.