On November 24, 1991, the world bid farewell to Freddie Mercury, the iconic frontman of Queen, who succumbed to complications from AIDS. In the wake of his passing, the surviving members of Queen—Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon—alongside their manager, Jim Beach, swiftly began planning a tribute concert to honor Mercury’s legacy, raise funds for AIDS research, and heighten public awareness of the disease. Remarkably, all 72,000 tickets for the April 20, 1992, event at London’s Wembley Stadium sold out within three hours, even before any performers beyond the remaining Queen members were announced.
The concert commenced with performances by artists influenced by Queen’s music. Metallica delivered renditions of “Enter Sandman,” “Sad but True,” and “Nothing Else Matters.” Extreme offered a medley of Queen hits, while Def Leppard, joined by Brian May, performed “Now I’m Here.” Guns N’ Roses energized the crowd with tracks like “Paradise City” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Between sets, video tributes to Mercury were showcased, and actress Elizabeth Taylor delivered a poignant speech on AIDS prevention.
The second half of the concert featured the remaining Queen members collaborating with a stellar lineup of guest musicians. Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi, Ian Hunter, James Hetfield, George Michael, Seal, Paul Young, Robert Plant, Axl Rose, Slash, Liza Minnelli, and others graced the stage. A standout moment was the duet between David Bowie and Annie Lennox on “Under Pressure,” with Lennox delivering a captivating performance of Mercury’s parts.
Reflecting on the origins of “Under Pressure,” the song emerged from an impromptu collaboration between Queen and David Bowie in the Swiss Alps. During a relaxed evening of cover songs, Bowie proposed creating a new track together. They developed the backing track and, upon Bowie’s suggestion, each recorded their envisioned vocal melodies separately, without listening to each other’s contributions. These spontaneous sessions culminated in the iconic song we know today.
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert not only celebrated the life of a musical legend but also played a pivotal role in launching the Mercury Phoenix Trust, an AIDS charity organization dedicated to combating the disease worldwide.
