Freddie Mercury, the legendary frontman of the British rock band Queen, revolutionized the world of rock and roll with his distinctive voice, flamboyant personality, and dynamic stage presence. He was a true icon of his time, known for his powerful vocals, theatrical performances, and flamboyant style.
Freddie had a deep love for music from an early age. He was naturally quite bashful and turned to other celebrities for inspiration, despite the fact that he went on to become one of the greatest showmen of all time.
Even if Freddie Mercury wasn’t totally forthcoming with his thoughts on other rock musicians, there was one individual he frequently admired. The Queen legend said many things about the guitarist, who was the well-acclaimed Jimi Hendrix.
He was a student at Ealing Art College in the late 1960s when he was still known as Farrokh Bulsara and studying art and design in addition to aspiring to be a musician. He drew the musician, had a photo of Hendrix in his bedroom mirror, and dressed exactly like him. Together with that, Mercury would visit different parts of the nation to see the guitarist perform.
Mercury also explained his love for Jimmy in an interview which was revived by Express UK. He explained, “Jimi Hendrix was just a beautiful man, a master showman and a dedicated musician. I would scour the country to see him, whenever he played, because he really had everything any rock’n’roll star should have; all the style and presence. He (Hendrix) didn’t have to force anything. He’d just make an entrance and the whole place would be on fire. He was living out everything I wanted to be.”
He added, “Hendrix is very important. He’s my idol. He sort of epitomises, with his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There’s no way you can compare him to anyone and there’s nobody who can take his place.”
Fascinatingly, the future leader of Queen briefly considered pursuing a career as a guitarist in the tradition of Jimi Hendrix before deciding that he would never match the legendary musician’s abilities and focusing instead on the piano. This tool would play a crucial role in the development of the iconic figure known to us all as Freddie Mercury.
Twenty years later, in the lyrics of “The Miracle,” Freddie again paid homage to the guitarist by proclaiming that Hendrix is one of the seven wonders of the world.
His lyrics stated,
“We’re having a miracle on earth
Mother nature does it all for us
The wonders of this world go on
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Captain Cook and Cain and Able
Jimi Hendrix to the Tower of Babel
It’s a miracle it’s a miracle it’s a miracle
It’s a miracle”
