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After fans noticed Mercury's increasingly gaunt appearance in 1988, rumours began to spread that Mercury was suffering from AIDS. Mercury flatly denied this, insisting he was merely "exhausted" and too busy to provide interviews. However, the band decided to continue making albums, starting with The Miracle in 1989 and continuing with Innuendo in 1991. For the last two albums made while Mercury was still alive, the band credited all songs to Queen, rather than specific members of the group, freeing them of internal conflict and differences. In 1990, Mercury made his final public appearance when he joined the rest of Queen to collect the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Despite his deteriorating health, the lead singer continued to contribute. The band released Innuendo in early 1991 with an eponymous number 1 UK hit and three other charting singles ("I’m Going Slightly Mad", "Headlong", and "The Show Must Go On)", followed by their second greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits II in the October of the same year. On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury confirmed that he had AIDS. Within 24 hours of that statement, he died of bronchial pneumonia, which was brought on as a complication of AIDS. His funeral service was private, held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of
Mercury's death and beyond (1991–2003)
his family. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released as a single shortly after Mercury's death, with "These Are the Days of Our Lives" as the double A-side. The single went to number one for the second time in the UK, holding the top spot for five weeks through Christmas, making it the only single in the UK to ever get Christmas Number 1 twice with the same version. Initial proceeds from the single – approximately £1,000,000 – were donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust. Queen's popularity was stimulated in the United States when "Bohemian Rhapsody" was featured in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World. Its inclusion helped the song reach number two in the US charts for five weeks in 1992. Wayne's World footage was later used to make a new music video for the song, with which the band and management were delighted.