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ROCK BAND
Queen , the quartet from London took the crowd by storm when they first started making hits during the 1970 ’ s . This British band was formed in London in 1971 and signed their first recording contract in the year 1973 . This first album was named QUEEN and from there , the rest was history .
Meet The Band Members
Queen has been known for their exceptional style in making music throughout the years . And this undeniable fame would not have been possible if not for the four band members who contributed their skills to the fullest . On lead vocals and piano is Freddie Mercury , whose real name is Farrokh Bulsara , Brian May on lead guitar and vocals , Roger Taylor is on vocals and also took over the drums , and finally , John Deacon rocking the bass guitar . These guys were the people behind the hits like Bohemian Rhapsody , We Will Rock you , We Are The Champions and a lot more .
How these four men found each other has also been a fascinating story . Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor were from a 1967 band called Smile . Their lead vocalist was Tim Staffell . In the end , Tim decided he was not that interested in making music anymore , so he recommended his flatmate to take over who has also been a fan of the band Smile . That flatmate of his happened to be Freddie . Smile disbanded a while after that and Brian and Roger took Freddie to form a
The King of all Bands
QUEEN
new rock group . The band was then completed with the recruitment of John Deacon right before their debut album .
It was Freddie Mercury ’ s suggestion to call the band QUEEN , which they all accepted . He stated in one interview , that he finds the title Queen to be very regal , strong , universal and immediate . He also said that he was well aware of the gay connotations , but stressed that it was just one facet of it .
Their band logo was designed by Freddie and he incorporated the band members ’ astrological signs . This was a bit of surprise to fans since Freddie emphasised that he does not believe in astrology .
The Fame of the Queen
After more than four decades since their debut in 1971 , Queen has become an important symbol in the music industry . They even made it to the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to their supporters . The International Queen Fan Club is the longest running rock group fan club in the world .
They have a couple of number 1 hits on the UK charts and the longest num-
ber 1 song that they had was Bohemian Rhapsody . Despite radio stations being sceptical in playing it at first because of its 5-minute length , Queen eventually proved that they are worth every second of air time .
The Legacy of the Queen
Sadly , all good things come to an end . It was in 1991 when the band had to put their music making to a full halt . Freddie Mercury , the band ’ s iconic lead singer died on 24th of November 1991 from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 45 .
Queen has been given the 2207th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002 and in 2006 , Freddie Mercury was featured in Time Asia Magazine as one of the most influential Asian heroes of the past 60 years . The band ’ s net worth in 2016 has risen to a whopping $ 3 million despite the members not being together anymore . Indeed , they have left a legacy through their songs and unique style . Their songs are still being played on the radios , still being bought online and are still being sung in different renditions . ■
THE ROYAL APOLLONIA MAGAZINE • 2017 summer edition
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