On November 24, 1991, Freddie Mercury, British rock superstar and frontman for the band Queen, died from bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS.
A virtuoso vocalist known for his flamboyant style and remarkable four-octave vocal range, Mercury announced his AIDS diagnosis to the public just one day before his death, despite knowing his status—and fending off public inquiry—for years.
Mercury had been officially diagnosed in 1987, but is first reported to have sought medical help for the virus in 1982, while his meteoric music career was still in full swing.
Born in 1946 to Parsi parents who had immigrated from western India to Zanzibar, Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) showed an early inclination for the arts. His family moved to Feltham, England when he was 17, which soon led to Bulsara playing in bands around London, and eventually meeting guitarist Brian Mays and drummer Roger Taylor. The trio founded Queen in 1970 and brought on bassist John Deacon a year later. During that time, Bulsara also changed his name to Freddie Mercury.
Over the next decade, with their blend of glam and heavy metal rock, Queen would rocket to international superstardom, releasing global hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are The Champions” and “We Will Rock You,” anthemic songs bolstered by the group’s trademark superb guitar work and Mercurys operatic vocals. By the 1980s, Queen had become an international phenomenon—and Mercury, one of the world’s most popular rock stars.
Despite his grandiosity on stage, however, in his personal life Mercury was famously private and rarely granted interviews to reporters. And despite romances with men, he lived most of his life with his best friend Mary Austin, who he referred to as his common-law wife—and to whom he left the bulk of his vast estate.
By 1986, rumors had begun swirling that Mercury was being treated for HIV. Despite constant inquiries, Mercury kept his battle with the illness a secret, denying his status to the press and telling the truth only to his closest family and friends.
The rumors intensified after 1987, when Mercury began appearing increasingly more gaunt, and sporadically canceling and missing performances.
His final music performance came in May 1991, when a wiry-thin Mercury appeared in Queen’s music video for the song “These Are The Days of Our Lives.”
