Freddie Mercury Timeline 1946-1991

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara to Bomi and Jer Bulsara in Stone Town, Zanzibar (Tanzania). His father worked as a cashier at the British Colonial Office

Freddie’s sister, Kashmira, was born to Bomi and Jer Bulsara.

Freddie began taking piano lessons.

Freddie was sent to St Peter’s Boarding School in Panchgani, Bombay, India.

Freddie formed ‘The Hectics’ a school band that played covers of popular songs. Around this time he began to use the christian name Freddie.

Freddie had completed his education at St Peter’s and returned to Zanzibar.

The Zanzibar Revolution forced Freddie and his family to leave Zanzibar. They fled to England where they lived in Feltham.

Freddie became an art student at Isleworth Polytechnic (West Thames College).

Freddie studied Art and Design at Ealing Art College.

Freddie became friends with art student Tim Staffell who, along with astonomy student Brian May had formed the group Smile.

Freddie and girlfriend Mary Austin sold second-hand clothes at Kensington Market to make money. He also worked for a time as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport.

Freddie joined Liverpool band ‘Ibex’ and moved to Liverpool where he lived in a flat.

The band ‘Ibex’ was not doing well. Freddie answered an ad in Melody Maker and became lead vocalist of the group ‘Sour Milk Sea’. However, this group also failed to take off.

When Freddie’s friend, Tim Staffell, left the group Smile, Freddie Bulsara persuaded Brian May and group drummer Roger Taylor that he should replace Staffell as lead singer.

Encouraged by Freddie, the band Smile changed their name to Queen.

The group Queen made their first performance.

Queen played as supporting act for the group Yes at Kingston Polytechnic.

John Deacon became the new bass player for Queen.

Queen made a demo tape of four of their songs ‘Liar’, ‘Keep Yourself Alive’, ‘The Night Comes Down’, ‘Jesus’. However, none of the recording companies it was sent to were interested in signing the band.

Freddie Balsara changed his name to Freddie Mercury.

Queen performed at Surrey College.

Freddie Mercury designed a crest logo for Queen.

Queen signed a recording contract with Trident Studios. They were to be managed by Neptune Productions, a subsidiary of Trident, and would record new material at Trident Studios.

Trident signed a recording contract with EMI.

Freddie released the single ‘I Can Hear Music/Goin’ Back’ under the pseudonym Larry Lurex but it didn’t do very well.

Queen released their first album entitled ‘Queen’. It reached number 83 in the US and number 47 in the UK.

Queen went on tour as supporting act for the group Mott The Hoople.

The group released the single ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’. It reached number 10 in the UK charts.

Queen made a tour of Britain to promote their second album.

Queen released their second album Queen II. It reached number 5 in the UK charts and number 49 in the US.

The group began a tour of America as supporting act to Mott The Hoople.

Brian May collapsed on stage and the band had to abandon the tour of America. May was suffering from hepatitis which incapacitated him for some time.

Queen released the double A-side single ‘Killer Queen/Flick of the Wrist’. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 12 in the US.

The album ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ was released. It reached number 2 in the UK charts and number 12 in the US.

Queen began a sell-out tour of the United States.

The group hired a lawyer to get them out of their contract with Trident.

The song ‘Now I’m Here’ from the album ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ was released as a single. It reached number 11 in the UK.

Queen played for the first time in Canada.

Queen made a tour of Japan.

Freddie Mercury received an Ivor Novello award for his song ‘Killer Queen’.

Having left their agreement with Trident, Queen signed a management deal with John Reid.

The group wanted to release ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, written by Freddie, as a single but they were told that at 5 minutes and 55 seconds no radio station would play it and it would be a flop. Freddie Mercury gave a copy of the single to his friend, DJ Kenny Everett, telling him he was not to play it but Everett did play it and other radio stations followed suit.

Queen released the single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It stayed at number 1 in the UK charts for 9 consecutive weeks and sold over a million copies. It reached number 9 in the US charts. It was also the first single to be released with a music video.

The group embarked on a tour of Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia to promote the album ‘Night At The Opera’.

The album ‘A Night At The Opera’ was released. It reached number 1 in the UK charts and number 4 in the US.

Freddie ended his relationship with Mary Austin and began a relationship with a male employee at Elektra Records. He remained friends with Austin for the rest of his life.

Freddie Mercury received an Ivor Novello Award for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

The song ‘You’re My Best Friend’ from ‘A Night AT The Opera’ was released as a single. It reached number 7 in the UK and number 16 in the US.

As a thank you to their fans, Queen staged a free concert in Hyde Park, London.

The song ‘Somebody To Love’ from the album ‘A Day At The Races’ was released as a single. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 13 in the US.

The album ‘A Day At The Races’ was released. It reached number 1 in the UK and number 5 in the US

Queen made a tour of the United States and Canada.

The song ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ from the album ‘A Day At The Races’ was released as a single. It reached number 31 im the UK and 47 in the US.

Queen began a tour of Europe.

The song ‘Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy’ from the album ‘A Day At The Races’ was released as a single. It reached number 17 in the UK.

The single ‘We Are The Champions’ with ‘We Will Rock You’ as the B side, was released. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 4 in the US. Both tracks were taken from the album ‘News Of The World’.

The album ‘News Of The World’ was released. It reached number 4 in the UK and number 3 in the US.

The group agreed a severance deal with manager John Reid and set up their own management structure.

The song ‘Spread Your Wings’ from the album ‘News Of The World’ was released as a single. It reached number 34 in the UK.

Queen embarked on a tour of Europe.

Queen began a tour of the United States and Canada.

The songs ‘Bicycle Race’ and ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ from the album ‘Jazz’ were released as a double A-side single. The single reached number 11 in the UK and number 24 in the US.

The album ‘Jazz’ was released. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 6 in the US.

The song ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ from the album ‘Jazz’ was released as a single. It reached number 9 in the UK charts. It fared less well in the United States only reaching number 86.

The group embarked on a tour of Japan.

The live double album ‘Live Killers’ was released. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 16 in the US.

The song ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ from the album ‘The Game’ was released as a single. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 1 in the US.

Queen performed at the Concert for the People of Kampuchea in London which had been organised as a charity event by Paul McCartney.

The song ‘Save Me’ from the album ‘The Game’ was released as a single. It reached number 11 in the UK.

The song ‘Play The Game’ from the album ‘The Game’ was released as a single. It reached number 14 in the UK and number 42 in the US.

The album ‘The Game’ was released. It reached number 1 in the UK and US charts.

The song ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ from the album ‘The Game’ was released as a single. It reached number 7 in the UK and number 1 in the US.

Queen released their soundtrack to the film ‘Flash Gordon’ as an album. It reached number 10 in the UK and number 23 in the US.

The group began a tour of South America, the first rock group to tour the continent.

Queen collaborated with the singer David Bowie on the single ‘Under Pressure’. It reached number 1 in the UK and number 29 in the US.

Queen released the compilation album ‘Greatest Hits’ of hits from 1974 to 1980. It reached number 1 in the UK and number 11 in the US.

The song ‘Body Language’ from the album ‘Hot Space’ was released as a single. It only reached number 25 in the UK but reached number 11 in the US.

Queen released the album ‘Hot Space’. It reached number 4 in the UK and number 22 in the US.

The song ‘Back Chat’ from the album ‘Hot Space’ was released as a single. It was not a big success, only reaching number 40 in the UK.

Queen played their last concert in the United States with Freddie Mercury. Their popularity had declined in the States.

The song ‘Radio Ga Ga’ from the album ‘The Works’ was released as a single. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 16 in the US.

Queen released the album ‘The Works’. It reached number 2 in the UK and number 23 in the US.

The song ‘I Want to Break Free’ from the album ‘The Works’ was released as a single. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 45 in the US.

The song ‘It’s a Hard Life’ from the album ‘The Works’ was released as a single. It reached number 6 in the UK but only managed number 72 in the US.

Queen began a 9 month tour to promote their album ‘The Works’. The band controversially played in South Africa when many artists boycotted the country due to their policy of apartheid and were criticised for doing so.

The song ‘Hammer to Fall’ from the album ‘The Works’ was released as a single. It reached number 13 in the UK.

Freddie began a relationship with Barbara Valentin an Austrian actress. Soon after he met Jim Hutton, a hairdresser and began a relationship with him.

Freddie released a solo album ‘Mr Bad Guy. It reached number 6 in the UK but did not do well in the US.

Queen performed some of their greatest hits at the Live Aid concert held at Wembley Stadium, London. Their performance has been voted one of the greatest live rock music performances of all time.

The group released the song ‘One Vision’ from the album ‘A Kind of Magic’ as a single. It reached number 7 in the UK but only reached number 61 in the US.

A boxed set of Queen’s 12 albums to date entitled ‘The Complete Works’ was released.

Queen contributed music to the soundtrack of the film ‘Highlander’.

Queen released the song ‘A Kind of Magic’ from the album ‘A Kind of Magic’ as a single. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 42 in the US.

The album ‘A Kind of Magic’ was released. It reached No 1 in the UK album charts and number 46 in the US.

Queen began a two month tour of Europe. It would be the last tour with Freddie Mercury and John Deacon.

Queen released the song ‘Friends Will Be Friends’ from the album ‘A Kind of Magic’ as a single in Europe. It reached number 14 in the UK.

Queen released the song ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ from the album ‘A Kind of Magic’ as a single in Europe. It reached number 24 in the UK.

A 3 part documentary telling the story of the band’s rise to fame was filmed. It was called Magic Years.

Freddie released the single ‘The Great Pretender’, a cover of the Platters song. It reached number 5 in the UK.

Freddie Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS. The diagnosis was kept from the public.

Freddie had a huge birthday party on the island of Ibiza. Around 700 guests attended.

Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe performed ‘Barcelona’ in Barcelona to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic flag from Seoul.

Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe released the album ‘Barcelona’. It reached number 15 in the UK and number 6 in the US.

Queen released the song ‘I Want It All’ from the album ‘The Miracle’ as a single. It reached number 3 in the UK and US charts.

Queen released the album ‘The Miracle’. It reached number 1 in the Uk and number 24 in the US.

Queen released the song ‘Breakthru’ from the album ‘The Miracle’ as a single. It reached number 7 in the UK but did not make the US charts.

Queen released the song ‘Invisible Man’ from the album ‘The Miracle’ as a single. It reached number 12 in the UK but did not make the US charts.

Queen released the song ‘Scandal’ from the album ‘The Miracle’ as a single. It reached number 25 in the UK.

Queen released the song ‘The Miracle’ from the album ‘The Miracle’ as a single. It reached number 21 in the UK.

Freddie Mercury denied rumours that he was very ill.

Queen were awarded for their ‘Outstanding Contribution to British Music’ at the Brit Awards.

Queen signed a new recording deal with Hollywood Records.

Queen released the video ‘Queen at Wembley’ which had been recorded on 12th July 1986.

Queen released the song ‘Innuendo’ from the album ‘Innuendo’ as a single. It reached number 1 in the UK.

Queen released the album ‘Innuendo’ It reached number 1 in the UK and number 30 in the US.

Queen released the song ‘I’m Going Slightly Mad’ from the album ‘Innuendo’ as a single. It reached number 22 in the UK.

Queen released the song ‘Headlong’ from the album ‘Innuendo’ as a single. It reached number 14 in the UK.

Freddie retired from public life to his home in Kensington. He was cared for by Jim Hutton and former girlfriend and lifelong friend, May Austin.

Queen released the song ‘These Are The Days of Our Lives’ from the album ‘Innuendo’ as a single. It reached number 1 in the UK.

Queen released the song ‘The Show Must Go On’ from the album ‘Innuendo’ as a single. It reached number 16 in the UK and number 40 in the US.

Queen released the compilation album ‘Greatest Hits II’. It reached number 1 in the Uk and .

Freddie Mercury publicly announced that he had AIDS.

Freddie Mercury died of bronchial pneumonia which he had contracted as a complication of AIDS.

After a funeral service at West London Crematorium, Freddie’s friend, Mary Austin took his ashes and buried them at an unknown location.