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Queen













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Here's the Bio i got off their website, one i got fron VH1, and a little extra info. on Freddy. Pics will be on another page.
















Queen formed in 1971 and in 1973 signed their first recording contract for EMI. That year they released their first album, QUEEN. The same year saw their first major UK tour, and in 1974 they released QUEEN II as well as making their first UK headlining tour. They made their first US tour, and in November released SHEER HEART ATTACK which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. 1975 saw their new release, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, and - significantly - the single Bohemian Rhapsody. At 5' 55" it should have been too long for successful radio play but it became one of the greatest singles of all time, staying at No. 1 in the UK chart for nine weeks. The video, directed by Bruce Gowers, is credited with being the first genuine promotional video. The song has regularly featured in all major pop polls and was recently named again as the best single of all time. The success of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA was equally stunning, giving the band their first platinum album. In 1976 they toured the US and Japan and by spring all four albums resided in the UK Top Twenty. Later that year they released A DAY AT THE RACES, and gave a free concert in Hyde Park to an estimated crowd of 200,000 fans. The album was a huge success, advance orders alone amounting to over 500,000. The following year saw two major US tours, the band's sixth album, NEWS OF THE WORLD and the legendary double A side single, WE WILL ROCK YOU and WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. 1978's JAZZ, included another huge hit single in Bicycle Race and Queen toured the US and Canada. They spent much of 1979 touring in Europe and Japan, as well as releasing their first live album, LIVE KILLERS. They were also approached to write the score for a forthcoming feature film, FLASH GORDON. Before that they released THE GAME in 1980 which went five times platinum in Canada alone! Another One Bites The Dust became the band's biggest selling American single. Later that year the soundtrack for FLASH GORDON was released and by the end of the year Queen had sold over 45,000,000 albums worldwide. In 1981 they toured the Far East and were the first band to make a stadium tour of South America. They played to 131,000 people in Sao Paolo, the largest paying audience for any band anywhere in the world. GREATEST HITS, GREATEST FLIX and GREATEST PIX were released simultaneously later in the year and Greatest Hits has rarely been out of the UK album charts since. Greatest Flix was the first collection of promo-videos released commercially by any band. Next year saw the release of the band's twelfth album, HOT SPACE whilst they were in the middle of a European tour. 1984 saw THE WORKS and the single Radio Ga became a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in 19 countries. Another huge hit was I Want To Break Free, featuring one of their most famous videos, all dressed in drag. In 1985 they were the headlining act at Rock in Rio, the biggest festival to be held anywhere in the world. They again made history that year with the show-stealing performance at Live Aid from Wembley Stadium, which proved to be a turning point for the band, One Vision being the first post Live Aid release. 1986 saw their 14th album, A KIND OF MAGIC, which was the soundtrack to the Russel Mulcahy film, Highlander. The title track became another worldwide smash and the album entered the UK charts at No. 1; later in the year the 2nd live album, LIVE MAGIC, went into the charts at No. 3. Between 1988 and 1991 Queen released three more albums, THE MIRACLE in 1989 and in 1991 INNUENDO and GREATEST HITS TWO. All three entered the UK charts at No. 1, as did the single Innuendo. On 23rd November 1991 Freddie Mercury announced to the world that he had AIDS and the next day he died peacefully at his home, surrounded by family and friends. He remains the most high profile loss from the disease in the entertainment world and the news shocked fans throughout the world. As a tribute Bohemian Rhapsody /These Are The Days Of Our Lives was released as a double A-sided single to raise funds for the Terence Higgins Trust. It entered the UK chart at No. 1, where it stayed for five weeks, raising over £1,000,000 for the charity and Queen became the first band to have the same single top the UK charts twice. In December of that year Queen had 10 albums in the UK Top 100. In 1992 Freddie was awarded posthumously the BRIT's "Outstanding Contribution to British Music" and Days Of Our Lives won Best Single. On 20th April many of the world's top stars joined Brian, Roger and John on stage at Wembley for an emotional tribute to Freddie. In 1995 the tracks that Queen had begun in 1991 were completed by Brian, Roger and John and the long-awaited MADE IN HEAVEN was released worldwide. It was the end of an era. Since then the phenomenon of Queen has remained, however, with continuing sales for their recorded output on CD and video. A ballet of their music by famous French choreographer Maurice Bejart was premiered at the National Theatre in Paris in 1997 and this year the hit musical We Will Rock You opened to sell-out audiences in London's West End and continues to play to packed houses and standing ovations every night. Queen's first DVD Greatest Video Hits Vol.1 was released at the end of October 2002, and yet another piece of Queen product entered the UK charts at number 1. October also saw Queen receive their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, joining The Beatles as only one of a handful of non-US bands to receive the much coveted honor. In thanks to the fans who had brought this about, Brian May and Roger Taylor reformed Queen to play the bands first US concert in 20 years.

VH1'S VERSION:

Arguably Britain's most consistently successful band of the past three decades, Queen began life as a glam rock unit in 1972. Astronomy student Brian May (b. 19 July 1947, Twickenham, Middlesex, England; guitar) and Roger Taylor (b. Roger Meddows-Taylor, 26 July 1949, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England; drums) had been playing in Johnny Quale And The Reactions, Beat Unlimited and a college group called Smile with bass player Tim Staffell. When the latter left to join Humpty Bong (featuring former Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen), May and Taylor elected to form a new band with vocalist Freddie Mercury (b. Frederick Bulsara, 5 September 1946, Zanzibar, Africa, d. 24 November 1991, London, England). Early in 1971 bass player John Deacon (b. 19 August 1951, Oadby, Leicestershire, England) completed the line-up. Queen were signed to EMI Records late in 1972 and launched the following spring with a gig at London's Marquee club. Soon after the failed single, "Keep Yourself Alive", they issued a self-titled album, which was an interesting fusion of 70s glam and late 60s heavy rock (it had been preceded by a Mercury "solo" single, a cover of the Beach Boys' "I Can Hear Music", credited to Larry Lurex). Queen toured extensively and recorded a second album, which fulfilled their early promise by reaching the UK Top 5.

Soon afterwards, "Seven Seas Of Rhye" gave them their first hit single (UK number 10), while Sheer Heart Attack consolidated their commercial standing by reaching number 2 in the UK album charts. "Killer Queen" from the album was also the band's first US hit, reaching number 12 in May 1975. The pomp and circumstance of Queen's recordings and live act were embodied in the outrageously camp theatrics of the satin-clad Mercury, who was swiftly emerging as one of rock's most notable showmen during the mid-70s. 1975 was to prove a watershed in the group's career. After touring the Far East, they entered the studio with their producer Roy Thomas Baker and completed the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody", in which Mercury succeeded in transforming a seven-minute single into a mini-opera. The track was both startling and unique in pop and dominated the Christmas charts in the UK, remaining at number 1 for an astonishing nine weeks. The power of the single was reinforced by an elaborate video production, highly innovative for its period and later much copied by other acts. An attendant album named after a Marx Brothers movie, A Night At The Opera, was one of the most expensive and expansive albums of its period and lodged at number 1 in the UK, as well as hitting the US Top 5. Queen were now aspiring to the superstar bracket. Their career thereafter was a carefully marketed succession of hit singles, annual albums and extravagantly produced stage shows.

With yet another Marx Brothers title A Day At The Races continued the bombast, while the catchy "Somebody To Love" and "We Are The Champions" both reached number 2 in the UK. Although Queen seemed in danger of being stereotyped as over-produced glam rock refugees, they successfully brought eclecticism to their singles output with the 50s rock 'n' roll panache of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and the disco-influenced "Another One Bites The Dust" (both US number 1s). Despite this stylistic diversity, each Queen single seemed destined to become an anthem, as evidenced by the continued use of much of their output on US sporting occasions. Meanwhile, The Game gave Queen their first US number 1 album in July 1980. The group's soundtrack for the movie Flash Gordon was another success, but was cited by many critics as typical of their pretentious approach. By the close of 1981, Queen were back at number 1 in the UK for the first time since "Bohemian Rhapsody" with "Under Pressure" (a collaboration with David Bowie). After a flurry of solo ventures, the group returned in fine form in 1984 with the satirical "Radio Gaga" (UK number 2), followed by the histrionic "I Want To Break Free" (and accompanying cross-dressing video).

A stunning performance at 1985's Live Aid displayed the group at their most professional and many acclaimed them the stars of the day, though there were others who accused them of hypocrisy for breaking the boycott of apartheid-locked South Africa. Coincidentally, their next single was "One Vision", an idealistic song in keeping with the spirit of Live Aid. Queen's recorded output lessened during the late 80s as they concentrated on extra-curricular ventures. The space between releases did not affect the group's popularity, however, as was proven in 1991 when "Innuendo" gave them their third UK number 1, and the album of the same name also topped the UK charts. By this time they had become an institution. Via faultless musicianship, held together by May's guitar virtuosity and the spectacular Mercury, Queen were one of the great theatrical rock acts. The career of the group effectively ended with the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury on 24 November 1991. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was immediately reissued to raise money for AIDS research projects, and soared to the top of the British charts. The song also climbed to US number 2 in March 1992 after featuring in the movie Wayne's World (it had originally reached number 9 in January 1976).

A memorial concert for Mercury took place at London's Wembley Stadium on May 20 1992, featuring an array of stars including Liza Minnelli , Elton John Guns N'Roses, George Michael David Bowie and Annie Lennox (Eurhythmics). Of the remaining members Brian May's solo career enjoyed the highest profile, while Roger Taylor worked with the Cross. Queen never announced an official break-up, so it was with nervous anticipation that a new Queen album was welcomed in 1995. The Mercury vocals were recorded during his last year while at home in Switzerland, and the rest of the band then worked on the remaining songs. While Mercury must be applauded for the way he carried his illness with great dignity, it is fair to say that May, Taylor and Deacon performed wonders in crafting an album from slightly inferior material. It will never be known whether all the tracks on Made In Heaven would have found their way onto an album had Mercury been with us today.

In 2002, May, Deacon and Taylor collaborated with comedian and novelist Ben Elton on a musical featuring Queen's songs. Developed in association with Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions, We Will Rock You opened at London's Dominion Theatre on 14 May.

Queens 1975 (and 1991) No.1 giant Bohemian Rhapsody has been voted the favorite single of all time in a poll to appear in the new Guinness World Records book of BRITISH HIT SINGLES, published on May 24th. The book, which commemorates 50 years of the UK Singles Chart and is widely considered to be the Bible of all things singles-related, received over 31,000 individual votes from its readers. On May 8th, Brian May and Roger Taylor were presented with a special award to recognize this fantastic achievement. Presenting the award, the editor of the Guinness World Records BRITISH HIT SINGLES David Roberts said: Queen is a band whose achievements are legendary. No band, apart from The Beatles, has had more Top 10 hit singles and they are the first group to top the charts twice with the same single. Bohemian Rhapsody is also the biggest selling non-charity single of all time. In the BRITISH HIT SINGLES book, Brian May, Queens guitarist and songwriter comments The song was apparently so far ahead of any rival that even months before the deadline, its position was unimpeachable. It has become a classic phenomenon and one which no one will ever allow us to forget! Thank you, people, for the memory. The song continues to live on every night during the musical We Will Rock You at Londons Dominion Theatre an ensemble cast recreating all the harmonies to stunning effect. David Roberts, editor of the BRITISH HIT SINGLES book added: It really was miles ahead of the opposition but it is interesting looking down the list where there is a good mixture of old and new unlike many polls which seem to have an imbalance of hits from the last two years. Our readers (or chartologists as we like to call them) voted across all six decades of the singles chart, making it the most definitive top 100 ever. Pictured Left: Brian May and Roger Taylor accept the award from British Hit Singles editor David Roberts, an award they would thoughtfully present to Freddy Mercurys mother at a later date.

A little info on Freddy:

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5th 1946 in Zanzibar, to parents Bomi & Jer Bulsara. Freddie moved to India in 1947. He attended boarding school in Panchgani, just outside Bombay. Whilst there he began his piano lessons, reaching Grade 4 in practical and theory. The family, with the addition now of younger sister Kashmira, moved to England in 1963.

Freddie left Isleworth school in 1964 with three "O" levels and one "A" level in Art. He went to Ealing College of Art to study Graphic Illustration. He left college in 1969 with a Diploma in Graphic Art & Design (the equivalent of a Degree). Freddie joined his first serious band in 1969, the were called IBEX.