What Happened To Queen After Freddie Mercury’s Death?

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Rock bands don’t come better than Queen – a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, several best-selling hits and accolades to show for it and a fanbase made up of people from different age groups. The English rock band with its origins from England in the 70s was initially made up of uniquely gifted members who could have been stars by just running solo careers and for this reason, together, they quickly became a force to be reckoned with. They were a group of four that shared a strong bromance so much so that when the cold hands of death plucked off one of its members, the lead singer, and pianist Freddie Mercury, the rest were left devastated. Here is the story of Queen and what became its fate after Freddie Mercury’s death.

How Freddie Mercury Made Queen Successful

There would probably be no band named Queen today if not for the input of the late Indian Parsi man . The band that would become Queen was originally started as Smile in 1968 and Freddie was not part of it. Smile was the brainchild of guitarist Brian May and bassist Tim Staffell. The latter would become friends with schoolmate Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara (Freddie Mercury) who would later become a huge fan of their works.

However, after Tim Staffell left to join another band, Freddie Mercury took it upon himself to make sure that the band continued. And then came 1970 when the band with its new name Queen (thanks to Freddie) performed at their first show. Soon bassist John Deacon would later join and the band began making its own songs.

With Freddie Mercury at the helm of affairs, the band got its very own logo and record deal with Trident/EMI in 1973. Her self-titled debut album would drop months later to mild success. Queen only got better with every new release. Their sophomore record charted in the UK and by 1975 with the release of their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera, Queen had become an international sensation. One of the propellers of their breakthrough 1975 album was the single Bohemian Rhapsody.

Queen After Freddie Mercury’s Death

Queen continued to register incredible success all through the 70s and down to the late 80s when tragedy struck. In the late 80s, Mercury began to appear increasingly emaciated and it wasn’t long before fans and the media alike began speculating that he was ill. However, Freddie denied that there was anything wrong with his health and attributed his gaunt appearance to fatigue from being heavily involved in music and taking little or no rest.

With time, it would be revealed that Freddie Mercury had been diagnosed with HIV in 1987 with only his band members and close friends in the know. The band continued releasing new music in the early 90s but when it was clear to Freddie that time was no longer on his side, he confessed to having AIDS in a statement written on his deathbed in November 1991. Freddie Mercury died of complications from AIDS a day after he released the statement, leaving fans and most especially the remaining members of Queen devastated.

Queen after Freddie Mercury’s death could not be the same. The remaining members could not carry on without Freddie in the picture. Two of Queen’s members Roger Taylor and Brian May would later go on to lead successful solo careers.

Queen, three years after Freddie Mercury’s death would in 1995 release the album, Made in Heaven which was their last work done with Freddie. Queen in 1997 recorded the song “No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)” which was dedicated to Mercury and other entertainers who’d lost their lives rather too early. In early 1997, the band’s longtime bassist John Deacon announced his retirement from the industry.

The Resurgence Of The Band

As the years progressed, Queen after Freddie Mercury’s death slowly began to come back. They would occasionally perform at shows and release unheard materials done with Freddie. The return of Queen really began in 2002 after they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The English band first collaborated with singer Paul Rodgers who assumed the position of the lead singer and together they released a couple of albums.

Queen’s collaboration with Paul Rodgers ended in mid-2009 and a year later, they also jumped ship from EMI and signed with Universal Music. Queen in 2011 began a collaboration with American Idol‘s and have since been singing and touring together. In October 2018 a biographical film titled Bohemian Rhapsody about the band’s history was released to rave reviews, it received a whopping 4 Oscars.