It’s not a secret that Freddie Mercury, the frontman of the iconic band Queen, was a genius when it came to writing music. His work is known all over the world. But did you know he wrote a tribute song to the King of Rock and Roll?
Freddie Mercury wrote the song “That Crazy Little Thing Called Love” as a tribute to Elvis Presley. It took him 10 minutes to write the song, and he did this while he was taking a bath. The song was released two years after Presley passed.
Who is Freddie Mercury?
Freddie Mercury, known initially as Farrokh Bulsara, was born on September 5, 1946, in Zanzibar. He is a British singer, songwriter, record producer, and frontman of the rock band Queen. Mercury was regarded as one of the greatest performers in rock and roll history. His flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range truly redefined the conventions of a rock frontman.
Most of Mercury’s childhood was spent in India. He learned to play the piano at the age of seven while he stayed with relatives. Their entire family moved to England in the Spring of 1964 to escape the revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar. During this time, thousands of Muslim Indians and Arabs were killed.
He graduated from Ealing Art College with a degree in graphic arts and design in 1969. His skills and talent in art were later used to design the heraldic coat of arms for his band.
Mercury joined various bands and sold clothes to earn money. It took a while for him to find the perfect set of bandmates finally. And then the rest was history. (Source: In Out Star)
Mercury’s Tribute to Elvis
Elvis Presley passed on August 16, 1977. Two years after his death, Crazy Little Thing Called Love was written and released. The tribute song only took Mercury 10 minutes to compose. According to his bandmates Roger Taylor and Brian May, he did this while he was in the bath.
We got into this rather indulgent way of just bowling into the studio with no ideas, or very few ideas, and just doing it from scratch. He was very fond of Elvis, and of Cliff, I have to say. Yeah, Freddie wrote it very quickly and rushed in and put it down with the boys. By the time I got there, it was almost done.
Brian May
The song went on to be the number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top of the UK Singles Chart. Just recently, May fondly recalled his former bandmate who passed of bronchial pneumonia due to AIDS. Even after Mercury passed, he is well-loved and appreciated by newer generations.
The funny thing is I feel more and more that he is kind of with us in a way, maybe I’m getting to be an old romantic, but Freddie is in my day every day.
Brian May
(Source: NME)
Were There Any Tributes to Freddie Mercury?
Mercury’s continuous popularity even after his passing is truly remarkable. It is often said that his passing even improved the band’s ratings.
There are several tributes made for the famous Freddie Mercury. Some statues were erected in his honor, one in Switzerland and another in London. His bandmates also paid tribute to their friend by releasing the song No One But You (Only the Good Die Young). (Source: Queen Archives)