For generations of music makers, Freddie Mercury has been the ultimate icon. As the face and voice of Queen, Mercury was a frontman like no one had seen before, commanding his stage with such power and theatrical flare that he’s often imitated but never beaten. But who inspired the inspiration? When it comes to Mercury’s own idol, he looked to an even loftier figure.
It feels like Mercury was always destined to be a star. Talent like that is rare, as his voice still remains one of the finest the rock world has ever heard. But paired with his charisma and on-stage confidence, it’s a golden instance that doesn’t come around often. By the time Queen were touring the world, playing their kooky, dramatic anthems in stadiums on every continent, it seemed like Mercury had merely taken up his rightful place as one of the leaders of the music world.There are a handful of other moments where a star like that has emerged. Prince’s rise to the top feels similar, with Mercury being just as fascinated and enamoured by the guitarist as the rest of the world was. The Beatles are obviously an example, as is Mick Jagger and his troupe.
But for Mercury, he worshipped at the altar of a different 1960s star who existed as the ultimate icon of icons. Ask anyone in a rock band from any decade ever since his breakout, and it’ll be tough to find a musician who doesn’t cite Jimi Hendrix as a major inspiration.“Jimi Hendrix was just a beautiful man, a master showman and a dedicated musician,” Mercury said of the player. He was a dedicated fan who, like hoards of others, was desperate to get even the slightest look at him as he added, “I would scour the country to see him whenever he played because he really had everything any rock’n’roll star should have; all the style and presence.”
“Hendrix is very important. He’s my idol,” he continued. “He sort of epitomises, with his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star.”
Hendrix provided a blueprint for Mercury. Since the Queen singer saw the guitarist as the epitome of what a star should be, he became a devoted student of the legend. In fact, Mercury kept a photo of the musician in his bedroom mirror, looking to him for influence each time he put on his costume and went out into the world, striving to be just like him.But then, in 1970, Hendrix died suddenly at the age of 27. It was the same year that Queen formed, taking their first steps into the music world as a troupe with Mercury leading the way and his idol’s influence steering him. Upon hearing the news, his bandmates said the singer was “inconsolable” at the loss. At their gig last night, Queen, in their early days, played a melody of Hendrix’s hits, with Mercury singing his way through ‘Voodoo Child’, ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Foxey Lady’.
“There’s no way you can compare him to anyone, and there’s nobody who can take his place,” Mercury said of his idol. But throughout his career, he did his best to try and live up to the blueprint set by Hendrix.