As two towering figures in the music industry, you might envision the convergence of Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson’s paths as the genesis of an iconic musical masterpiece. Although they collaborated in the studio at one point, the outcome was not a fruitful or noteworthy use of their time.
Despite their respective parallels when dominating the pop and rock music scenes, Mercury and Jackson couldn’t have had more different lives. Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, Mercury moved to England and formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon.Jackson, on the other hand, grew up in Gary, Indiana, and began his career as a child performer with the Jackson 5 before launching a highly successful solo career. The fact that Jackson started early never escaped the attention of the singing virtuoso. “When I’m talking to him, I’m thinking, my god, he’s 25, I’m 37,” Mercury once said. “Yet he’s been in the business longer than I have.”
Despite their different musical styles, Mercury and Jackson both enjoyed immense global success, with legacies that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans worldwide. Nevertheless, despite standing as two of the most influential and celebrated musicians of their era, the camaraderie that emerged between them was fleeting and tumultuous.
Did Freddie Mercury ever meet Michael Jackson?
Although both experienced significantly different upbringings, Jackson grew to hold Queen in high regard, being an avid band fan and specifically admiring the renowned vocal talent of frontman Mercury. Naturally, their friendship blossomed as Jackson became a regular attendee at Queen’s concerts in the early 1980s.
As Mercury explained in an interview in 1983: “In the early days, three, four years ago, [Jackson] used to come and see our shows at The Forum in LA,” he said. “And I guess he liked us and so I got to meet him. He kept coming to see us, and then we started talking and, in those days, I think he would actually go out. He’d go out and have dinners. I remember going to dinner with him.”
The ongoing friendship and reciprocal admiration persisted, as found in a 1983 Rolling Stone interview when the reporter asked Jackson if they could call him a Queen fan, to which he responded, “I’m a Freddie Mercury fan.”Their mutual admiration was solidified when they commenced recording in Jackson’s home studio in 1983 amid widespread speculation about a potential collaboration. Together, they crafted three demo tracks: ‘There Must Be More To Life Than This’, ‘State Of Shock’, and ‘Victory’. Despite considerable anticipation and lingering frustration, these songs never truly reached fruition.
Why didn’t Freddie Mercury like Michael Jackson?
Although there seemed to be productivity flourishing in the studio at first, Mercury began to grow a little frustrated with Jackson, especially after he repeatedly brought his pet llama into the studio. In fact, according to Mercury’s manager, Jim ‘Miami’ Beach, he called him one day frantically requesting to “get me out of the studio,” elaborating, “because I’m recording with a llama. Michael’s bringing his pet llama into the studio every day, and I’m really not used to it, and I’ve had enough, and I want to get out.”
Although there didn’t seem to be any lasting hostility from the odd event, Mercury did note that the two went their separate ways afterwards, realising they were two different people. “I think [Jackson] now just stays at home. He doesn’t like coming out at all,” Mercury in the ‘83. “He says whatever he wants, he can get at home. Anything he wants, he just buys it,” adding, “that’s not me, but that’s his bag. I wouldn’t do that. I would be bored to death. I go out every night. I hate staying in one room for too long anyway.”
Mercury eventually released his own rendition of ‘There Must Be More to Life Than This’ on his solo debut, Mr. Bad Guy. However, 33 years later, Queen unveiled the collaborative version with Jackson on the compilation album Queen Forever. The album achieved considerable success, with Brian May expressing that it represented a diverse collection of “things that we have collected together that are representative of our growth rather than the big hits.”