Sir Brian May has said he and fellow Queen bandmate Roger Taylor will not be marking the 35th anniversary of the death of their friend and bandmate Freddie Mercury. The Queen guitarist, 79, told the Metro that the day is one to avoid because of how "terrible" the loss was.
A day to avoid
Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991, at the age of 45, from complications arising from AIDS, a diagnosis he revealed just days before his death. Speaking about why he avoids the anniversary, Sir Brian explained: "I don’t celebrate the anniversary of his death. It’s a day to avoid because it brings up pain."
He added: "The day he died was one of the most terrible days of our lives. I acknowledge Freddie all the time and he’s in my life very strongly. I know Roger feels the same."
Freddie's final song
Freddie's death led to one of the most emotional song endings in Queen's catalogue. The frontman delivered his final big note midway through "Mother Love," a track Sir Brian had to sing the final verse of because his friend had died by that point.
Sir Brian also reflected on when he believes Freddie knew he was unwell, thinking it was around 1986. He said: "He came off stage at Knebworth and said: ‘I can’t do this any more,’. He did have a tendency to be dramatic, so we thought Freddie was just being Freddie, but I now realise he already knew the prognosis, which was grim."
Legacy continues
Sir Brian added: "I remember reading about young men dying in America, and then we saw Freddie with these strange symptoms, so we put two and two together. It’s incredible that he carried on with such confidence and energy to the very end."
In the years following 1986, Queen released a series of albums including The Miracle, Innuendo, and finally Made in Heaven, which featured "Mother Love." After Freddie's death, the band continued to tour. Although bassist John Deacon left in 1997, they acquired new members and, in the 21st Century, a new fanbase, who discovered the musicians through streaming and their tours with Adam Lambert, who stepped into Freddie's shoes as lead singer.
