The life of Freddie Mercury came to a sudden and saddening end on November 24th, 1991. Although rumours had circulated about his health throughout the late 1980s as Queen stopped performing live and Mercury greatly reduced his public appearances, the singer had only acknowledged his AIDS diagnosis the day before his passing. For music fans around the world, one of the greatest singers, songwriters, and frontmen in the history of music was now gone.
In their grief, Mercury’s bandmates decided to organise a tribute concert that would raise money for AIDS research. Announced during the 1992 BRIT Awards, tickets for the tribute show sold out within hours of their release despite having no additional acts signed on to the concert. The entertainment world was mourning, and when it came time to pay their respects, the public was eager to show their support.
It was only appropriate for the show to take place at the site of Mercury’s most iconic moment: Wembley Stadium, where Mercury commanded a packed crowd through sheer force of will and magnetism during Live Aid just seven years prior. In less than a decade’s time, that vibrant and authoritative presence would slowly fade away, even if his legacy was permanently imprinted in the minds of fans everywhere.
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was more than just a fundraiser and a memorial. It was a time when some of music’s biggest names could pay tribute to one of their fallen comrades. Some were old friends and collaborators, while others were high-profile acolytes who were raised on the band’s music. All told, a vibrant collection of artists walked onto the Wembley stage for one purpose: to try and reach those same heights that Mercury hit night after night.
To commemorate the concert’s 30th anniversary, we’re going band by band, artists by artist, and performance by performance to show how an eclectic mix of artists reinterpreted the Queen canon to pay tribute to Mercury. What guitarist Brian May told the crowd was “the biggest send off in history” became instant legend, with some of those performances that day being etched into the annals of rock and roll history. Through it all, the legacy of Mercury was kept centre stage.