Freddie Mercury was a rock legend whose legacy was perpetuated as the lead singer of Queen. The British singer has looked up to many icons himself, including John Lennon. Freddie Mercury once said that John Lennon was the only person he regretted never having met.
Freddie Mercury thought John Lennon was ‘the greatest’
Mercury was a big Lennon fan, enjoying his music during his time with The Beatles and his solo career. In 1980, Lennon was murdered near his home in New York by Mark David Chapman. Following his death, Mercury performed “Imagine” at a concert to honor his memory. The “Bohemian Rhapsody” singer said he would never want to be compared to the former Beatle because there are things he believes Lennon did better.
“He just had that magic… to be honest, I would never want to put myself in the same category as John Lennon because he was the greatest as far as I’m concerned,” Mercury shared via udiscovermusic.com. “It’s not about having less talent, it’s just that some people are able to do certain things better than others, and I feel like I’m not ready to do what Lennon did. I don’t think anyone should because John Lennon was one of a kind, one of a kind, and that’s what it is. I admire him so much and that’s as far as I want to go. “When I heard that Lennon had died, I was shocked and confused.”
Mercury once said that Lennon was the only person he would like to meet, dead or alive.
Many people are often asked who they would like to meet, whether that person was alive or dead. This is an opportunity for someone to express their admiration for someone they know only through their art or story. In a 1984 interview with MTV News (shared by Louder Sound), Freddie Mercury chose John Lennon as the one person he would like to meet before he dies.
“Dead or alive, the only person I wish I’d met was John Lennon,” the Queen singer replied. “Because he’s the one I idolized. And I just thought that he was a very nice person, and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t get to meet him. He is the only one.”
In the same interview, Mercury answered the question with Marie Antoinette if there is a historical figure she would like to meet. Ah, to be a fly on the wall when these three figures meet.
Mercury wrote a song dedicated to the former Beatle
In 1982, Queen released “Life is Real (Song for Lennon)” on their 10th studio album, Hot space. According to Alternative Nation, the song was a welcome change of pace on an album disliked by fans due to its more danceable tracks. The song originated on an airplane and was written by Freddie Mercury as a tribute to John Lennon. The song is rare for Queen, as its lyrics were written before the music was composed.
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