Mercury was the son of a British diplomat with real name Farrokh Bulsara.
He lived much of his early life in India and returned to England for his university studies.
It was Mercury who convinced the group to change their name to Queen.
Carl Lender/Wikimedia Commons
Queen II peaked at number five on the British charts.
The album went platinum.
With everything that Queen has achieved, it was safe to say that the group owned the 1970s.
As the decade ended the group and Mercury seemed unstoppable, the 1980s quickly ended their momentum.
Their last hit was 1981s Under Pressure which was recorded with David Bowie.
They never regained their status after that.
And Mercury and Queen were not helped by the terrible 1981 flop Flash Gordon for which they composed thesoundtrack.
By the mid-80s with the group floundering, Mercury began his solo career.
He recorded two notable albums,Mr.
Bad Guy(1985) andBarcelona(1988).
Barcelona was also the official song of the 1992 Summer Olympics held in that city.
Mercurys stage performances were legendary.
Both with Queen and on his own, he was considered one of the great rock performers of all-time.
His sexuality was hotly debated when his stardom peaked.
However he also had two lengthy relationships with women.
The following day, Mercury passed away from complications brought on by the disease.
He was 45 years old.
However, Mercurys death did not mean the end of an era.
Mercury himself was voted number 58th in a poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.
The concert included performances by Queen, U2, Metallica, and Guns N Roses.
This established him as one of the most important fixtures in AIDS history.
