The Day The Music Died

A long, not so long time ago… Fifteen years ago, to be more precise, the great Freddie Mercury left us all alone.

He was born on September 5, 1946, so he would have celebrated his 60^th birthday a couple of months ago. I’m not one for funerals and tributes myself, and when I go to Paris (if I go back to Paris some day), I don’t think I’m gonna leave flowers at Jim Morisson’s tomb. But Mercury was… greater than life itself. He definitely was a great vocalist, and I’m not the only one who thinks he’s still the best and most complete rock’n’roll singer ever. What a voice, and what a passion beneath every word he sung. Try to hear from beginning to end, let’s say, In My Defence, or Somebody To Love, and you will know what I’m talking about.

But he was much more than that. He was also an extraordinary piano player, and maybe one of the five best composers of the past century. I mean, from out of his mind the world has been able to enjoy immortal hymns such as We Are The Champions and Bohemian Rhapsody. And he was capable of writing songs in very different styles of music just as if he had invented them. Rockabilly in Crazy Little Thing Called Love, hard rock like Death On Two Legs, love ballads as Love Of My Life, epic themes as The Show Must Go On or even carefree cabaret songs like Seaside Rendezvous. But, above all other things, he essentially was a frontman. The greatest showman the 20^th century left us.

All hail one of the greatest artists of all times. And God save the Queen.

PS. - The Great Moment On Screen posted yesterday, that now has disappeared completely (f*#+'@ YouTube, goddammit!) and I'm placing here again, doesn’t need being introduced. You all enjoy one of the most revolutionary video clips ever. And the song isn’t bad too. Hard as I try, I always hear it through the end with my eyes moistened.

PS. – I had also always been looking forward for using the title of this post on something. “The Day the Music Died” is such a beautiful and strong sentence that I couldn’t help myself. For all of you who doesn’t know what it makes reference to, please listen to the marvellous song by Don McLean, the no-presentations-needed American Pie. And then look at the link explaining all the lyrics and cultural references. Ahhh… I love music, don’t you?