Brian May recently talked about his and Roger Taylor’s initial reaction when Freddie sang for them. He revealed that the icon’s vocals weren’t advanced at that time, but they were willing to give him a shot.
Brian May and Roger Taylor were involved in the music industry before Queen. The duo was in a band called ‘Smile,’ which was briefly depicted in the Queen biopic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at the film’s beginning. They needed a new vocalist, and that’s when Freddie Mercury found them and convinced them to hire him. The band’s name was changed to ‘Queen,’ which was the frontman’s idea.
Their success throughout their career has always been a topic of discussion. They hardly have any haters, and the love they have received from so many people gave them the immortality every musician seeks. Even after Freddie’s saddening death in 1991, the band honored his legacy. Queen carried on performing for their fans with a different lead vocalist, whose name they added to the band’s name, to make it clear that no one could replace Freddie Mercury.
Most recently, May and Taylor recalled the time when they first heard Freddie’s voice. Back then, he wasn’t trained or had any professional qualities. However, they must have seen the hidden talent and potential in the immatureness of his voice, so they decided to work with him regardless.
May stated that they thought he was a great performer, but he didn’t have control over his vocals. Taking a leap of faith by hiring Freddie, the band wasn’t disappointed as he brought them immortal success. Taylor agreed with May’s opinions and further stated that he had his talents hidden, and when they first hired him, they didn’t know he was as incredible as he is.
Here is what May stated about Freddie’s undeveloped voice:
“We loved Freddie from the beginning. He was such an ebullient character and so full of confidence. We thought, ‘He’s a good showman. But can he sing?’ In the early days, he would throw himself around and give it 100 percent, but the voice wasn’t developed. The instrument was there, but he hadn’t learned that incredible control, which made him the great god Freddie Mercury. So we didn’t know. We just thought, ‘Well, we should give this a shot. Freddie seems to be up for it. Why don’t we go for it?'”
Taylor agreed and stated that his talents were hidden:
“We didn’t know there’s this incredible songwriter with this incredible musical sensibility hidden. He was really such a joy to be around, a driving force for the band in the early days.”
Along with his vocal talents, his songwriting skills also helped the band produce some of the greatest songs in rock history. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Killer Queen,’ ‘Somebody To Love,’ and ‘We Are The Champions’ are among the hit songs Freddie wrote for the band. Even after almost 45 years of their releases, these songs are still highly appreciated by millions worldwide.
