Joseph on Freddie – We speak to Joseph Lee Jackson to find out just a few of his thoughts on the man himself….

 

What was it that was so special about Freddie?

“There has been no one else like him and probably never will be. He was an extremely talented writer and the tracks that he wrote are timeless. He was also very unique in his stage performance not only in terms of the costumes and presentation but he had an amazing way of interacting with the crowd. He also had a phenomenal vocal range!”

What was your earliest memory of Queen?

“Mine, like a lot of other peoples, was Live Aid in 1985, aged 10. I remember seeing it on TV. Queen only played for 15 minutes but it completely blew me away. Freddie was great as always but I particularly remember that the band were superb as well.”

What do you respect most about Freddie?

“The way in which he didn’t do anything by halves on stage and lived life to the full. Above all, I really respect him for his writing skills. True inspiration!”

What is your favourite Queen album?

“I like most of the material but I prefer the later stuff as this is the music I was brought up with. I guess from ‘The Works’ album onwards – tracks such as ‘I Want to Break Free’ and Radio Ga Ga as these are real classics. My favourite track to perform is A Kind of Magic. I remember watching the Magic Tour on video. I thought the live version had so much more ‘umph’ than the studio version and it’s such a great to perform live. It also a track that everyone knows and loves.”

What is the hardest part about playing Freddie?

“Vocally it is very difficult to perform night after night with little rest. Freddie had an amazing way of writing songs at the top of his range and every note is a challenge – especially to sing in his style. He had an unbelievably vast vocal range and recreating his sound for a couple of hours night after night can be tough on the old vocal chords. Freddie believed anyone could sing his songs, but it’s not easy!”

How do you prepare for a show?

“I try and relax as much as possible, but I always warm up for between half an hour and an hour before every show. I do my vocal exercises and scales and jump about a lot to get myself in the Freddie zone.”

So how do you get into the ‘Freddie Zone’

“As soon as I put the jacket and ‘tash on… I’m Freddie! I have done a lot of acting work and it is very much the same – I throw myself into the role and hope that the rest comes naturally. The great thing about Freddie is his huge stage persona. The only way really is to get straight out there and grab the audience and keep them there with you for the whole two hours that we are on stage.”

What about offstage? Do you live a Freddie style lifestyle?

“Lavish parties and all that?.......I wish! I don’t like champagne for a start (joke). I have been known to have the odd Jack Daniels or beer! It’s a great life on the road with Mercury but it is very tiring. The performance itself is very demanding as we always make sure that we give 110% to try and deliver a show that Queen themselves would have been proud of.”

What do you think Freddie would have been doing if he was alive today?

“I like to think that he would have done more of the operatic material such as Barcelona. I know there was talk at the time of him playing the lead role in the film of Phantom of the Opera, which would have been great. I am sure that he would have been still writing fantastic music and still performing with Queen. The band would definitely have stood the test of time.”

Do you have any similar traits to Freddie?

“Mmmm…I’ve got a moustache! No I guess the main thing is that I always want my performance to be as good as it can possibly be in the same way that Freddie did. As a band, we want to entertain and make people happy for that two hours and for them to go away fully entertained and singing the songs. We want to transport people back to the Milton Keynes Bowl or wherever they may have seen Queen perform and for them to imagine that they are there.”

“What is the best part of the show for you?

The beginning….. and the end! I love the anticipation of the intro when the music kicks in when I know there is no turning back. I also love the end with the cape and crown and whole atmosphere and buzz of the crowd.”

Is the Queen legend still as strong as ever?

“Absolutely! There is a huge demand for Queen’s music and people come back to the shows time after time. The crowds at our shows are full of a wide range of people – from die hard fans to people who were touched by or brought up with Queen and youngsters that are relative newcomers to the music. The age range is from teenagers through to 60+. Everywhere you go you hear Queen tracks and the songs are as popular as ever. Bohemian Rhapsody has again recently been voted the best song ever!”

What do you think of when you think of Freddie?

“Most people think of the obvious ones…., the moustache, the microphone stand, yellow jacket, the lycra, the cape and crown, fantastic music. For me, I obviously think of all that, but mainly of Freddie as one of the best live performers ever, the talented writer and the legendary entertainer. Everyone loved him for his unique character and his wild ideas. Apparently on the Magic Tour, he wanted to appear on stage from the roof, but as soon as he realized he would be hoisted up in a steel bucket stuck up there for a short while, he changed his mind – that was Freddie!

To ask Joseph you own question, email him at joseph[at]mercuryworld.co.uk

Freddie Mercury died in November 1991 (aged 45) from AIDS related broncho-pneumonia - just one day after he publicly announced he was HIV positive…

"Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue."
Freddie Mercury November 1991

One Vision

There are now 40 million people living with HIV worldwide and more than 70,000 people living with HIV in the UK.

Over the last decade, Mercury have performed at several charity concerts helping make thousands of pounds for AIDS related organizations who are helping to make a vast difference to sufferers across the world.

Mercury will soon be teaming up with a leading UK Aids Charity to help raise both much needed funds and awareness of the disease to support the global fight against this terrible disease. More information follows soon.

About AIDS

AIDS: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The immune system is weakened so much by HIV that it cannot fight off certain serious infections and illnesses.

HIV is infectious and is usually passed from person to person by unprotected sex, sharing injection equipment or from a pregnant mother to her baby.

More information follows soon.