Freddie Mercury Analysis

In 1991, the world lost a megastar. Freddie Mercury, lead singer and frontman of Queen, became one of the highest profile figures to die in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic that began in the 1980s. As the face of the group that created such hits as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” and “Killer Queen,” Mercury was often in the spotlight. His unique musical style and performances made him and his persona a worldwide, cultural phenomenon. In the mid 1980s, Mercury was caught in the middle of the AIDS epidemic, both as someone infected and as the target for substantial media attention.

Stigmatization of the homosexual community during the AIDS crisis was a rampant practice and homophobia became the root cause of AIDS-phobia. Mercury’s identification as a bisexual in an already homophobic world, as well the ‘hetero’ atmosphere of rock ‘n’ roll, very much led to his decision to hide his condition. Consequently, his story presents an interesting case study into a life that defied stereotype and yet yielded to the intense stigmatization of the time. The outlandish character on stage contrasted sharply with the same man who only announced his diagnosis a mere day before his passing. Moreover, revered as a ‘hero’ to many who spread AIDS awareness, he was the target of criticism by others for not living up to the dialogue he could have started. Regardless of his impact on the AIDS epidemic while he lived, his death was an important moment in timeline of the disease. His status as the first rock star to die of AIDS shifted the ingrained negative perception of the disease in the rock community and created an atmosphere more conducive to dialogue. Further, the increasing tolerance and fundraising he inspired contin...

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..., he too denied allegations of his homosexuality (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012). Dancer and Choreographer Alvin Ailey died of AIDS in 1989; he “was deeply ashamed of his homosexuality”, so he asked his doctor to lie about the true cause of death in order to spare his mother the stigma (Turnbaugh, 2002). Not surprisingly, the celebrities that died before Mercury of AIDS underwent similar stigma and reacted in similar ways to it. They denied accusations of being infected or gay, and hid away from the public. What makes Mercury’s death so significant is that despite celebrities had died before him, Mercury was a world star and came from the very much masculine, homophobic world of rock. This was a world that despite being “practically synonymous with high-risk activities involving sex and drugs - has been largely absent from the AIDS fight (Hochman & Herczog, 1992).