5. Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury is still regarded as one of the titans of classic rock, 24 years after his death. Though his music is probably as culturally relevant as Greensleeves to anybody younger than your dad, the very mention of his name is still capable of conjuring up an image of a prancing joker, as ready with a quip as he is with an operatic middle eight. However, behind the grin lay a mean-spirited individual indeed.
Queen were rocked by infighting after Freddie discovered that drummer Roger Taylor made as much from the B-side to Bohemian Rhapsody, I’m In Love With My Car, as Freddie did from Queen’s most popular song. The group almost split up after Freddie threw a tantrum, the quartet finally agreeing to split future royalties four ways. Another sign of Freddie’s callous side was his treatment of the rent boys he insisted on having backstage for ‘recreational purposes’ between the need of a set and the encore.
On one infamous occasion, Freddie enjoyed himself so vigorously that the unfortunate gigolo suffered a prolapsed rectum. Undeterred and, frankly, not giving a tiny rats a** about the health of his poor partner, Mercury bellowed at his roadies, “This one’s broken! Find me another”. Highly unpleasant behaviour.
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