Freddie Mercury

Farrokh Bulsara was born in Zanzibar, raised in India, and became Freddie Mercury in London — one of the most extraordinary vocalists to ever stand in front of a microphone. He had a four-octave range and an overbite he refused to fix because he believed it helped his voice. He was probably right. With Queen, he wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody” — a six-minute opera-rock suite that the label said was too long for radio. It became one of the most played songs in history. At Live Aid in 1985, he held 72,000 people in the palm of his hand for 20 minutes, delivering what’s widely considered the greatest live performance ever. Offstage, he was shy. He loved his cats so much he’d call home to talk to them while touring. He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 and told almost no one. The day before he died, he released a statement confirming his diagnosis. He was 45. His voice still stops people in their tracks, in airports and grocery stores and car rides, and that’s not nostalgia — that’s talent so immense it transcends time.