40+ Facts About Freddie Mercury's Controversial Life

November 24, 2022, marked the 31st anniversary of the death of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen and one of the biggest music stars of the 20th century. His powerful voice, his movements on stage and his easy-going personality won him the appreciation of millions of fans around the world. However, his life was not exempt from controversies, mysteries and scandalous notes. Discover with us 45 curious facts and secrets about Freddie Mercury's exotic life.

Real Name

Freddie Mercury's real name was Farrokh Bulsara. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, were Parsees from India. Following an order from the British Colonial Office, the couple moved to the island of Zanzibar, where the artist was born on September 5, 1946.

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It is known that Mercury always disliked his name. Given the difficulty of pronouncing it correctly, his fellow boarding school students at Panchgani began calling him "Freddie". The "Mercury" would come from a verse of his song "My Fairy King".

An Ancient Religion

Because of their Parsi origin, the entire Bulsara family (including Freddie himself) were followers of Zoroastrianism, whose central figure, Zoroaster, was considered the first and greatest prophet in history. It is a religion born in ancient Persia (now Iran) that also enjoyed a strong presence in India.

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In fact, Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world, and in its time exerted a remarkable influence on other later religions, such as Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Affluent Childhood

Freddie's father, Bomi Bulsara, worked as a cashier for the British High Court, which is why he traveled frequently between India and Zanzibar. On the other hand, this job would allow them to become British nationals and enjoy the corresponding privileges.

Shutterstock // KlavdiyaV

The father's good earnings allowed Freddie to enjoy an affluent childhood. They lived in a beautiful apartment in the Stone Town neighborhood of Zanzibar's historic district, a place full of stores and bazaars overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The Nanny

Another of the privileges of the Bulsara family was the possibility of having a good number of domestic servants. In fact, the child Freddie was in the care of Sabine, a nanny whose face is able to convey all the severity of the trade.

Facebook // Farrokh Bulsara

But beyond the surviving photographs, very little is known about Sabine. We are left with the consolation of imagining that it was she who heard the first babblings of one of the greatest voices in rock history.