Zanzibarian-English singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury was BOTD in 1946. Born Farrokh Bulsara, he was raised in Zanzibar, and moved to London in his teens to study art. In 1970 he formed the band Queen with Brian May and Roger Deacon. Their 1975 album A Night at the Opera, a flamboyant mix of rock and baroque pop, became an international success. The single Bohemian Rhapsody, an extraordinary rock opera, reached No 1 in the UK and became an instant classic. Mercury became one of the most revered rock stars of his age, combining a powerful four-octave vocal range with a charismatic and theatrical performance style. His lyrics for hit songs Killer Queen, Somebody to Love, We Are the Champions, We Will Rock You, Who Wants to Live Forever and I Want to Break Free contained wittily encoded references to his homosexuality. The band’s 1981 single Under Pressure, in which Mercury duetted with his hero David Bowie, became one of their most successful hits. During the 1980s, Mercury’s public image morphed from a glam rocker into a moustachioed leather queen, with costumes drawn from gay leather and S&M culture. The band’s music video for I Want to Break Free, memorably featuring Mercury in housewife drag, was considered too shocking for American audiences and banned by MTV. His athletic, high-energy appearance at the 1985 Live Aid concert is considered one of the greatest rock performances of all time. Mercury had a romantic relationship with Mary Austin in the early 1970s. After coming out to her as gay, they remained close friends and he referred to her as his common-law wife. In 1985, he began a relationship with Jim Hutton who became his life partner. Mercury tested HIV+ in the 1980s, but kept his sexuality and illness a secret. In 1991, he released a public statement confirming his diagnosis, dying two days later. He was 45. The news of his illness and death became a media sensation, generating significant discussion about HIV/AIDS. In 1992, a tribute concert to Mercury was watched worldwide by 1 billion people, raising funds for AIDS charities. His single Barcelona, recorded with opera singer Monserrat Caballé before his death, became the theme song for the 1992 Olympic Games. Among many posthumous tributes, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Rainbow Honor Walk in San Francisco. He was played by Rami Malek in the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, who won an Oscar for his performance, despite significant criticism of the film’s reluctance to acknowledge Mercury’s homosexuality.