Flamboyant Frontmen Part II
December 20, 2006 by Jo Minor
Freddie Mercury
Mercury was born in Zanzibar to Indian immigrant parents and later grew up in Bombay, and was the world’s first rock star of Indian descent - but largely kept his heritage under the media spotlight because he felt that it would not go to well with his rock star image.
This flashy frontman of Queen had an exceptional vocal range that surpassed 4 octaves, and delivered some technical vocal duties with relative ease and composure. Not only did he front the band, he also wrote most of their songs - ranging from the complex Bohemian Rhapsody (a piece that has over 60 chords) to the band’s simpler and catchier tunes like Under Pressure. Mercury’s talent in music and singing was undeniable, as he could hardly read music and never underwent formal vocal training in his life.
Having graduated with a background in arts, Mercury personally designed the Queen crest himself, and injected Queen with an unmistakable stage presence. Mercury would also spice up the band’s live performances with his piano and guitar playing as well.
Mercury had a troubled personal life, and succumbed to AIDS-related complications the day after he publicly announced his affliction to the world. Mercury’s death created saddening shockwaves around the world, and brought significant attention to the disease - the illness that took the life of one of music’s most talented sons.
Freddie Mercury will never be forgotten as the voice of Queen’s eternally memorable tunes such as We Are The Champions - known to be one of the best known songs in the world - and as an inspiration to thousands upon thousands of musicians and rock ‘n roll fans around the globe.
Ozzy Osbourne
Born John Michael Osbourne, Ozzy - as he was to be known later in life - went through an agonizing childhood. He was frequently bullied in school as a kid for his slow learning abilities, as he was born with dyslexia, and sought refuge in music from an early age.
He sang in various bands but the breakthrough moment for him was when he and guitarist Tony Iommi formed Earth - a band playing a heavier version of blues than their contemporaries. Iommi later changed the name of the band to Black Sabbath (after seeing a poster of the movie with the same title) and they formed what was to be the first heavy metal band.
Ozzy didn’t last long in Black Sabbath, however, as he was procedurally fired by the band’s manager for his lingering drug abuse. Legendary vocalist Ronny James Dio of the band Rainbow replaced him in Black Sabbath, and this alternate lineup produced 3 groundbreaking albums for the band - including the masterpiece Heaven & Hell.
It didn’t take long before he relocated to the United States and carved a rather successful solo career for himself, having sold around 27 million albums to date in the United States alone.
Eccentric and extroverted, yet extremely down to earth to those around him - Ozzy’s success was marred by depression and mood swings brought on as a result of his drug and alcohol abuse - he once infamously bit off the head of a bat on stage after mistaking it for a rubber one. Ozzy was also once found under a piano with a shotgun in his hand by wife Sharon - only after he used the weapon to kill the family’s 17 cats - and was also known to have physically abused her on several occasions.
Ozzy drastically toned down in the latter years of his life - owing much of this to his drug and alcohol-free lifestyle - and has had several television and movie appearances, most notably on his family’s own reality TV show on MTV and the blockbuster Little Nicky where he appears as himself.
Ozzy turned 58 this year, coincidentally alongside some of the greatest rock vocalists in history: Robert Plant, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Steven Tyler.
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