![His infamous 39th birthday party: It wasn't exactly a milestone, but Mercury decided to turn 39 in style. His Munich bash has gone down in history, with people milling around dressed as trolls, ogres thieves and ballerinas and - legend has it - dwarves handing out cocaine. That's just the tip of the iceberg - apparently, the]()
His infamous 39th birthday party: It wasn't exactly a milestone, but Mercury decided to turn 39 in style. His Munich bash has gone down in history, with people milling around dressed as trolls, ogres thieves and ballerinas and - legend has it - dwarves handing out cocaine. That's just the tip of the iceberg - apparently, the "real debauchery" happened out of view of cameras.
![His nights out with Princess Diana: According to comedian Cleo Rocos' autobiography, Freddie Mercury used to disguise Princess Diana as a man so she could join them on nights out without being recognised. Rocos writes,]()
His nights out with Princess Diana: According to comedian Cleo Rocos' autobiography, Freddie Mercury used to disguise Princess Diana as a man so she could join them on nights out without being recognised. Rocos writes, "When we walked in... we felt she was obviously Princess Diana and would be discovered at any minute. But people just seemed to blank her. She sort of disappeared. But she loved it."
![Queen writing 'Under Pressure' with David Bowie: The song was recorded in the band's studios in Montreux, Switzerland after Bowie met up with them in a local pub. According to Brian May, there were some personality clashes.]()
Queen writing 'Under Pressure' with David Bowie: The song was recorded in the band's studios in Montreux, Switzerland after Bowie met up with them in a local pub. According to Brian May, there were some personality clashes. "It's a great song but it should have been mixed differently," said May. "Freddie and David had a fierce battle over that." That
![The recording of 'The Show Must Go On': Despite the fact he was dying of AIDS, the final track on Mercury's last album with Queen is one of the most triumphant songs they ever recorded. He was so ill when it came time to record it that May suggested perhaps he wasn't physically able to sing.]()
The recording of 'The Show Must Go On': Despite the fact he was dying of AIDS, the final track on Mercury's last album with Queen is one of the most triumphant songs they ever recorded. He was so ill when it came time to record it that May suggested perhaps he wasn't physically able to sing. "I'll fucking do it, darling," he told May, before downing some vodka and "lacerating that vocal" in a single take.
![His final public appearance: When Queen took to the stage to accept the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, the world didn't know that Mercury was reaching the end of his battle with AIDS. After Brian May's speech, Mercury leaned into the mic and said, simply,]()
His final public appearance: When Queen took to the stage to accept the BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, the world didn't know that Mercury was reaching the end of his battle with AIDS. After Brian May's speech, Mercury leaned into the mic and said, simply, "Thank you... goodnight." Those would be the final words he ever spoke in public.
![The birth of his legendary 'bottomless mic': It wasn't a strange stroke of genius that led to Mercury's habit of performing with a bottomless mic, but an accident. Early in Queen's career, Mercury was mid-show when his mic stand snapped in half. Rather than stopping the show to fix it, he decided to just carry on - and it stuck.]()
The birth of his legendary 'bottomless mic': It wasn't a strange stroke of genius that led to Mercury's habit of performing with a bottomless mic, but an accident. Early in Queen's career, Mercury was mid-show when his mic stand snapped in half. Rather than stopping the show to fix it, he decided to just carry on - and it stuck.
![His ill-fated sessions with Michael Jackson: The pair were friends in the early '80s, and had plans to work together. Unfortunately, Mercury struggled to deal with Jackson's insistence that he bring his pet llama to recording sessions. Yes, really.]()
His ill-fated sessions with Michael Jackson: The pair were friends in the early '80s, and had plans to work together. Unfortunately, Mercury struggled to deal with Jackson's insistence that he bring his pet llama to recording sessions. Yes, really. "You've got to get me out of here," he said to manager Jim Beach, "I'm recording with a llama."
![His now-iconic Darth Vader encore: For just a handful of shows in late 1979, Mercury - with no context or explanation - emerged onstage for the encore perched on the shoulders of Darth Vader. No-one knows who it was - one photographer who was there speculated -]()
His now-iconic Darth Vader encore: For just a handful of shows in late 1979, Mercury - with no context or explanation - emerged onstage for the encore perched on the shoulders of Darth Vader. No-one knows who it was - one photographer who was there speculated - "I'm sure it was a roadie they hired, or maybe a bodyguard" - but whoever it was, the resulting photos have become legendary.
![Mercury's love of cats: Not exactly an event, but we'd love for some very light relief to come in the form of Mercury's interaction with his 10 cats. He even had an album and a song dedicated to his cats, and wrote one in particular about his favourite cat, Delilah.]()
Mercury's love of cats: Not exactly an event, but we'd love for some very light relief to come in the form of Mercury's interaction with his 10 cats. He even had an album and a song dedicated to his cats, and wrote one in particular about his favourite cat, Delilah.