Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) (5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer-songwriter, pianist, occasional guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). As a performer, he was known for his vocal prowess and flamboyant performances.[3][4][5] As a songwriter, he composed many international hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Don't Stop Me Now", "We Are the Champions" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love".
In addition to his work with Queen, he also led a solo career and was occasionally a producer and guest musician (piano or vocals) for other artists. Mercury, who was of Parsi descent and grew up in India, has been referred to as "Britain's first Asian rock star."[6] He died of bronchopneumonia induced by HIV (AIDS) on 24 November 1991, only one day after publicly acknowledging he had the disease. In 2006, Time Asia named him as one of the most influential Asian heroes of the past 60 years,[7] and he continues to be cited as one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music.[4][8]
source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mercury
