How well do you know the life of Freddie Mercury? – quiz

Freddie Mercury … On stage in Stockholm in 1985. Photograph: Ilpo Musto / Rex Features

1. Between 1964 and 1966, Freddie Bulsara – later to become Freddie Mercury attended which higher education institution?

   1. Brunel University

   2. Isleworth Polytechnic

   3. Imperial College London

   4. South Bank Polytechnic

2. 

   Freddie made his debut as singer of Ibex at which gig?

   1. A lunchtime performance in Bolton

   2. A free festival in Regents Park

   3. A variety night in Todmorden

   4. Bottom of the bill at the London Palladium

3. 

   Which 1972 film was a crucial inspiration to Freddie?

   1. The Godfather

   2. The Poseidon Adventure

   3. Deliverance

   4. Cabaret

4. The first official Queen single was Keep Yourself Alive. However, it had been preceded by another record made by Freddie, with Roger Taylor and Brian May. What was it?

   1. I Can Hear Music by Larry Lurex

   2. Whole Wide World by Tommy Tinsel

   3. Add Some Music to Your Day by Fanny Fairy

   4. Disney Girls by Danny Decals

5. 

   Queen made their debut Top of the Pops appearance on 21 February 1974 as a late replacement for which performer?

   1. Lena Zavaroni, performing Ma! (He’s Making Eyes at Me)

   2. Diana Ross performing All of My Life

   3. David Bowie performing Rebel Rebel

   4. Ringo Starr performing You’re Sixteen

6. 

   Which DJ helped Bohemian Rhapsody become a hit by playing it 14 times over one weekend?

   1. Tony Blackburn

   2. John Peel

   3. Kenny Everett

   4. David Hamilton

7. Halfords rented bicycles to Queen for the Fat Bottomed Girls video in 1978. What did the company do after seeing the video?

   1. Demand Queen pay for replacement saddles for all the bikes

   2. Hire Freddie to front a TV advertising campaign – ‘Halford, for saddles for all bottoms!’

   3. Put lifesize cardboard figures of Freddie in all their stores

   4. Run a competition in which the winner would have a cycle race against Freddie and three naked women

8. Which was the last song Freddie ever performed live with Queen?

   1. Bohemian Rhapsody

   2. We Are the Champions

   3. Radio Ga Ga

   4. One Vision

9. Which was Freddie’s highest-charting UK solo single?

   1. The Great Pretender

   2. Love Kills

   3. I Was Born To Love You

   4. Living on My Own

10. 

    A star in memory of Freddie’s achievements was unveiled in 2009 – but where?

    1. In Feltham, where Freddie lived with his family when they first moved to England

    2. The Hollywood Walk of Fame

    3. Outside Wembley Stadium, where Queen triumphed at Live Aid

    4. In Munich, where Queen frequently recorded

Solutions

1:B - ‘He dressed weirdly in drainpipe trousers what weren’t quite long enough,’ recalled a friend., 2:A - It was at the Octagon Theatre. Ibex played a free festival in the town the next day, 3:D - ‘I absolutely adore Liza Minelli. She’s a total wow,’ Freddie said., 4:A - It climbed all the way to No 115 in the US chart., 5:C - Queen performed Seven Seas of Rhye, which had not yet been released, 6:C - The single hadn't even been pressed yet, let alone released., 7:A - Queen had employed 65 naked women to sit on the bicycles, 8:B - It was the closing song when Queen played Knebworth on 9 August 1986, 9:D - The original release in 1985 reached only No 50, but a posthumous remix on 1993 topped the chart, 10:A - There is also a blue plaque at his old home

Scores

1. 9 and above.

   You are the champion, my friend

2. 6 and above.

   You will rock us

3. 3 and above.

   You want to break free

4. 0 and above.

   You’re just waiting for the hammer to fall