Queen icon Freddie Mercury made one singer “nervous” backstage at Live Aid.
The late frontman famously struggled with his sexuality throughout his teenage years and his twenties. But by the time the 1985 charity concert rolled around, the hitmaker was openly gay to those in the music industry.
Despite this common knowledge, one rock star was rather taken aback when Freddie turned the charm on him backstage. Even though they were two of the biggest stars in the world, U2 frontman Bono and Freddie had never met until the gig.
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The We Will Rock You star spotted the Irish hitmaker and his wife Ali Stewart backstage. Bono recalled: “I was walking with Ali and Freddie Mercury pulled me aside and said, ‘Oh, Bo-No… is it Bo-No or Bon-o?’”
(Image: Getty Images)
The singer explained how his stage name is pronounced before he was flirtatiously hustled up against a wall. He recalled: “[Freddie] said, ‘Come over here with me.
“’We’ve all been talking, Roger [Daltrey] and Pete [Townshend] and David [Bowie], and we all agree there’s no singers anymore. Everyone is shouting these days, but you’re a singer.’
“I was up against a wall and he put his hand on the wall and was talking to me like he was chatting up a chick. He had me laughing but I was shifting nervously at the time, with Ali and myself exchanging glances.”
(Image: PA)
Of course, Freddie brushed off the cheeky interaction with his usual sense of fun and playfulness. Once the singer publicly embraced his sexuality, he delighted in teasing others and exaggerating his persona for effect.
Bono added: “I thought, ‘Wow, this guy’s really camp’. I was telling somebody later and he said, ‘You’re surprised? They’re called Queen!’
“But I was really amazed. It hadn’t dawned on me.” Freddie was also accompanied at Live Aid by his long-term partner Jim Hutton.
(Image: BBC/Rogan Productions/Getty Images)
Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof even joked about why the concert was the perfect place for the flamboyant superstar. He said at the time: “It was the perfect stage for Freddie: the whole world.
“And he could ponce about on stage doing We Are The Champions. How perfect could it get?” After so many years hiding his true self, Freddie was finally able to be himself just hours before he passed, surrounded by those who loved him.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
