Stephen Hawking, Brian May - full Starmus Festival III program revealed!

Stephen Hawking, Brian May - full Starmus Festival III program revealed!

May 24, 2016

TENERIFE, Spain - One of Tenerife’s most long-awaited festivals, Starmus Festival III, has just unveiled its events program, including the presence of leading personalities including Prof. Stephen Hawking, Dr. Brian May and many Nobel Prize winners; the launch of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication; and a ‘Sonic Universe’ concert by English artist Sarah Brightman and the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. The Starmus Festival III will take place between 27th June and 2nd July 2016 at the Mare Nostrum Resort complex in Playa de las Américas.

Prof. Stephen Hawking will be the real ‘star’ of Starmus Festival III, themed Beyond the Horizon – Tribute to Stephen Hawking. The theoretical physicist will not only answer questions from the general public at the Ask Hawking event, but the legendary man himself will also launch the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, in recognition of those whose work contributes to scientific dissemination through different disciplines.

Lead guitarist of Queen and astronomer Dr. Brian May will also be attending the science and astronomy extravaganza – he will be performing together with rock legend Rick Wakeman. One of the festival’s main music events will be the ‘Sonic Universe’ concert – a unique show which will take guests on a journey through space with performances by English soprano and songwriter Sarah Brightman and the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, widely regarded as one of the best in Spain.

Starmus Festival III will also bring together a total of eleven Nobel Prize laureates in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics – including Robert Wilson and David Gross, Nobel Prize winners in Physics in 1978 and 2004, respectively; Eric Betzig, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry 2014; biologists Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn, who shared a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009; and Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winner in Economics 2001, amongst others. All of them will address global issues, such as the effects of climate change and inequalities in economic growth, in a wide variety of roundtables which take place at the Pirámide de Arona, the festival’s headquarters.

Mr. Carlos Alonso, President of the Tenerife Island Government, said: “We are delighted to host this important event in Tenerife once again and hope that the meeting of all these top figures in one of the world’s best places for stargazing will inspire many other people to visit us and discover our wonderful island.”

Supported by the Tenerife Island Government and sponsored by the Tenerife Tourism Corporation and the Canary Islands’ Government, Starmus Festival is the brainchild of Garik Israelian, an astrophysicist at the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute. Prof. Stephen Hawking, Dr. Brian May and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov also sit on the scientific advisory board.
http://www.eturbonews.com/71452/stephen-hawking-brian-may-full-starmus-festival-iii-program-reve

Break Free in Freddie Mercury's Montreux

Break Free in Freddie Mercury's Montreux - Visit the Swiss town where Queen's frontman recorded some of his greatest hits

Montruex's Freddie Mercury statue (Angelo Cavalli/robertharding/Corbis)By Jennifer BillockSMITHSONIAN.COM APRIL 27, 2016


When Freddie Mercury wasn’t strutting and singing for hundreds of thousands of fans in sold-out arenas, he was making his mustachioed way through Montreux, a Swiss resort town known for its annual jazz festival.


There, the band made music magic at Mountain Studios from 1978, when Queen bought the studio, to 1991. At first, the band was drawn to the scenic town for its musical legacy—its views of Lake Geneva and relaxed atmosphere drew world-famous musicians long before the famous festival got started in the 1960s. But it soon became a haven from the press and curiosity that plagued Mercury, and the band decided to stay.

Over the years, Mountain Studios turned from an artistic retreat into a musical legend in its own right. One of Queen's great collaborations, “Under Pressure,” was written there with David Bowie in the space of just a few hours. Bowie was in Montreux for a visit with Mercury and the band, but a simple jam session soon turned into music history. The two songwriting powerhouses jammed for a bit, then wrote their own separate melodies and lyrics, massaged the two parts together, and created a chart-topping song. Mercury also recorded the final song of his career—“Mother Love”—at Mountain Studios as he was dying. Cole Moreton, reporting for The Telegraph, explains that the poignant lyrics (“I can’t take it if you see me cry, I long for peace before I die”) were Mercury's way of expressing his need for protection and care during his final months. The studio's legacy didn't stop there—after Mercury’s death, the band’s producer David Richards bought the property and worked with other major acts there, including artists like Michael Jackson and Duran Duran.

Mountain Studios has since moved from its original location at the Casino Barrière de Montreux, but thanks to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the old spot is now a Queen-based museum experience. It’s one that celebrates the life and legacy of Farrokh Bulsara, better known by his stage name, Freddie Mercury. Mercury was more than the flamboyant lead singer of Queen: The prolific artist was also a songwriter, record producer and recording studio owner. By the time he died in 1991 from AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia, he had released 15 Queen albums, two solo albums and more than ten singles.



Today, 25 years after Mercury’s death at age 45, the Mercury Phoenix Trust focuses on HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention in the performer’s honor. Vicky Vocat, spokesperson for the Trust, tells Smithsonian.com that to date, the foundation has donated more than $16 million in his name and funded more than 800 projects in 57 countries in the global battle against HIV and AIDS.

A big part of that sum comes from the Trust’s Freddie For A Day initiative, held every year on Mercury’s September 5 birthday. People worldwide are encouraged to cosplay as Mercury and go out fundraising for the HIV/AIDS cause. The results are both hilarious and touching, says Vocat: “Young and old, people have donned a moustache and gone out for drinks, gone to class, gone shopping, taken the train, taken the plane, put on a concert or run a mini-marathon dressed as Freddie,” she says. “Some go the whole hog by wearing full costume for the entire day. Some just decide to support the cause by wearing something yellow or putting on a moustache.” And heads-up, Queenies—2016 is a big deal, Freddie's 70th birthday. The party will be on September 4 at the Casino in Montreux. Details are still in the works, but so far there's a rumor of a black-and-white theme, and if past years are any indication, special guests could include Freddie's personal assistant Peter Freestone and the band's co-producer and senior engineer Justin Shirley-Smith.

Don your moustache and yellow coat, “spread your wings,” and “breakthru” with a tour of Freddie Mercury’s favorite Montreux haunts:

Brasserie Bavaria

Outside Brasserie Bavaria. (Brasserie Bavaria)

Located near the original location of Mountain Studios, this restaurant was one of Mercury’s favorites. Along with his friends and bandmates, Mercury dined here on traditional German entrees. He wasn’t its only famous fan: Brasserie Bavaria has been in business for more than 130 years and has welcomed other celebrity diners like Phil Collins.



Le Pont de Brent

Le Pont du Brent in the 1980s. (Gérard Rabaey)

Mercury loved the cuisine at this Michelin-starred French restaurant, too. Over the years, it’s been everything from a simple village home at the end of a 100-year-old bridge to an inn, a coffee shop and bistro. These days, chef Stéphane Décotterd focuses on local ingredients in a seasonal rotation.

Funky Claude’s Bar

Funky Claude's Bar (Walter Schärer)

When Mercury frequented this spot at the Montreux Palace Hotel, it was called Harry’s New York Bar. It converted to a jazz lounge in 2014 with much the same atmosphere as when Queen came to relax and have a few drinks. Mercury often stayed in the hotel when in town—so often that one of the penthouse rooms is called The Freddie Mercury Suite.

Queen Studio Experience

Visitors look at items on display in the exhibition 'The Studio Experience Montreux' located in the original Mountain Studios, which are part of the Casino Barriere in Montreux. A permanent exhibition dedicated to British rock band Queen singer Freddie Mercury has opened at Mountain Studios, where the band recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1995 (LAURENT GILLIERON/epa/Corbis)

Housed in the original home of the Queen’s Mountain Studios, this exhibit celebrates the band’s most influential years. The space recreates the layout of each room in the studio and includes much of the original equipment. Queen memorabilia on display includes handwritten song lyrics, costumes, studio tape boxes, instruments and the microphone Mercury used to record the last vocal of his career.

Freddie Mercury Memorial Statue


Queen’s frontman is memorialized in bronze on the shore of Lake Geneva in Montreux—a nearly 10-feet-tall statue of Mercury in an iconic pose, microphone in one hand and fist pumped into the air. Irena Sedlecka, a Czech artist, designed the sculpture. It was was unveiled in 1996 by Mercury’s mother Jer and Montserrat Caballé, the Spanish opera singer who performed on Mercury’s song “Barcelona.”



Freddie Mercury Birthday Festival

Dutch fan Marijke Scheerlinck (C) poses with her yellow scarf of 67 meters held by other Freddie Mercury fans near the statue of British singer, during the 11th Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day, in Montreux, Switzerland, 08 September 2013. 

Scheerlinck has manufactured the scarf that is said to be the 'longest scarf for Freddie Mercury in the world' as a representative of the Guinness committee is to confirm. (SALVATORE DI NOLFI/epa/Corbis)

Every year, revelers from around the world come to Montreux to attend the ultimate Mercury-themed party. The festival takes place on September 5 every year to celebrate the musician’s birthday with a blowout celebration and full day of activities. Boat trips to see Mercury’s lake house are available in the morning and early afternoon, and the day culminates in a party at the Casino Barriere Montreux with special guests, speeches, dinner and live music.

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/break-free-freddie-mercurys-montreux-180958640/#mdTpai1cVoydzI5V.99
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The amazing voice of Freddie Mercury

The amazing voice of Freddie Mercury

by Narendra Kusnur

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/the-amazing-voice-of-freddie-mercury/article8518604.ece

Freddie Mercury



A simple request: please don’t stop after the second paragraph, specially if you are a fan of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Last week, the late rock icon suddenly got back in the news after researchers concluded he had a voice unlike anyone in rock ’n’ roll, and even implied he did things that even the great operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti didn’t manage.

Conducted by a group of Austrian, Czech and Swedish musicologists and voice-culturists, the study was published in the journal Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology . Now, if those three words sound so complicated, what would the actual analysis be like? Words like ‘sub-harmonics’, ‘ventricular folds’, ‘median speaking fundamental frequency’ and ‘Tuvan throat singing’ were regularly used.

Never mind what these terms mean, but let’s analyse Mercury’s voice in simple terms. While the researchers couldn’t confirm the general assumption that his voice spanned a full four octaves, they essentially said something most rock fans believed for years. He had among the most special vocal chords in the world.

Hailing from an Indian Parsi family, Mercury was born in Zanzibar, studied in Panchgani (a few hours away from Pune), and made his career in the UK. Many rock buffs know his hits ‘I Want To Break Free’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘Radio Ga-Ga’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Bicycle Race’. Hardcore fans would know the rarer gems.

Now what makes his, or anybody’s voice, really stand out? Let’s think from a lay-listener’s viewpoint. While many technical studies have been done across genres and languages, let’s consider specific examples of male rock and pop singers, using common words.

Like many others, Mercury’s voice had pleasantness, adequate training and practice, tone, technique, depth and modulation. He was aided by good compositions and musical arrangements. Yet, two qualities helped him develop an X Factor. These were range and timbre.


Unlike opera or choir singers, who specialise in specific ranges, pop and rock vocalists traverse a wide spectrum. Some sing similar to their natural spoken voice, while others use an artificial ‘falsetto’. Some use a combination of both.

The range involves an ability to sing various notes effortlessly and expressively. If one closely listens to Mercury, he did that easily. Unlike many singers who excel in either lower, middle or higher registers, but rarely in all three.

The timbre makes any voice unique, and applies to all genres. It is like a signature. Though a distinct timbre is no guarantee for success or greatness, it’s definitely an advantage.

Many male pop, rock, jazz and blues singers have possessed a trademark timbre. Besides Mercury, examples include Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, bluesmen Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker, Cliff Richard, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Greek legend Demis Roussoss, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Richard Hawley. The list is endless.

So why is Mercury exceptional? That’s where the recent study comes in. The research team brought in rock singer Daniel Zangger-Borch to imitate his voice, and also checked recordings of the Queen star’s original spoken and sung voices. We will skip the technical details, but the conclusion was that his voice moved faster than many of the known greats. That also helped him in his stage showmanship, which was of another class by itself. We’re sure his fans are rejoicing over these findings.

Narendra Kusnur is a freelance music writer

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/the-amazing-voice-of-freddie-mercury/article8518604.ece

Queen's Brian May hits out at 'appalling' gap between rich and poor-Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster

Queen's Brian May hits out at 'appalling' gap between rich and poorFriday, April 15, 2016 - 07:07 am



Queen guitarist Brian May has spoken out about the gap between the rich and poor in society, calling it “appalling”.

Speaking at the south London launch for his latest book, the musician praised Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert for his “vision” and endeavours to make a better society.

“We still have a society that is split between the rich and the poor. Now to me that’s appalling in the 21st century, and I don’t want to see that any more,” Brian said.

Brian May, left, and Denis Pellerin at the launch for their book Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster (PA)“I want to see equal opportunity for people, real equal opportunity. I don’t want to see any people making themselves richer at the expense of the poor.”

He added: “It’s not about selfishness, it’s not about economic recovery, it’s not about money, it’s about compassion and decency and working towards a society that benefits everyone and every creature.”

Written alongside Denis Pellerin, Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster is a visually striking 3D exploration of one of fashion’s most recognised garments.

Brian May (PA)Featuring contributions from leading fashion designers Dame Vivienne Westwood and Dame Zandra Rhodes, it has been published to coincide with the Undressed: 350 Years Of Underwear exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A Museum).

Asked how he felt to have the endorsement of such renowned fashion figures, the 68-year-old hailed their “great enthusiasm”.

“I was thrilled that it happened, that Vivienne Westwood and Zandra wanted to contribute,” he said.

Dame Vivienne Westwood (PA)“I guess I thought that maybe what we were doing was very small and they wouldn’t be bothered, but they plunged in with great enthusiasm, as did the V&A.”

He added: “I’m very thankful that the V&A has collaborated with us. What it’s proved to us, more than anything, is that crinoline is alive. We now have some young designers who have also come in contributing to this exhibition with their new designs.

“The book, I hope, will just give people wonder. I hope they will go, ‘Wow! That’s amazing, that’s beautiful’.”

Brian May with his wife Anita Dobson at the launch for his book Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster (PA)Photo historian Denis revealed their research also led them to the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition in London. “Once Brian was won over, and he saw it was a good idea, everything was very easy,” the Frenchman said.

“We were also lucky to be allowed to photograph one of Alexander McQueen’s crinolines in the exhibition at the V&A last year so everything fell into place.”

London-born Brian said he does not consider himself “a fashionable person”.

Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster cover (London Stereoscopic Co Ltd)“I kind of react against fashion because I regarded it as conformity and I don’t like conformity,” he said. “I like individualism. But to look back on how fashion has influenced people sociologically is a fascinating thing and this is what I’ve discovered on this journey.”

Brian is passionate about stereo photography, a Victorian fad in which two flat images are fused in a special viewer to produce a scene in 3D.

Each copy of Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster, which is out now, is accompanied by his patent 3D viewer called the OWL. It allows readers to see the Victorian-era illustrations included in the book in another dimension.

“I don’t know who we were thinking of when we started to write the book,” Brian admitted when asked if it was aimed at a particular market.

“It was a journey of discovery. For me, the initial passion was the stereoscopy part because all these wonderful images of crinolines are in glorious 3D and you can enjoy them. Gradually, I realised the importance of what we were looking at.”

For more information about Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster by Brian May and Denis Pellerin,visit the website.

Brian May Presents His Latest Invention, 'Victorian Gems'

Brian May Presents His Latest Invention, 'Victorian Gems', To Introduce His Fans To A Fantasy Bygone World

The Huffington Post UK  |  By Caroline Frost

Posted: 30/11/2015 16:25 GMT Updated: 30/11/2015 16:59 GMT

Brian May wants to introduce his fans to another world, courtesy of his brand new box he’s designed himself.

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Somehow, between touring the world with Queen and Adam Lambert, getting ready for his stargazing confernece, saving badgers from being culled, the Queen guitarist has found the time to design what he hopes is the ultimate gift for photography enthusiasts.




Brian May's been busy again... this time with 'Victorian Gems'

He’s come up with ‘Victorian Gems’ - a magic box containing the key to a kind of virtual reality, that drove our Victorian ancestors wild.

“This 3-D starter kit will give more lasting joy than an X-box,” promises Brian of his invention. "Looking through the stereoscope, you will see an astonishingly realistic other world - it’s as if you could reach through the window and touch these subjects.

"Once the door of true stereoscopic 3-D viewing is opened up, many people find they are hooked for life.”

Included in the box are an OL - the 21st century’s most celebrated stereoscopic viewer, plus three sets of restored original Victorian stereo views - Scenes in our Village, Diableries and Poor Man’s Picture Gallery - as well as instructions on how to take and view your own 3-D views. And Brian’s looking to the future, when an OWL Smart Phone adaptor will be available next year.



Brian May and his Red Special - still loving it, four decades on

This is by no means the first time Brian, a keen astronomer as well as musician, has got creative in his down time.

He previously explained to HuffPostUK how he and his father put together his distinctive Red Special guitar, the instrument responsible for so much of Queen's unique sound.

“I was 16 at the time, and we made it because we couldn’t come close to affording a guitar,” Brian remembers.

“Telecasters and Stratocasters were way in off in the stratosphere, and English copies were still beyond my budget. So we decided to make it better than anyone else’s.

“Everything I’ve ever done, with the exception of ‘Crazy Little Thing’. Every track and every concert, I’ve used it.”

Victorian Gems, designed by Brian May, £95, available to buy from www.londonstereo.com

7 artists inspired by Freddie Mercury

Another one bites his style: 7 artists Freddie Mercury inspired, on anniversary of Queen icon’s death BY MELANIE DOSTIS
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, November 24, 2015, 6:00 AM

S


Tuesday marks the 24th anniversary of Freddie Mercury's death.

The show has gone on.

It’s been 24 years since the death of legendary singer Freddie Mercury, but his style carries on with a current worldwide Queen tour, helmed by Adam Lambert.

Tuesday marks the anniversary of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” singer’s death from AIDS-related pneumonia on Nov. 24, 1991.

And, the flamboyant crooner may have have famously said “nothing really matters,” but the artists he’s inspired would strongly disagree.

The consummate frontman’s creative power has touched genres from heavy metal to pop — and still has a lasting impact on several of today’s musicians.

Here are seven artists that probably wouldn’t exist without Mercury’s influence:

Katy Perry

The pop star listened to Freddie Mercury for the first time when she was 15.

The 31-year-old is a “killer queen” in the pop scene and she has said she owes her musical juices to an early introduction of Mercury’s music.

“Freddie Mercury was — and remains — my biggest influence,” the singer once told the Daily Star, adding praise for his sarcastic and “I don’t give a f---” approach to songwriting.

The singer almost took her adoration to permanent levels, claiming she once wanted a huge tattoo of Mercury’s face on her back.

Kurt Cobain

The Nirvana singer referenced Mercury in his suicide note.

Cobain, another musician gone too early, cited Mercury not only as an inspiration, but even referenced him in his suicide note.

The Nirvana frontman wrote “I totally admire and envy” Mercury’s love for the crowd — something the singer said he never relished.

Years earlier, a young Cobain was listening to Mercury’s voice on repeat.

“I would take a nap in the van and listen to Queen...We’d get stuck after work with a dead battery because I listened to Queen too much,” he recalled about his childhood in his documentary “Kurt Cobain: About a Son.”

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga created her stage name from a Queen song.

Considering the pop diva’s stage name hails from Queen’s “Radio Gaga” track, it’s no surprise the “Born this Way” singer is a big fan of Mercury.

“He was not only a singer but also a fantastic performer, a man of the theatre and someone who constantly transformed himself. In short: a genius,” she toldthe Daily Record.

The 29-year-old has even joined the Adam Lambert-fronted Queen on stage, singing her rendition of “Another One Bites the Dust.”

PSY

Pop sensation PSY has said his showmanship comes from an adoration for Mercury's performances.

The Korean pop star, who emerged on the American music scene with “Gangam Style,” has said his love of music was sparked early on by Mercury.

“My lifetime role model and hero is Freddie Mercury,” he told the New York Times.

The singer became an inspiration to PSY when he saw footage of Mercury’s now-famous performance at Wembley Stadium in 1975

“His songwriting skills, I cannot even approach, but his showmanship, I learned it from his videos,” he added.

Adam Lambert

Queen guitarist Brian May and Adam Lambert perform during the opening night of their North American tour in 2014.

The “American Idol” finalist is seemingly the heir apparent to Mercury’s glittery throne, touring with the band since 2011.

And, the young star was a big fan of Mercury before trying his luck at filling the lead vocalist’s shoes.

“Everybody knows Queen peripherally, you hear them at sporting events and stadiums, my dad helped me make the connection between the music and the people making it,” he told the Telegraph.

While he says Queen is a part of his blood now, the singer stands firm that he isn’t taking Mercury’s place.

“There’s never going to be another, and I’m not replacing him...I’m trying to share with the audience how much he inspired me,” he said at a press conference in September.

Judas Priest

The band's frontman often asks "What would Freddie possibly do" when writing songs.

The heavy metal group was highly influential in their own right during the glam metal era of the 80s.

Yet, the band’s frontman, Rob Halford, still calls Mercury an inspiration.

“I’ve always thought — when I do a track, even with Priest — I’ll think, ‘Well, what would Freddie possibly do here,” he told the website loudwire.

The singer has called the Queen icon his “ultimate hero.”

Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performed a birthday tribute to Mercury in September.

Another former member of Nirvana has also sung his praises to Mercury.

Earlier this year, Grohl created a super rock group when he was joined by Led Zeppelin bassist, John Paul Jones, and Queen drummer, Roger Taylor, in paying a birthday tribute to Mercury with a performance of “Under Pressure”

The lead singer of the Foo Fighters has said Mercury represents a musician’s goals, having always played like it was the last night of his life.

He even told the Washington Post he pulls up an image of Mercury performing whenever butterflies kick in before taking the stage.

"Every band should study Queen at Live Aid. If you really feel like that barrier is gone, you become Freddie Mercury. I consider him the greatest frontman of all time. Like, it's funny – you'd imagine that Freddie was more than human,” hetold NPR.

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford on Freddie Mercury: ‘He’s Still an Inspiration to Me’

Judas Priest’s Rob Halford on Freddie Mercury: ‘He’s Still an Inspiration to Me’
By Joe DiVita November 6, 2015 11:27 AM




When you’re the Metal God and have had generations of singers laud your talents, it can be easy to become jaded, but Rob Halford remains humble and appreciative. The Judas Priest frontman has been at it for over 40 years, but still finds inspiration from other singers. One of those singers is Queen‘s Freddie Mercury, who recently capped off our list of the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Frontmen of All Time.

Speaking with Indiepower TV, Halford, who also placed quite high on our list, discussed his admiration for Mercury, stating, “I was listening to Freddie when I was driving in my car yesterday. He still is an inspiration to me.” He continued, “You know, I’ve got a list of singers who really touch me in the purest sense, from the vocal performance as well as just the soul and spirit. So he still does that, he just belts it out with such conviction, and his voice is remarkable.”

Adding how Mercury still inspires him in the studio, Halford went on, “I’ve always thought — when I do a track, even with Priest I’ll think, ‘Well what would Freddie possibly do here,’ you know.”

While Freddie Mercury is widely regarded as the consummate frontman, Halford ranks among the elite right up there with the Queen legend. The Judas Priest frontman still taking influence from the iconic singer proves why rock and metal will never die. Anyone influenced by Halford has also, in turn, been influenced by Freddie Mercury whether they realize it or not. This cycle of influence helps the genres to feed themselves over and over as each musician tries to become the best they can be.



Read More: Rob Halford on Freddie Mercury: 'He's Still an Inspiration' | http://loudwire.com/judas-priest-rob-halford-on-freddie-mercury-still-inspiration-to-me/?trackback=tsmclip