My brother listened to Queen incessantly when I was a kid. It wasn’t until Live Aid in 1985, though, that I knew that I loved Freddie Mercury.

I liked his voice. I liked the harmonies of the group’s voices together. I liked the melodies of the songs.

But when I saw Freddie — the showman that he is — I was entranced. Energetic. Unapologetic. Individualistic.

Refusing to fix his overbite because it might mess up his sound. Refusing to be anything other than flamboyant as he sang, danced, gyrated, and gestured to the crowd, working them into a frenzy along the way.

AND! He wrote some of my favorites of their songs.

I was sad when Freddie died in 1991, because he was an artist that I admired. But he was also an example of how to be yourself and do what you love.

Grab something delicious to drink, sit back, and enjoy this delicious set of Queen classics.

This post is part of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. My theme is Musical Memoir. Each Monday through Saturday, I explore personal memories through my love of music, inspired and coordinated by the letters of the alphabet. Join in the fun and participate in the challenge, or leave a comment and enjoy some conversation. Thanks for reading. Peace.