Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar on Thursday, September 5, 1946.
His given name was Farookh Bulsara and he was the son of Jer and Bomi Bulsara. His
father, Bomi, worked as a High Court Cashier for the British government.
- When Freddie was one, he was awarded first prize in a baby contest.
- At age five, he started the Zanzibar Missionary School, run by British nuns.
- In 1952, his sister Kashmira was born
- In 1954, at age 8, Freddie started St. Peter's English Boarding School
- It was here that classmates began calling him Freddie, a name the family also
adopted.
- At age 10, Freddie was the school table tennis champion.
- At age 12, He was awarded the Junior All-Rounder trophy
- He also formed his first band, The Hectics.
- In 1962, at age 16, Freddie decided to leave school, after attaining his "O" levels, and
join his parents at their Zanzibar flat.
- In 1964 the Bulsaras left for England
- At age 17, Freddie decided to go to art college, but he needed one "A" level.
- In September 1964, he enrolled at Isleworth Polytechnic School to study for
an "A" level in art.
- During vacations, he worked many jobs to earn money.
- One was in the catering department at Heathrow Airport
- Another was on the Feltham trading estate, where he lifted and
stacked heavy crates and boxes.
- In Spring 1966, he achieved his art "A" level.
- In September 1966, he began a graphic illustrating course at Ealing College
of Art.
- In 1967, Freddie moved into his own flat in Kensington and became good
friends with Tim Staffell.
- Tim and Freddie became good friends and Tim took him along to his band's,
Smile, rehearsals.
- In 1969, Freddie left Ealing with a diploma in graphic arts and design.
- In the summer of 1969, Freddie was introduced to a Liverpool band called
Ibex. He soon joined the band.
- Freddie asked Roger Taylor, a member of Smile, to buy a stall
in Kensington with him.
- In late 1969, Freddie became the lead singer of a band called Sour Milk Sea.
- In early 1970, he was hired by Austin Knights agency in Chancery lane to illustrate a
children's futuristic space story, but the book never made it to print.
- During 1970, Wreckage was formed and they played their first gig at Ealing.
- In March of 1970, Freddie left Wreckage because he felt it was going nowhere.
- Around this time Smile was breaking up, so he convinced Brian May and Roger Taylor
to form a band with him.
- The band formed was Queen
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