Freddie Mercury influenced many musicians and fans over his tenure. The rock icon passed away from AIDS complications in 1991. Naturally, the tribute concert held after his death was a massive affair. A host of Mercury’s peers came out to fete the frontman, including Elton John and Axl Rose. Though no one could match Mercury’s rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John and Rose gave it their all while performing the hit at Wembley Stadium during the tribute concert.
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John opened up the song by playing the iconic piano riff. Given that John is both an outspoken proponent of AIDS research and was close friends with Mercury, his appearance at the concert was all but guaranteed. His vocals were strong as he sang out the opening verse: Mama, just killed a man / Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he’s dead / Mama, life had just begun / But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away.
The crowd at Wembley was just as passionate as they had been during Queen’s iconic Live Aid performance a few years prior. John let the crowd take over the chorus, as Mercury frequently did while alive.
The off-kilter breakdown section after the first chorus was taken over by playback of Mercury and his Queen bandmates. It was an apt choice. No one could sing the staccato and frankly odd “Scaramouche” section of this song better than the late frontman.
As the second, raucous verse kicked in, Rose came bounding out onto the stage. Brian May met the Guns n’ Roses singer halfway, hammering down on his guitar. Rose used his piercing vocals to help drive the crowd to new heights. It’s a wonder Wembley Stadium was still standing by the end of the number, given how passionate the crowd seemed to be.
John and Rose came together at the end of the song to sing the final chorus. Though both musicians couldn’t be more different, they came together for a singular cause: celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime musician, Mercury.
Check out the performance, below.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images / Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage
