Google is paying tribute to Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury on his birthday with a special animated music video Doodle. Queen is best known for rock anthems such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions.”
Mercury’s tribute Doodle appears on every Google home page today except in the U.S. The reason: it’s “out of respect for Labor Day,” Google noted in a blog post. Google users in the U.S. will have to wait to see the logo until tomorrow, Sept. 6. Queen guitarist Brian May also shared his thoughts on Mercury in the same Google post, writing:
Freddie would have been 65 this year, and even though physically he is not here, his presence seems more potent than ever. Freddie made the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected. He gave people proof that a man could achieve his dreams—made them feel that through him they were overcoming their own shyness, and becoming the powerful figure of their ambitions. And he lived life to the full. He devoured life. He celebrated every minute. And, like a great comet, he left a luminous trail which will sparkle for many a generation to come.
Born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946 in Zanzibar, Freddie Mercury fronted the legendary rock band whose many songs have become woven in to the global culture.
Even Mercury’s death didn’t slow the popularity of the band. There will be a live streaming of Queen’s pinnacle concert “Queen Live at Wembley” in 1986 – one of the band’s last live performances – on their official YouTube channel.
Mercury died in Nov. 24, 1991 from complications caused by AIDS.
The song used for the Doodle video “Don’t Stop Me Now” is very appropriate and one of many by the band used throughout the world to celebrate. The Doodle uses a number of Mercury looks and cleverly incorporates things mentioned in the song to populate the animated video. There is good whimsy – something the band used in their own videos. There are tigers and lions and bears – oh my – and a nod to Mercury’s drag appearance as a housewife vacuuming.
Recorded 33 years ago, the song was the first Queen single released on cassette tape and in 2005 was voted “The Greatest Driving Song Ever” by viewers of the BBC television program “Top Gear,” Wikipedia stated. The song has been featured in numerous commercials and movies and covered by a number of bands.
The choice is an interesting one – perhaps reflecting Google’s own corporate attitude. Google quietly passed a milestone of their own – on September 4, 1998 Google filed for incorporation (though Google’s birthday is officially celebrated on September 27 officially). The company is now a teenager and maybe we can’t stop them now!
Rest in peace, Freddie, and thanks for the music.
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