1 / 17 photos Freddie Mercury

Strummin' Along: Freddie Mercury, frontman of the British glam-rock group Queen, strums on his guitar during an interview with the Daily Express in 1969, at his flat in Shepherds Bush, London. (Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward/Getty Images.)

"The Thinker": Queen singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury sits, pensively—in a pose reminiscent of Auguste Rodin's famous sculpture, "The Thinker"—while in London, England in 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images.)

Rock Locks: Queen bandmates Brian May (from left), Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon show off their luscious locks and best serious poses while standing on a London street corner circa 1973. (Photo by RB/Redferns.)

Glam-Stand: Freddie Mercury (from left), John Deacon and Brian May perform on stage at the Hammersmith Odeon in England, in 1975. (Photo by Andrew Putler/Redferns.)

A Heart Of Gold: Freddie Mercury performs in a memorable white leotard and gold neckpiece at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia on February 21, 1977. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage.)

Gold Mine: Queen bandmates Roger Taylor (from left), Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deacon collect gold discs for their compilation album, Greatest Hits (1981). (Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns.)

Fred-Of-All-Trades: British rocker Freddie Mercury shows off his dance skills by posing gracefully during a four-person lift at a Covent Garden, London ballet studio, in October 1979. (Photo by Colin Davey/Evening Standard/Getty Images.)

Glam Cam: Glam-rocker Freddie Mercury takes a quick break to snap a photo with a Polaroid camera, circa 1977. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.)

A Flying Start: Queen singer Freddie Mercury arrives by helicopter—accessorized, befittingly, with aviator sunglasses—at the Knebworth Festival in Knebworth, Hertfordshire, England, on August 9, 1986. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images.)

Glam Ham: Freddie Mercury, Queen's unforgettable showman, gives audience members a charismatic, theatrical performance at the Knebworth Festival in England, in August 1986. (Photo by Peter Still/Redferns.)

Charitable Champions (Of The World): Bono (from left), Paul McCartney and Freddie Mercury perform together at the Live Aid Concert—a concerted effort to help end hunger in Ethiopia—on July 13, 1985, at London's Wembley Stadium. (Photo by Steve Rapport/Photoshot/Getty Images.)

Fashion Philanthropists: Singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury (right) and his friend, Mary Austin, attend Fashion Aid, a charity fashion event held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, on November 5, 1985. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images.)

Best Of Both Worlds: Freddie Mercury (left) and Montserrat Caballé perform a breathtaking, rock-opera duet of "Barcelona" at La Nit, in Barcelona's Castle Square, on October 8, 1988. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images.)

A Posh Pair: Freddie Mercury poses with Annie Lennox on April 21, 1987. Queen was presented with an Ivor Novello award, marking their ''outstanding contribution to British music,'' and the Eurythmics won best song of the year at the same ceremony. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images.)

A Titillating Tribute: Annie Lennox and David Bowie perform a duet of the song "Under Pressure"—co-written by Bowie and Queen—at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, following Mercury's death in 1991. (Photo by Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage.)

Remembering A Rock Icon: Brian May (from left), Jer Bulsara and Jim Beach attend "Freddie For A Day," celebrating Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday, in aid of The Mercury Pheonix Trust at The Savoy Hotel on September 5, 2011, in London, England. (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images.)

In A Flash: Freddie Mercury performs his last live concert with Queen in 1986, in front of thousands of fans, at Wembley Stadium in London. Mercury wore a Flash Gordon tank during the performance—a symbol, then, of the band's 1980 recording for the film Flash Gordon; and a reminder, today, of Mercury's last show and untimely death four years later. (Photo by Bob King/Redferns.)