Freddie’s cremation was held on 27 November 1991, and was a
private Zoroastrian ceremony attended by Mercury’s closest friends
and family. On 20 April 1992, a more public mourning took place,
through The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at Wembley
Stadium. Featuring the likes of Elton John, David Bowie,
Metallica, Seal, Roger Plant, George Michaels and Guns ‘n’ Roses,
the concert sold out in less than six hours, and was a massive
success. In fact, in 1993, an EP was released on the anniversary of
the concert, featuring tracks taken from the event.
With the band coming back together as an incomplete
threesome in 1994, work began on their fifteenth, and final, studio
album. ‘Made in Heaven’ would prove to be the band’s swansong,
in spite of them never officially disbanding. Released four years
after Mercury’s death, the album was constructed from Freddie’s
final recording sessions in 1991, as well as material left over from
the band’s previous albums.
For the next ten years or so, the band were rarely seen together
as a complete unit. Appearing from time to time – minus bassist
John Deacon – the group took part in numerous small projects,
featuring various guest musicians, but it wasn’t until 2005 that
the band would begin touring properly again. Replete with Paul
Rodgers of Free, Bad Company and The Firm as lead singer,
Queen’s tour of Europe in 2005 was a massive success, and sold
out all over the likes of Spain, Holland, Austria and Sweden.
Taking us up to the present day, the band undertook a
major American tour in the autumn of 2005 and the spring of
- As well as this, in June 2005, in the list of the Queen’s
list of birthday honorees, Brian May was awarded the title of
Commander of the British Empire. In the autumn of 2006,
Brian May confirmed through his website that Queen and Paul
Rodgers would begin producing a new studio album beginning in
October, to be recorded at a secret location, with an unscheduled
release date.