On paper, Farrokh Bulsara wasn’t an obvious choice for rock superstardom.
Born in Zanzibar and educated in India, he and his family arrived in the UK in 1964.
He was shy, introverted and quiet.
But when he stepped out on stage, under the name Freddie Mercury, he held the audience in the palm of his hand.
Today his autograph is highly sought after.
Here’s why...
Icon
This year saw the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, a major new movie that tells the Queen story – from art school oddballs to world straddling colossus.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Freddie Mercury was a unique frontman.
Without his presence, Queen’s music would have been very different. Without his arch, tongue in cheek delivery, the pomposity is overbearing.
Mercury wrote some of the most memorable songs of the era – from Don’t Stop Me Now to Bohemian Rhapsody.
And then there’s his stage wear. Who can forget watching him, fist aloft in a yellow military jacket, at Live Aid – or squeezed into a black and white harlequin bodysuit.
Huge impact on British culture
Queen’s Greatest Hits album, released in 1981, is the best selling album of all time in Britain.
Their popularity helped change the climate for the LGBTQ community.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Freddie Mercury was a gay icon.
While he never expressly came out about his sexuality, he thoroughly enjoyed dropping enormous hints. His death from AIDS in 1991 was a huge shock. It finally brought the conversation about the disease to the fore in the UK.
The combination of Mercury’s icon status and cultural impact makes him as an essential get for autograph hunters with an interest in classic rock.
However, it’s not that easy to get one.
He was young when he died
Freddie Mercury was just 45 when he passed away in 1991. After that, there was a cap on the number of Freddie Mercury autographs in the world.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Demand has been steadily increasing ever since.
The real prize for collectors is an autograph signed by all four members of Queen.
A record sleeve for The Game with all four autographs made $2,000 earlier this year – a significant increase on the prices being paid only a couple of years ago. Meanwhile a notebook of Freddie Mercury’s song lyrics made $62,500 in 2016.
Those results are impressive.
But they also offer plenty of headroom for growth in the coming years.
All the best,
Paul.
PS. Do you have a Freddie Mercury Autograph you’re looking to sell? I may be able to help. Get in touch today at info@paulfrasercollectibles.com.
