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Episode #080
Freddie Mercury - The band Queen
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Hello, everybody! I am Georgiana your English teacher and founder
of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak
English fluently. Speaking English is easier than it seems! You just
have to use the right material and techniques.
“Don’t stop me now. Cause I’m having a good time. I don’t wanna stop at
all!”
Today I’m going to talk about a band named Queen and the legendary
Freddie Mercury.
And with a mini-story, you’re going to practice your speaking in English
while learning fascinating facts about Freddie.
Have you heard or a band named Queen?
Of course, you have. I’m just kidding. :)
And how much do you know about their singer and songwriter Freddie
Mercury?
Some people believe that Mercury was British, but did you know that he
was born in Zanzibar, September 1946?
You probably guessed by now that his real name wasn’t Freddie
Mercury. His birth name was Farrokh Bulsara. I was curious about how
to pronounce his name, so I have done my research, though I’m still not
sure I’m pronouncing it correctly.
Did you know that Freddie was born with four extra teeth in the back of
his mouth? He never fixed his teeth because he feared it would ruin his
voice.
In 1964 Freddie's family moved to England, and in 1966, he enrolled in
Ealing College of Art to study graphic illustration. There he met Tim
Staffell who introduced him to his band Smile. Watching Smile made
Freddie realize that he really wanted to be in a band himself. Therefore,
after he finished his diploma in graphic art and design, he joined a band
called Ibex, playing the lead guitarist.
Later on, he formed the band Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May
and drummer Roger Taylor. He wrote numerous hits for Queen,
including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love," "Don't Stop Me
Now," and "We Are the Champions." He also conducted a solo career
and was a guest producer and musician for other artists.
He was known for his highly animated shows that normally involved
public participation.
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However, Mercury left us too soon, dying in 1991 at age 45 due to
complications from AIDS. Although he will always remain in our hearts
and we will continue to listen to his music. Right?
If you enjoy his music and want to find out more about his life I
recommend the movie called “Bohemian Rhapsody” 2018 about
Mercury and Queen. They say it’s the most fascinating biographical
musical film of all time.
It's been a real pleasure recording this episode about Freddie. I've been
listening to Queen since I was a kid when I fell in love with his powerful
voice. Since then I became an absolute fan. I’m convinced that I’m never
gonna get tired of listening to the band. Although I enjoy listening to all
Queen songs these are my absolute favorite: “Under Pressure” and
“Show must go on.”
Make sure you listen to some of Queen’s best songs while you follow
the lyrics at the same time. I guarantee that you’re gonna love the band
even more!
Before I continue with a mini-story I would like to share with you my
favorite Freddie Mercury quote:
"I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend."
Mini-Story 📖
(practice your speaking)
Great! Now, you can practice with a mini-story. You will be able to go
over this vocabulary we saw in the first section.
A mini-story is very simple. I give you information using phrases, and
then I ask you questions. I created a mini story using interesting facts
about Freddie’s life:
I recommend that you listen several times until it's easy to answer.
Let’s start!
Although he was an extravagant artist on stage, Freddie was timid in his
personal life and rarely gave interviews.
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Where was he extravagant? In his personal life?
No. He wasn’t extravagant in his personal life. He was extravagant on
stage.
Was Freddy Mercury timid?
Yes, he was timid in his personal life. He was very shy.
When did he give interviews? Often or rarely?
Not often. He gave interviews rarely.
Before becoming a star, Mercury worked as a baggage handler at
Heathrow Airport.
What did Mercury do before becoming a star? Was he an architect?
No. No. Mercury was not an architect before becoming a star. He was a
baggage handler.
When did he work as a baggage handler? Before or after he became
a star?
Before becoming a star. He worked as a baggage handler before
becoming a star.
Where did he work as a baggage handler? At a hotel?
No. No. He didn’t work as a baggage handler at a hotel. He worked at
Heathrow airport.
He loved cats and had 10 at one point. He wrote a song about his
favorite cat, Delilah.
What did Freddy love? Fame?
No. He didn’t love fame. He loved cats.
How many cats did he have at one point?
Ten cats. He had ten cats at one point.
Did he write a song about Delilah his favorite book?
No. No. Delilah wasn’t the name of a book. It was the name of his
favorite cat.
Freddie designed the famous Queen Crest logo himself, thanks to his
degree in art and graphic design.
What did Freddy design? A house?
No. No. He didn’t design a house. He designed the famous Queen Crest
logo.
Did he design the famous Queen Crest alone?
Yes. He designed it alone. He didn’t need anyone’s help.
Thanks to what did he design the Queen Crest?
Thanks to his degree in art and graphic design he designed the Queen
Crest.
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He had a long-term relationship with a girl named Mary Austin, who
became his closest friend.
What did he have? A short-term relationship?
No. He didn’t have a short-term relationship. He had a long-term
relationship.
With whom did he have a long-term relationship? With his cats?
No. No. He didn’t have a long-term relationship with his cats. He had a
long term relationship with Mary Austin.
Was his closest friend Jimi Hendrix?
No. He was a fan of Jimmy Hendrix, but his closest friend was a girl
named Mary Austin.
Freddie Mercury wrote the song “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” in the
bath at a hotel.
What did Freddy write? A poem?
No. No. He didn’t write a poem. Freddy wrote a song.
Where did he write the song? In a church?
Not in a church. He wrote the song in the bath at the hotel.
What was the name of the song? Was it “Crazy little cats”?
No. No. The name of the song wasn’t “Crazy little cats” but “Crazy Little
Thing Called Love.”
Perfect! It’s the end of this mini-story. As you can see, through
questions and answers you can practice and improve your speech.
If you want to get hours of audio with mini-stories and points of view
stories I’d like to recommend you my Fluency Course.
You can get it at Fluency.SpeakEnglishPod.com
Well, I think that's enough for today. Try to listen to this content several
times.
I'll see you next week!
Take care! Bye! Bye!
Georgiana
founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com
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