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"A MUST READ: A longtime Queen fan renews his love for Queen~
From Off the Top of My Head
As a native New Yorker, I have an opinion about everything. Here's where I share them and hopefully you will join in the conversation.
Queen
It continues to amaze me that Queen are now regarded with such reverence. I remember them being on the outside looking in on the rock music scene of the 70’s and 80’s. Elektra Records was terrible about promoting them and the fact that their 1982 tour was so badly received that they never played the US again sucked for a huge fan like me. I, like most Americans, discovered Queen in 1975 with the release of Bohemian Rhapsody. What an odd, amazing song. The length, the subject, as it is, was completely unique.
Then in 1977, I fell in love with the band with the release of News of the World and the double A sided singles We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. I got tickets to my first Queen show at Madison Square Garden and on December 2, 1977, I was there, first section up from the floor on the opposite side of the arena from the band. They blew my socks off. I knew only a handful of songs, but the whole show hooked me.
Freddie was a ballet star as rock star. He wore the one piece body suits and changed about 4 times. Then came the final encore and I’ll remember it till the day I die. Freddie strutting out on stage in a NY Yankees jacket and cap. A banner across the entire, enormous stage reading NY Yankees World Champions and the crowd roaring like the Yankees themselves were up there. Queen played the Garden every year from then until their final shows in 1982.
That year, they played 2 shows and the Garden was not sold out. Not even close. That afternoon, my friend and I camped out at Crazy Eddie on 57th and 3rd to meet the band and get autographs. Why I didn’t bring a camera, I don’t remember and regret. We bought new copies of albums we already owned and waited 3 hours for our turns. I bought Night at the Opera because I thought the white album cover would show the autographs perfectly. It did and still hangs on my wall today.
So, up the stairs we walked and at the top, there they were. John, Brian and Roger to the right, Freddie on a separate table to the left, looking not too happy to be there. I wore my hand painted ET shirt, this being the summer of ET, and the guys loved it. Brian commented that they love movies but don’t get out to them as much as they’d like while on tour. They were just so nice. Brian even messed up my name on the autograph and fixed it and apologized. Freddie barely looked up and I was at a loss for words. I know..me..at a loss for words.
A few hours later, my girlfriend and I went to the show and I sang every song. I didn’t know then that it would be the last time I’d get to see them. 9 years and 4 months later, Freddie would be gone.
Queen were easily the best live band I’ve ever seen. The videos of their shows don’t contain the excitement and connection they had with their audience. The energy was palatable.
Now, 32 years after that final show, almost to the day, I’ll take my kids to see a band called Queen with a young, talented lead singer named Adam Lambert. I go with a ton of excitement, but with a bit of sadness that they won’t get the chance to see the great Queen I fell in love with. Freddie is gone and John is retired.
But the music lives, And I have shared my love with my kids. And now Queen are loved more in the US than ever before. Long Live Queen!"