Musician Ben Folds and Comedian Matt Lucas both cite Freddie Mercury and Queen as major influences in the July 16, 2005 issue of NME Magazine which just hit the USA. The interview highlights Ben Folds' career, music, and new album, ''Songs For Silverman,'' as interviewed by Matt Lucas, one of Ben Folds' biggest fans.

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Interview with Ben Folds By Matt Lucas with help from writer Mark Beaumont
''Little Britain VS. Big Ben-Comedy Superstar Matt Lucas Chats To His Piano Tinkling Idol, Ben Folds''...Matt in discussing Ben's influences, and also winding up discussing his own influences in the process....

Matt ''Anyone who went to (Elton John's and Billy Joel's) their ''Face To Face'' Tour, where they played opposite each other on pianos, would be in heaven. But there haven't been that many piano frontmen, as it were.
Freddie Mercury springs to mind as an influence.''

Ben ''Freddie Mercury was a measuring stick for me in my formative years. I always thought it has to be that ON. Queen's music was so intense and on and RIGHT. Sometimes when you're writing something insipid and small and you don't realize what it is, go listen to Queen for a second because that stuff is possessed. It's amazing, some of the best music ever made.''

Matt ''I agree. I grew up as a mega fan of Queen when it wasn't cool. I was born in 1974, so I was 16 or 17 when Freddie Mercury died and I went to his house and lit a candle afterwards. I wrote a note and stuck it to his front door...''There can be only one.'', That was the strapline to the film, ''Highlander'' which they'd (Queen) done the music for. When people ask me who my biggest influence was, I say Freddie Mercury.''