Germany champions new Freddie Mercury stamp

By Linn’s Staff

A stamp issued Sept. 5 by Germany’s Deutsche Post honors the legendary musical artist Freddie Mercury. The issue, coinciding with the 77th anniversary of the late singer’s birthday, is the second in Deutsche Post’s Legends of Pop/Rock Music series.

The first in the series is the Jimi Hendrix stamp (Scott 3360) issued Aug. 3, 2023.

Designed by Deutsche Post’s Jan-Niklas Kroeger, the new stamp, which mimics the design of the 2023 Hendrix issue, shows Mercury performing live in one of his iconic poses with a microphone stand against the backdrop of a maroon LP record with a teal record label showing the €0.85 denomination and “Deutschland” in gray.

A barcode to the right of the stamp design can be scanned with a smartphone to provide tracking information and details about the stamp. The €0.85 denomination pays the domestic letter rate in Germany.

Born Frederick Bulsara on the African island of Zanzibar in 1946, Mercury studied piano while attending English schools in India and Zanzibar.

In 1964 his family fled the country due to the Zanzibar Revolution and moved to Middlesex, England. There the singer changed his name and joined a blues band called Wreckage in 1969 while a student at the Ealing College of Art in London.

A fellow student introduced Mercury to drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May, founding members of a band called Smile. Smile became Queen, a name suggested by Mercury for its simple universality, when the singer joined the group as lead vocalist in 1970. Bassist John Deacon completed the quartet when he joined Queen the following year.

“Mercury’s distinctive voice, charismatic stage presence and remarkable compositions cemented his status as one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music,” Deutsche Post said in a Sept. 5 news release.

The pinnacle of the band’s live performances was their 20-minute set for the Live Aid benefit concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1985. That set is regarded not only as the highlight of the charitable event, but as the best live music performance of all time by the band and by Mercury in particular.

For more details about the Sept. 5 Freddie Mercury stamp and ordering information, visit the Deutsche Post website.

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