"Q" THE "A" TO "Z" BLOG POST!

 

Those of you who are "Trekkies," that is, fans of Star Trek, get the visual above. Those of you who are not Trekkies let me explain. The photo depicts the actor John DeLancie who portrayed an omnipotent, god-like, impish character on the television series Star Trek The Next Generation, named "Q." Today being "Q" Day in the A to Z Blog Challenge I thought it appropriate. 

I am not a particular fan of the artist that is the subject of my "Q" Day blog post. I do like some of their song hits but I really didn't listen to them. So why am I writing about them, you ask? Simply because there are not a lot of popular or famous bands or solo artists who has a name beginning with the letter "Q" to choose from. This band is probably the most famous. The band I speak of is QUEEN.

Queen got their start back in 1968. Brian May, a student at Imperial College in London, joined with Tim Staffel, a student at Ealing Art College. They advertised for a drummer on the college bulletin board. Roger Taylor answered the call and passed his audition and was added to the band. The name of the band was "Smile." An acquaintance of Staffel at Ealing Art College, Farrokh Bulsara, became a fan of Smile.

Later,Staffel left the band to join a band named Humpy Bong. Farrokh, better known as "Freddie" joined May and Taylor and changed the name of the band to "Queen." In 1971 they added bass guitarist, John Deacon to the group and this became the lineup that we know as Queen. 

Queen released their self named album in July 1973. The leading single from this album is "Keep Yourself Alive" which was composed by Brian May. Freddie, being an art student designed the band's logo which resembled a royal coat of arms. Queen's first album went gold in the U.K. and the U.S.

Queen's second album, Queen II, wasn't as well received  or critically acclaimed. Although some critics opined that this album displayed the bands musical virtuosity, others panned the album as having been over-produced.

Queen's unique sound started to come together with their third album, "Sheer Hear Attack." Brian May came late in the process of recording this album. In May 1974, Brian May collapsed during a show in New York He was diagnosed with hepatitis. "Killer Queen" was the lead single from this album. 

Queen struck gold with their fourth album, named after a classic Marx Brothers movie, "A Night at the Races." This album included what is considered by some to be Queen's greatest hit, "Bohemian Rhapsody." Another song from that album that did very well is "You're My Best Friend." This song was written by bassist, John Deacon. 

I can't end this blog post without mentioning in impact that Queen has had in the area of sporting events worldwide. They wrote two songs that were released as one. The first song has become a staple in sports arena's around the world. "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" ring out from the stands at football, soccer, hockey and other games. 

Sadly, on November 23, 1991, Freddy Mercury died from bronchial pneumonia, a complication from AIDs. Queen had more hits than the few mentioned in this post. Queens music will hold a special place in the pantheon of rock and roll music. Queen holds an honored place in the pantheon of great rock and roll groups. They are worth a listen.