Queen The final albums and Mercury's death (19901997)
There was all that time when we knew Freddie was on the way out, we kept our heads down. Brian May
Rumours began to spread in the tabloid press and elsewhere in 1988 that Mercury was suffering from AIDS. Although the rumours were true, Mercury flatly denied them at the time.[citation needed] However, the band decided to continue making albums free of internal conflict and differences, starting with The Miracle and continuing with 1991's Innuendo. Although his health was deteriorating, Mercury continued to contribute, working in a creative fervor.[citation needed] The band released their second Greatest Hits compilation, Greatest Hits II, in October 1991.
On 23 November 1991, in a prepared statement made on his deathbed, Mercury finally confirmed that he had AIDS. Within twenty-four hours of the announcement, Mercury died. His funeral services were private, held in accordance with the Zoroastrian religious faith of his family.
Bohemian Rhapsody was re-released as a single shortly after Mercury's death, with These Are the Days of Our Lives as the B-side. Initial proceeds from the single approximately ?1,000,000 were donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust.
On 20 April 1992, the public shared in the mourning of Mercury's passing at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at London's Wembley Stadium. Performers included Lisa Stansfield, Elton John, David Bowie, Robert Plant, Tony Iommi, Annie Lennox, Guns N' Roses, Extreme, Roger Daltrey, Def Leppard, George Michael, Mick Ronson, Zucchero, Metallica and Liza Minnelli. Spinal Tap, along with the three remaining members of Queen, performed many of Queen's major hits. It was a successful concert that was televised to over 1 billion viewers worldwide. The concert is listed in The Guinness Book of Records as The largest rock star benefit concert. It raised over ?20,000,000 for AIDS charities. Queen's popularity increased once again in the United States after Bohemian Rhapsody was featured in the comedy film Wayne's World, helping the song reach number two for five weeks in the United States charts in 1992. The song was made into a Wayne's World music video, with which the band and management were delighted.[citation needed]
The band also terminated their Capitol Records contract and signed a deal with Hollywood Records as their new U.S label.
The statue of Freddie Mercury in Montreux that is also featured on the cover of the album Made in Heaven (1995).Queen never actually disbanded, although their last album of original material, titled Made in Heaven, was released in 1995, four years after Mercury's death. It was constructed from Mercury's final recording sessions in 1991, plus material left over from their previous studio albums. In addition, re-worked material from Mercury's solo album Mr. Bad Guy and a track originally featured on the first album of Taylor's side-project The Cross were included. May and Taylor have often been involved in projects related to raising money for AIDS research. John Deacon's last involvement with the band was in 1997, when the band recorded the track No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young). It was the last original song recorded by all three remaining members of Queen, and it was released as a bonus track on the Queen Rocks compilation album later that year.
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