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[Truean]

If you've ever liked the band Queen and its incredibly talented lead singer Freddie Mercury, then I suspect this may be a good book when it comes out:

http://www.wmmr.com/music/news/story.aspx?ID=1459863
"Although their career continued on successfully worldwide until Freddie Mercury's 1991 death, Queen -- with Mercury and Deacon -- never toured America following their 1982 trek in support of that year's Hot Space album. Roger Taylor recalls the band ignoring the States due to what they felt was a backlash against Mercury's homosexuality: "We perceived, I mean, I think when it became obvious that Freddie was homosexual, we perceived a noticeable dropping of interest."

Yup, and the homophobic comments on Youtube, today are insanely stupid. The man wrote musical greatness likes of which these people still can't understand and they just care that he's gay...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2omuoO_hIbQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bsy2nlDtSA&feature=related

Sadly, Mr. Mercury died of AIDS in 1991 and gave a prepared statement to this effect from his deathbed.

We have never had a singer quite like him since, though we could dearly use one.

[SalmonGod]

Aaaand today Queen is one of the most widespread staples of family friendly classic rock, to the point that their music is used in Disney movies and tv commercials without any backlash.  Loved by all but the most hardcore homophobes.

[Vector]

Don't Stop me Now is probably one of my favorite songs ever =/

[Truean]

Aaaand today Queen is one of the most widespread staples of family friendly classic rock, to the point that their music is used in Disney movies and tv commercials without any backlash.  Loved by all but the most hardcore homophobes.

Honestly I do wonder how much of that is from short memory spans/historical fading. Fact is, the man has been dead 20 years. Many people alive today weren't when he was. In fact, a lot of them don't know who he was or that he was gay. Younger people might know the name "Queen." They don't know the name "Freddie Mercury." And lots of people didn't make the connection to why the band was named that, aside from being English.

Ironic how that happened though.

Don't Stop me Now is probably one of my favorite songs ever =/

Certainly you don't mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp0rQNJn0S0&playnext=1&list=PL40B1664F96BA813A

hehe [hugs] Mine too.

My God that was pure 100% natural consistent talent, because they didn't even have computers to "make it sound better." Today's stuff is shit by comparison to hs voice.

[SalmonGod]

Would have to be very short memory spans, considering The Mighty Ducks were singing We Are the Champions to millions of kids only a few years after his death.

I honestly believe the humanity of his music reached deeper than prejudice in most people.

[Truean]

Would have to be very short memory spans, considering The Mighty Ducks were singing We Are the Champions to millions of kids only a few years after his death.

I honestly believe the humanity of his music reached deeper than prejudice in most people.

I certainly hope so.

Honestly though, the people who comment negatively about him being gay on this youtube video can die so far as I'm concerned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdXlA6m2qrM

[GlyphGryph]

Mind you, Mercury wouldn't be the first member of that band I'd do if I had the option wasn't my favorite member of the band, but he's got such an amazingly beautiful voice. I don't know how anyone could not love him, and that people would take the time out of their day to post a negative comment about his sexuality... bleh.

Queen is, very seriously, the band that convinced me that music was worth listening to.

I actually forgot what brought this up, I just wanted to add my two cents.

[Andir]

I can pick out roughly 8-10 Queen songs I could just sit and listen to right now...  twice

[Glowcat]

(smack me if this has been posted already)

Bradlee Dean attempts to sue Rachel Maddow for defamation

Seems like he doesn't like being called out on his bigotry. After all, how could the following ever be taken to be an endorsement of executing homosexuals?

Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination...If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that.

[Truean]

<-- Brought it up.

Also they are releasing a tell all book in November about the band including why they never toured in the US. after 1982 (homophobia). Given that Sodomy was a crime in the US often punishable by years in jail for the first offense, it has often been speculated that Mr. Mercury feared arrest and imprisonment given his sexual orientation.... Only in 2003 with Lawrence v. Texas were Sodomy Laws in the United States deemed an unconstitutional government measure with no rational basis. Prior to this ruling, Bowers v. Hardwick (1985) stated that legislation based upon "morality and moral sentiment" permitted criminalization of consensual homosexual sex as "sodomy."

[SalmonGod]

Damn.  I knew it was culturally prevalent, but I didn't know homophobia was still in law here for that long...

[Truean]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodomy_laws_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_States

Under then existing Michigan Law, a first time offender faced a maximum of 15 years for Sodomy. In other states, some prosecutors developed a reputation for seeking out "repeat offenders" or those they knew were gay and going out of their way to arrest as many times as possible for the "offense."

[Vector]

The Connecticut Blue Laws are also kind of interesting.  In an unnerving way.

And yeah, I am pretty disgusted by the sex-controlling laws in the US.

[SalmonGod]

My God that was pure 100% natural consistent talent, because they didn't even have computers to "make it sound better." Today's stuff is shit by comparison to hs voice.

Oh, I almost failed to mention...

This isn't entirely true.  Queen made pioneering use of overdubbing effects, and their methods have been incredibly influential on many styles of modern music.

I'm pointing this out as something else they deserve a lot of credit for, not to downplay their talent.

[Truean]

My God that was pure 100% natural consistent talent, because they didn't even have computers to "make it sound better." Today's stuff is shit by comparison to hs voice.

Oh, I almost failed to mention...

This isn't entirely true.  Queen made pioneering use of overdubbing effects, and their methods have been incredibly influential on many styles of modern music.

I'm pointing this out as something else they deserve a lot of credit for, not to downplay their talent.

Even if true, it takes absolutely nothing away from the live performances and especially his improv performances which by definition would've been impossible to do anything with.