On This Date, July 6th in in 1973: Queen released their debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” in the U.K. on EMI Records. What a great song!
Tag Archives: roger taylor
Must Own Book: Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock!
It is no secret that, way back when I was a teenager, I was a pretty serious fanatic about the band Queen. It is easy to understand why, because let’s get real: Queen’s music is the shit. But to put it in perspective, you need to know that when I was in high school, Queen was absolutely like a way of life to me, or a religion. To really get what I am saying, you would have had to be me. I was obsessed with their music, in love with Freddie Mercury, and completely and totally gay for Queen!
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Happy Birthday, John Deacon of Queen
John, Freddie, Brian And Roger Circa 1975
John Deacon, bassist for Queen was born on this day, August 19th, in 1951. Although John was “the quiet one” of the band and contributed the fewest songs, he did pen Queen’s massive hit, “Another One Bites The Dust,” so he really never has to work again in his life if he doesn’t want to. Maybe that’s why he didn’t choose to join a reformed Queen with Roger Taylor and Brian May when they recruited Paul Rodgers to sing lead. Because why embarrass yourself like that if you don’t need the money? Happy Birthday, John!
Happy Birthday, Roger Taylor and Mick Jagger!
Mick Jagger and his Aston Martin (Photo By Gail)
I’m not sure how I missed the fact for all of these years that Queen drummer Roger Taylor, shares July 26th, his anniversary of birth, with Mick Jagger. Taylor made his first appearance on the planet in 1949, while Jagger was here a few years before that, in 1943. I mean Mick Jagger is Mick Jagger – the guy is just everywhere – but Queen is the band that were like a religion to me at a time (high school) when music can really, literally save your life. So I really should have committed his birthday to memory at this point. Sorry Roger! Happy Birthday, guys!
No Hard Feelings (Roger Taylor from “Radio Ga Ga” Video Image Courtesy of Instagram)
Queen’s A Night At The Opera Tour, March 1976
“Cheers!”
This is probably a weird thing to remember, or feel the need to validate, but every year on March 9th I celebrate what I call my “Queeniversary,” which is the anniversary of the night I saw the band Queen live for the first time at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, way back in 1976. I don’t listen to my Queen albums as much these days as I once did, but between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, I swear that band saved my sanity. So thanks Freddie, Brian, Roger and John, for being the band I needed to have in my life at that time, and for making such unforgettable music.