The voice of Freddie Mercury, with its remarkable four-octave range and theatrical stage presence, became the hallmark of Queen. His style defied the conventions of a rock vocalist, bringing a unique artistic direction to the band. Born as Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, to Indian parents from the Parsi community, Mercury spent much of his childhood in India. There, at the age of seven, he began taking piano lessons and, in 1954, at eight, he entered a British boarding school. His ability to replicate radio melodies on the piano was already evident, and
