1. Who am I? I was born in 1946 in Tanzania and died, aged 45, in London. Only one person knows exactly where my ashes are scattered. (I trust the organisers of my funeral all have 'One Vision'.)
From Quiz Here Lies (3)
Answer:
Freddy Mercury
Freddy Mercury (b. Farrokh Bulsara) was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania in 1946. A musician, he was the lead singer of 'Queen' and a hugely talented songwriter and performer. Freddy moved from Tanzania to the UK with his family in 1964 and set up 'Queen' in 1971. For those interested in his complete biography, there are several documentaries that follow Freddie's incredible life, including my personal favourite, 'Queen: Days of our Lives'. (I still cry every time I watch this.) There is also the award-winning film 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' which starred the very talented Rami Malek.
Freddie's life was tragically cut short when, in 1991, he succumbed to bronchial pneumonia due to AIDS-related complications. He was just 45 years old when he died on 24 November in his Kensington home, just one day after admitting that he was AIDS positive. Freddie had a private funeral attended by just 35 family and friends. The funeral, which was conducted by a Zoroastrian priest, was held at the West London Crematorium and was attended by his long time friend, Mary Austin, as well as his boyfriend, Jim Hutton, Elton John and, of course, the remaining members of Queen. Elton John recounted that the funeral was all spoken in Parsees, which meant very few understood what was being said. Freddy, who was inspired by opera music, had the aria, 'D'amour sull 'ali Rose' by Verdi as the final piece of music played at his funeral.
It is believed Freddie's gravestone is in Kensal Green Cemetery in West London, where a plaque was discovered in 2013 which bears Freddie's birth name, birth and death dates, and a French inscription which translates as 'always to be close to you, with all my love, M.' Freddie's ashes were entrusted to Mary to be scattered in a secret location, as Freddy worried that a fan would try to dig them up if the whereabouts became known. Mary scattered the ashes several years after Freddie's death, and per his wishes, has never revealed their location, not even to his family.
Prior to his death, Freddy spent much of his time in the town of Montreux in Switzerland. It was here that Freddy felt serene, and it was here that he recorded his last, very beautiful album, 'Made in Heaven'. In 1996 a three-metre tall statue of Freddy, dressed in the outfit he was wearing at the 1986 Wembley concert, was erected on the lakeside promenade in Montreux. The statue is iconic Freddy - he is depicted with one fist raised in the air, while the other is grasping a microphone stand.
(The clue btw, was 'One Vision' a song by Queen).