Today, during a conversation about the late great Tim Curry, I showed someone a YouTube video of the iconic Sweet Transvestite number from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is the first time they had ever seen it, and their first comment was “He seems to be imitating Freddie Mercury.”
But The Rocky Horror Show began playing in London’s West End in June of 1973, whereas the musical group Queen did not start becoming successful until between 1974 and 1975. Is it possible that it was the other way around?
Maybe at some point a young Freddie Mercury wondered into the Royal Court Theater and ended up seeing a crazy Richard O’Brien musical. Perhaps after watching that charismatic guy up on stage in the black corset, fishnet stockings, and faux-pearl necklace, he got inspired.
And maybe the rest is musical history. I guess we’ll never know.