With the 20th anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s passing approaching next year, there is much consideration being given to how we can all mark Freddie’s memory and in doing so provide even greater support for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the HIV AIDS charity set up in his name which carries out vital work worldwide fighting AIDS.
First to step forward with a new initiative is banker Liz Swanton who has come up with an idea likely to be much copied: Freddie For a Day, a day to mark Freddie’s birthday by dressing up as Freddie and in return have friends, neighbours and even our employees to sponsor us to do so.
Tying in to this week’s 8th birthday party for Queen and Ben Elton’s hit musical, We Will Rock You, at which Brian May and Roger Taylor took part by making a musical appearance with the cast, Liz tested out her Freddie For A Day idea.
Starting out at the WWRY birthday performance Liz set out to spend twenty four hours as Freddie.
First meeting Brian and Roger after the performance on Monday night, Liz then spent her entire next day as Freddie. From the start of her day boarding her London tube line and then throughout her entire working day, Liz was wearing Freddie Mercury’s trademark yellow jacket and white trousers with red and gold trim, and – yes, of course – the famous moustache. For her effort, friends and co-workers pledged contributions to the MPT.
Liz’s hope is that she can now persuade hundreds of people to be Freddie For A Day when his birthday comes around this September and for it to become an annual event.
Keep checking in here and at the Mercury Phoenix website, link, to find out more about Liz’s adventures as Freddie and how you can join in. In the meantime, enjoy some of the picture of Liz meeting Brian and Roger at We Will Rock You’s birthday earlier this week.