Freddie Mercury was so ill when the band recorded the song “The Show Must Go On” in 1990 that Brian May was concerned about whether he was physically capable of singing it.
Recalling Freddie’s performance, Brian says, “The melody called for some very demanding high notes, and I’d only been able to demo them in falsetto. I said to Freddie, ‘I don’t want you to strain yourself—this stuff isn’t going to be easy in full voice, even for you!’
“Freddie told me, ‘Don’t worry—I’ll fucking nail it, darling!’
“I said, ‘Fred, I don’t know if this is going to be possible to sing.’ And he replied, ‘I’ll fucking do it, darling,’ downed his vodka, and went in and delivered an incredible vocal performance.
“Freddie propped himself up against the mixing desk and… delivered one of the most extraordinary performances of his life. In the final mix of ‘The Show Must Go On,’ when you hear ‘On with the show,’ you are listening to a man who conquered everything to deliver his finest work.”
—Brian May
Credit goes to the original owner