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Freddie Mercury is considered among the greatest vocalists and performers of all time. He secured his place in British rock history with Queen and as a solo artist before his tragic death at
the age of 45. Known for his operatic talent and soaring falsetto, the star developed an inimitable style as he rose to fame in the early 1970s. Before he became the lead singer for Brian
May’s Smile — who would go on to become Queen — Mercury fronted a short-lived outfit called Ibex. Ibex and Smile ran in the same circles, even playing a chaotic jam session on stage together
in Liverpool on one occasion. Bassist Tupp Taylor recalled his creative project with Mercury as being “awful”, giving a surprisingly critical assessment of his singing talents. “Freddie was
no Steve Winwood, Steve Marriott or Joe Cocker,” he said. “At the beginning, his pitching was awful.” READ MORE: QUEEN ARGUED WITH FREDDIE MERCURY OVER 'GRANDIOSE' IDEAS Mercury
cycled though some other projects before finding his rightful place with Queen. In 1970, he responded to an advert for a vocalist for the band Sour Milk Sea and was hired instantly. The
group’s guitarist Chris Chesney was another person who was uncertain about the future star’s potential as a singer. “When Freddie fired up with us, he was fantastic,” he remembered. “He
didn’t quite have the voice then,” he added. “But he sang falsetto and I liked that.” When Sour Milk Sea disbanded just a handful of months later, however, Mercury was left on the hunt for a
band once again. It was then that, serendipitously, Smile’s frontman Tim Staffell give up and quit, leaving them looking for a replacement. Mercury performed on stage with the band for the
first time on June 27, 1970. He also brought the name Queen with him, convincing May and Taylor to rebrand, setting the course for the group to make the name world famous as rock titans.