Celebrity benefit concerts have been happening for decades.
One of the most famous is the Concert for Life in 1992, organized by the late Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury.
We are talking about The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness in 1992.
When they performed the show, there was a live television and radio broadcast of the event in 76 countries worldwide.
It was held at London’s Webley Stadium, the biggest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of 90,000.
There is something magnificent about seeing so many people who came to support the idea and to help raise money for AIDS projects across the world.
Somewhere in the range of one billion people watched the event via television or radio.
It’s an impressive number, especially keeping in mind the year it happened and the fact that AIDS awareness hadn’t fully developed yet. The surviving members of Queen were the main performers, but other stars also graced the stage.
The performance included superstars like Metallica, U2, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, Seal, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Elton John, Annie Lennox, George Michael and Robert Plant.
Wuldn’t it be great if we could get a chance to have an event like this again?
Of course, it wouldn’t be the same as some of those artists passed away, but it’s great to have footage like this to remind ourselves of so many fantastic people united for a noble cause.
Since his passing, Freddie Mercury has been called one of the 100 Greatest Britons of all time—and this performance makes it easy to see why.
As lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, he was famous for his stage persona and his four-octave vocal range.
Freddie passed away in 1991, due to bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS.
That is the main reason why the 1992 concert had a dual nature: it was a tribute concert to an outstanding artist, and a way to raise AIDS awareness.
The video begins with a camera on Elton John.
He’s wearing a bright red blazer, and you can hear the famous sounds of “Bohemian Rhapsody” sound coming from the piano. As the song progresses he stands up, goes to the middle of the stage, and leads a stadium full of people who sing it in one voice.
It’s perfect—the lights are amazing, the atmosphere is fantastic, and everyone seems to be happy to celebrate the life of a man who gave it all to music.
You can see faces of Queen members on the big screen in the middle of the stage—and then you hear the drums go loud and an explosion effect as Axl Rose comes to the stage. What an amazing show!
As it turns out, the event raised over $20 million for AIDS awareness.
Since the clip was posted, more than two million people have seen the video on YouTube—and the comments section is probably as heart-warming as it can be on YouTube.
People still love the show and recommend watching the whole concert. It reminded us of how great life can be, and how united people can get.
Well done to all these amazing musicians—this was a perfect send-off for a legendary rock musician.
This was the perfect way to remember a fellow artist. Rest in peace, Freddie Mercury—your friends, and fans will never forget you!
Watch the inspiring show by clicking the link below:
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