FREDDIE MERCURY CLOSE
‘Freddie Mercury Close’ was officially unveiled on February 24, by Freddie’s sister, Kashmira Bulsara, and the Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow, Councillor Tony Louki. Personally I would have preferred ‘Freddie Balsara Close’. (Balsar is a small town in Gujarat.). But then Fareydoon Balsara never wanted to be known as a ‘desi’.
LONDON — A street in the London suburb where Freddie Mercury lived as a teenager was renamed Freddie Mercury Close on Monday at a ceremony attended by the late Queen frontman’s sister.
Their family moved to Feltham in west London after fleeing the revolution in Zanzibar in 1964.
Local authorities agreed to rename part of Hanworth Road – the address of the headquarters of the World Zoroastrian Organization. Mercury was born a Zoroastrian and practiced the ancient religion as a child.
The family actually lived a short walk away at 22 Gladstone Avenue. That site was marked with a blue plaque in 2016.
Mercury died in 1991 aged 45 due to complications from AIDS. The Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity set up after his death, supports projects fighting HIV and AIDS worldwide.
What an honour! He put Zoroastrianism on the map without any titles etc…
He gained fame is “Freddie Mercury” worldwide. The village of Bulsar may want to name a street for him with his birth name, if they so wished.
Atlast a tribute he well deserved. His family could use funds from his Foundation to train young Zoroastrian musicians.