Ok you guys, this was going to be a more meaningful post (or at least more varied), but I rescinded all other ideas I had for Freddie Mercury's birthday post once I found out how much of a crazy cat lady he was.
As a result, here is a tribute to Freddie and his cats. Sorrynotsorry!:
"Mercury loved his cats, so much so that while on tour he would periodically call home to talk to them. His one-time girlfriend and long-time close friend Mary Austin would hold the cats up to the phone so they could listen to him speak. He also had portraits painted of them." [Clash]
Please also note these excellent facts:
His solo album Mr. Bad Guy was dedicated “To my cat Jerry – also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe – screw everybody else.”
"Delilah" from the Queen album Innuendo is about his favorite cat, and these are actual lyrics from the song:
Delilah, Delilah, oh my, oh my, oh my – you’re unpredictable / You make me so very happy / When you cuddle up and go to sleep beside me / And then you make me slightly mad / When you pee all over my Chippendale Suite
And finally, I know this video is bittersweet because it's Freddie's last, but we must all stop to admire THE CAT VEST (quick aside while we're talking about fashion choices, why are John and Brian BOTH wearing bolo ties?). Freddie's vest—er, waistcoat, as they call it—was custom made just for him, with all of his cats painted on it. We know this thanks to Blog 26 by Peter "Phoebe" Freestone, Freddie's personal assistant of 12 years. Thank you Phoebe, for the indespensible Freddie Mercury Cat Fact, and happy eternal birthday, Freddie! <3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc