It's been a while since I posted a #Queen fun fact, and no better time than the 38th Anniversary of Live Aid, a benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.
Billed as the "global jukebox", Live Aid was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, attended by about 72,000 people, and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, attended by 89,484 people.
Queen's incredible performance, was voted the greatest live performance in the history of rock in a 2005 industry poll of more than 60 artists, journalists and music industry executives.
The concert was watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people around the world, and Freddie was a natural showman who knew how to work a crowd, and his charismatic and energetic performance connected with the audience on a deep level.
According to the BBC's presenter David Hepworth, their performance produced "the greatest display of community singing the old stadium had seen and cemented Queen's position as the most-loved British group since the Beatles".
Freddie's famous sustained note—"Aaaaaay-o" with the audience came to be known as "The Note Heard Round the World"
Ironically though, leading up to the concert, Queen were perceived as "has beens" The success of Queen’s performance at Live Aid helped to revive their career, which had been faltering at the time.
Contrary to the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie may have been showing symptoms of HIV/AIDS, but wasn't official diagnosed until 1987, three years after Live Aid.
However this is one of many inspirational examples of how Queen defied all odds and in the face of adversity came out stronger than ever.
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