After the passing of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Queen and their manager, Jim Beach, organized a memorable concert to honor him, raise funds for HIV research, and raise awareness about AIDS. Tickets for the Wembley Arena show on April 20, 1992, went on sale before any performers were announced, and all 72,000 tickets sold out in just 3 hours. The concert opened with acts like Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
The second half of the concert featured the three remaining members of Queen, joined by a star-studded cast of singers and guitarists, including Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Tony Iommi, George Michael, and many more. Together, they delivered a powerful and emotional performance in tribute to Freddie Mercury, creating an unforgettable night in music history.
David Bowie and Annie Lennox teamed up for a remarkable rendition of “Under Pressure,” with Annie Lennox taking on the vocals originally performed by Freddie Mercury. The collaboration between these two iconic singers resulted in a unique and memorable performance that delighted fans worldwide.
Annie Lennox admirably paid tribute to Freddie Mercury without imitating him. She skillfully performed his parts with great respect. David Bowie’s performance is flawless, while Lennox’s is captivating. The interactions between Bowie and Lennox were affectionate and delightful. Furthermore, this song stands out as a personal highlight of Queen’s post-Jazz era (the 1978 album).
The video of this captivating performance has amassed over 62 million views and received 412K likes. The comment session is filled with compliments.
One wrote, “One of my favorite things about this video is how Bowie is such a humble star. Annie Lennox obviously doing the Mercury parts shows off her vocal range and big performance. Bowie easily could’ve been the focus if he wanted to be. Instead he lets her command the stage and plays his role in the song perfectly being stoic and almost muted to her performance. Total perfection. He is so sorely missed.”