Back during the 1970s, Lisa Marie Presley once gave Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury one of her late father Elvis Presley’s scarves.
It was an ultimate sign of respect from the late King of Rock n’ Roll’s daughter. The truth is that Lisa Marie Presley loved Mercury’s and Queen’s music. The band took the music world by storm with a series of hit songs like “Killer Queen,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Mercury was known for the almost operatic quality in his songs. His voice elevated the tunes to new heights and the rock genre as a whole as well. Queen might have written one of the best two-for-one sports combos in “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” as well. All that to say, it’s easy to see why Presley was a fan of the group. Most people alive were. And she finally got to see the group perform live in 1979. It ended up being her first rock concert.
“I think I saw them in 1978 or 1979 at The Forum. I remember bringing Freddie Mercury a scarf of my Dad’s,” Presley told Pop Entertainment. “And I gave it to him after the show. I loved it, I loved the theatrics. I loved Freddie, I thought Queen were awesome.”
Freddie Mercury Loved Elvis’ Music
Both Elvis Presley and Mercury were similar in that they were titans of their respective genres. It can’t be said enough what Presley did for the rock ‘n roll genre and for music itself. In many ways, he was one of music’s first bonafide superstars. Likewise, Mercury shot to superstardom as the lead singer of Queen. The band was one of the most popular bands of their generation with a sound uniquely their own.
Mercury probably treasured Lisa Marie’s gift because he was a fan of Elvis as well. Mercury first heard the singer when he was in a boarding school in Bombay during the 1950s. He became a huge fan, and Presley eventually influenced Mercury’s music.
“When I was little I was in the choir and I just liked to sing. I would copy Elvis Presley songs, then I suddenly realized that I could actually write songs and make my own music – call it a natural gift, or whatever,” Mercury said in “Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words.”
In 1979, Mercury wrote a tribute song for Presley called “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” The song went straight to the top of the charts upon release.
