Freddie Mercury was one of the more outgoing vocalists of his period, yet his best buddy in Queen was the most reserved. Peter Freestone worked as a PA for the band and experienced the connection firsthand, revealing what linked Freddie with bassist John Deacon. "They were both very private people, but they had this mutual respect for each other," he said. "Freddie would do things like wear John's clothes to show him that he appreciated him being in his band." In addition to Queen, Freestone also worked with Elton John, George Michael, and Rod Stewart. He died at age 64 on November 24, 2016. Freddie Mercury was born Frederick Valerian Mercury on January 8, 1946. He was raised by his mother after the death of his father when he was only nine years old. He started singing at an early age and took lessons from Lilli Carré while attending Westminster School of Music. In 1964, he joined the band Smile and two years later, they released their first single "Thank You for inviting Me". After several line-up changes, Queen finally released their first album in February 1970. They continued to release albums regularly until 1976's Killing Me Softly with His Song. By this point, Freddie had become the face of the band and was responsible for much of the songwriting.