Had Freddie Mercury not made far too premature an exit in 1991, he'd be 61 today. He mashed together disco, metal, rockabilly and opera, he wrote Queen's most anthemic material ("Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love") and he was arguably the world's first Indian rock star -- he was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar to Parsi Indian parents, grew up near Bombay and only moved to England at age 18.

His bombast and showmanship are pretty much unparalleled to date: Queen's electrifying performance at 1985's Live Aid, where Mercury deployed his four-octave range (and his skintight white jeans) and had all of Wembley Stadium wrapped around his pinkie, remains a watershed moment in music.

Watch Radio Ga Ga at Live Aid.

Rock the Freddie tee from Brit designers Mr. Cloud.

Peter Freestone was Mercury's assistant for a dozen years until his death. He recounts the experience in the now-classic 2001 book that's part tribute, part tell-all.