Freddie Mercury
He formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor. Bass guitarist John Deacon joined in 1971. Mercury died in 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS, having confirmed the day before his death that he had the disease. In 1992, Mercury was posthumously awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, and a tribute concert was held at Wembley Stadium, London. As a member of Queen, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2002, he was placed number 58 in the BBC's 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He is consistently voted one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music.