Freddy Mercury has gone down in history as arguably the greatest rock and roll frontman of any band in any generation. Nay, not arguably, definitely! His raw talent, power, and presence blew everyone away, particularly those who were lucky enough to see him perform live. None of that lip-syncs nonsense you see so much of nowadays – Freddie was a true performer, the like of which we might never see again.
His incredible range and operatic quality was unique, which makes him an extremely hard act to follow. Attempting a Queen number isn’t an easy task, as aside from being difficult to sing, the chances are you’re not going to even come close to emulating Freddy’s quality. But 10-year-old Alex Privu gave it his best shot on a Romanian talent show – and he didn’t do half bad at all!
Alex is extremely shy and appears to be quite timid, barely registering as a presence on the stage. He’s clearly nervous as he begins a rendition of one of Mercury’s last songs, the powerful lyrics of “The Show Must Go On.” Indeed, the show does go on, as Alex begins to find his feet (and his lungs) and he turns in a surprisingly mature and capable vocal performance! The judges are more than impressed and there appears to be not a dry eye in the house as this young man really comes out of his shell!
Comparisons with Freddy are, of course, moot. Freddy was 44 when he recorded this number, already in extremely ill health with not long left to live. Yet he belted it out with his trademark emotion and power as if he was singing for the very first time. As many commenters on YouTube have noted, a young boy’s voice should be able to reach those notes, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Alex’s performance was brilliant.
“I can just see Freddie sitting on a cloud clapping his hands and cheering so loud for the sound of this young singer! He must be so proud right now. Awesome show!”
He’s certainly getting the praise he deserves and with the right encouragement and training, this young man might go a very long way indeed. He sure beats half the rubbish that’s out there, knocking spots off those so-called professional singers who can’t hold a note. Come back Freddy – all is forgiven! But with little Alex, time will tell if we have the next best thing!
