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All-star Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert to screen on YouTube Friday as COVID-19 fundraiser

/ Oldies 93
Andrea Dresdale
May 14, 2020 | 5:00 PM


Mick Hutson/RedfernsIn April of 1992, some of music’s biggest names — including David Bowie, Robert Plant, Guns N’ Roses and Elton John — gathered at Wembley Stadium for a giant Freddie Mercury tribute concert.  All the money raised was used by Queen‘s Brian May, Roger Taylor and the band’s manager to launch the HIV/AIDS charity Mercury Phoenix Trust.  But now, you can watch the concert online, and raise money for yet another worthy cause.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness will screen tomorrow, May 15, at 2 p.m. ET at Queen’s official YouTube channel, and fans will be encouraged to donate to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization.  Google will match two dollars for every dollar donated. 

In addition to Bowie, Plant, Elton and GN’R, other acts who performed at the tribute concert included George Michael, Annie Lennox, Metallica, Def Leppard, The Who‘s Roger Daltrey, Seal, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Tonny Iommi and Paul Young, among others.  U2 also appeared via satellite.

The remaining members of Queen also took part in the show, which marked the final large-scale live event that bass player John Deacon played with the band before he retired.

While the concert will be available for 48 hours only, the ongoing Google/YouTube UN Foundation campaign fundraiser runs through June 30, 2020.

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