Freddie Mercury was born in a. Britain b. Zanzibar c. India
His performances could be described as a. ordinary b. subdued c. theatrical
After Mercury’s death, his bandmates started a foundation to a. end hunger b. fight AIDS c. cure cancer
Discussion/essay questions
Music can be very powerful. Is there a song, singer, or band that had an important impact on your life? How did it affect you?
Transcript
Freddie Mercury was a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, which also included guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon. Mercury was born in Zanzibar in 1946. His given name was Farrokh Bulsara, which he changed after his family immigrated to Britain. Mercury became known for his vocal range and his experimental songwriting. His performances were energetic and theatrical. Although he never publicly labelled his sexuality, Mercury had romantic relationships with both men and women. In the last few years of his life, Mercury suffered from AIDS, which he kept private. After his death in 1991, his bandmates started a foundation to help fight AIDS around the world.
Harry Houdini was born in a. New York City b. Budapest c. London
The name “Harry Houdini” was a. a stage name b. a childhood nickname c. the full name of an older trapeze artist
Houdini began his career by a. performing on the trapeze b. escaping from handcuffs c. holding his breath underwater
Discussion/essay questions
Some people like to understand how magic tricks are accomplished. Others feel that this ruins the experience. What’s your opinion? Why do you think people enjoy seeing illusions?
Transcript
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-American magician and escape artist. He was born in Budapest in 1874, originally named Erich Weisz. He invented the stage name “Harry Houdini” using a childhood nickname and the surname of a magician he respected. Houdini’s family immigrated to the US when he was young. He began his career as a performer by doing trapeze acts in New York City, but he didn’t receive much attention until he started an act of locking himself in handcuffs and then breaking free. His escape acts quickly became very famous. Throughout his life, Houdini escaped prisons, coffins, police transport cars, and tanks filled with water. He performed until his death in 1926. Some of his tricks still have not been definitively explained.
