John Deacon has made a surprise contribution to Queen for the first time since leaving the band almost thirty years ago.
The former bassist has lived in relative anonymity since he decided to step away from the rock and roll lifestyle back in 1997. However, he has now made a rare exception by joining his bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor to sign a special copy of their album A Night at the Opera.
Released in 1975 and featuring some of the band’s most seismic tunes, including ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘You’re My Best Friend’, the latter of which was written by Deacon himself, the signed album is going up for charity auction.
Proceeds will go to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity set up to honour the memory of Freddie Mercury. A portion of the money raised will be used to raise awareness for HIV and AIDS, which Mercury tragically died from in 1991.
The charity confirmed that the signatures on the album are “100 per cent authentic” and have been penned in “the last two weeks,” ending decades of Deacon’s distance from all the band’s projects.
The signed version of A Night at the Opera will be put up for auction on September 6th at the Freddie Mercury Birthday Party in Montreux, which takes place on an annual basis. The event will happen at the Casino Barrière Montreux, the site where Queen’s Mountain Studios used to be located.
Fans will be able to place a bid for the album if they are in person at the casino from 12pm onwards on September 6th, with the winner being announced at the party that same evening.