Q&A WITH FREDDIE MERCURY SOUND-ALIKE MARC MARTEL

EDITOR’S NOTE: This Q&A with Marc Martel originally ran on Nov. 20.

For the past few years, Marc Martel of Nashville has been the vocalist for the “Queen Extravaganza,” a live show that focuses strictly on the music of Queen. He was chosen by original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor because he sounds so much like vocalist Freddie Mercury.

Before the Extravaganza, he was lead singer in Downhere, a Christian rock band from Canada that has won five Juno Awards, Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys, and 24 Covenant Awards, the country’s equivalent of the Doves.

In February, Martel is coming to Chattanooga with the Black Jacket Symphony for a note-for-note performance of Queen’s “Night at the Opera,” the band’s 1975 album that includes the band’s signature song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Here’s a Q&A with the singer.

Q: Twenty-five years after Freddie Mercury’s death, what do you think his legacy is?

A: I see Freddie’s legacy as the great example of pouring yourself into your work. Breaking through creative barriers. Never being satisfied with the status quo — particularly in his early work. Never letting what’s popular dictate how your own art should look and sound. I’m a better singer now, having sung his music for a few years. He has challenged me to rise up to the bar he set. I’m sure he had his influences, but he seems to stand on his own as an original nonetheless.

Q: Many musicians say Freddie and Queen were big influences, but where do you see his fingerprints today?

A: I’m finding it more and more difficult to find his fingerprints in today’s music. Queen’s hits are as ubiquitous as ever, having reached classic status, and their permanent mark on popular music is undeniable. But Queen were not much for subtlety, or the formulaic, and I don’t hear the big voices much in the most current music. Seems like we’re in an era of less-is-more. I can think of Adele and Bruno Mars, off the top of my head, who I’d bet have listened to their share of Freddie. But Freddie had a raw, unpolished aspect that I’m not certain would fly today. He sang his guts out even when his voice wouldn’t let him. I really admire that spirit. Of the live performances I’ve seen of him, I’ve never once seen him look bored. I’ve been around long enough to know that music goes in cycles. I’m sure there will eventually be a return to the more grandiose.

Q: Having performed Queen music for about four years, what have you learned that you didn’t know before you were in “Queen Extravaganza”?

A: That it’s OK to fail. I tend to be one of those who opt out of something if I don’t think I will nail it. Even Freddie had his notso-well-received offerings. When you produce that much music over your career, you’re going to disappoint someone. In this age of internet trolling, feedback is immediate. And if you choose a career whose success depends on public opinion, if you don’t have that thick skin and assurance that you were made to do something, you’re in for a hard life as an artist.

Q: In “Queen Extravaganza,” do you also try to emulate Freddie’s stage persona?

A: I really do my best not to. Even though I spent 13 years in a band before the QE, I never got to develop my own “frontman” persona since I was also the guitarist in the band, which really restricts movement. Now throw me into a band where I’m free to roam anywhere I wish — no one did that better than Freddie. He was gymnastic in his presentation, always moving. Gesturing with his arms — his whole being really. Telling the crowd where to look. So if you see me borrowing a bit from that, it’s just that I don’t know any better way to do it. Casually sauntering around the stage while singing Queen feels wrong to me.