Queen was honored with the PRS For Music Heritage Award at Imperial College Tuesday, at the same location where they first played in London on July 18th, 1970. The black and red plaque was unveiled by PRS Chairman Guy Fletcher in front of close friends and family including Kashmira Cooke, Freddie Mercury’s sister.
Queen wrote 16 #1 albums, 18 #1 singles and sold over 300 million records. They also remain one of the few bands whose members all penned hit songs. Roger Taylor, who accepted the award alongside Brian May, famously wrote Queen’s landmark hits “Radio Ga Ga” and “A Kind Of Magic”, while Brian wrote the anthems, “We Will Rock You”, “The Show Must Go On” and “I Want It All.”
PRS For Music established the Heritage Award in 2009 to recognize the vital role live music venues play in launching the careers of the UK’s iconic and most influential music talent. Previous recipients include Blur, Elton John, Jethro Tull and Supergrass.
“The first proper gig we did was at Imperial College in the Union Hall,” said Brian May. “I remember it very distinctly because I’d seen all sorts of people playing in there. I’d been part of the Entertainment Committee and we booked a group every Saturday night in those days. People like Spooky Tooth and Steamhammer! We booked Jimi Hendrix, too. So for us it was a dream come true to actually play on that stage. It used to get packed in there so it was a major stepping stone for us.”
“Imperial College was effectively our positional and spiritual base and so means a lot to Queen,” added Roger Taylor. “Many good memories, without it…who knows?”
“It is a true honor to be here today to recognize some of the best British songwriters this country has ever produced and celebrate with so many friends and family,” stated PRS Chairman Guy Fletcher. “Days like this make me feel very proud and remind me how lucky I am to work at PRS for Music. In Great Britain, music is what we do best, but Queen took it to a whole other level – they are our heritage.”
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