Freddie Mercury impersonator Marc Martel is the closest you can get to the real thing

2 October 2025, 15:25

There's no one quite like Freddie Mercury, but this tribute artist gets pretty close.

Freddie Mercury was an utterly unique live performer.

Fronting Queen, he was the ultimate rock singer, holding audiences in the palm of his hand.

• Watch a Freddie Mercury impersonator wow Paul McCartney concert crowd - video
• Freddie Mercury's isolated vocals on Queen's 'Somebody To Love' are immaculate - listen
• Listen to the Gold Radio Greats Live Playlist on Global Player

There's no better example than Live Aid, when he had 72,000 in the crowd and a couple of billion more on the telly hanging off his every "A-yo".

Since Freddie's tragic passing, Queen have had plenty of other artists sing those songs.

From the likes of Annie Lennox, Elton John and Axl Rose at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert to more permanent singers Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert, many have given a fine account of themselves, but aren't quite Freddie.

Marc Martel sounds JUST like Freddie Mercury

Countless more singers have given it their shot on the tribute circuit, but to be frank most of those wouldn't be fit to plug in Freddie's microphone.

One glorious exception is Marc Martel, who fronts the tribute act One Vision of Queen feat. Marc Martel.

We wouldn't dream of suggesting that Marc is Freddie's equal – no-one is – but in the 21st century he's as close as you're going to ever get to the real thing.

Marc Martel - Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen cover)

Marc has toured all over the world doing his very best Mercury for massive audiences, and racked up millions and millions of streams online, too.

His stripped back piano and vocal performance of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is a thing of total beauty and has been viewed almost 60 MILLION times at the time of writing.

Freddie Mercury impersonator Marc Martel on why 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is so iconic

When it comes to live shows, Marc doesn't play the pub circuit, but the sort of venues any original act would be proud to book.

And this Saturday (October 4) he's playing a show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. Tickets are available now.

It's billed as "One of the world's most spectacular Queen Tribute Shows" and we're not going to disagree.