John Deacon

John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951, in Leicester, England) is a retired English musician, the fourth member of Queen, joining the classic line-up in 1971. Deacon was the second band member to pen a major hit, “You’re My Best Friend”, the single after Bohemian rhapsody.

Before joining Queen at the age of 19, Deacon had experience with his own Leicester band as a 15-year-old guitarist, ultimately grounding the band as a bassist. By 1969 he left the band and moved to earn an honours degree in Electronics at London’s Chelsea College, University of London.

It wasn’t until Queen’s third 1974 album that John’s songwriting prowess emerged. His songs and musicianship were key to Queen’s success and trademark variety in sound. In addition to “You’re My Best Friend” charting in 1976, his hits include the 1981 smash “Another One Bites the Dust”, and 1984’s “I Want To Break Free”. John Deacon was also instrumental in the group’s financial management.

Deacon’s bass-line to the hit [“Under Pressure”] first emerged as a tag-on non-hit, hit-to-be on the first U.S. pressing of Queen’s Greatest Hits in 1981.

Although 1982’s funk-infused “[Hot Space]” album was a commercial flop by Queen standards, one track has stood the test of time: the Deacon and Mercury composition with a Motown-feel, “Cool Cat”. But the timing turned lukewarm in the states, and Queen would never again return to North America to play live (to John, and to many fans, the band ceased to exist without Freddie Mercury).

While Freddie Mercury was alive and touring, increased success came in less charted territories, particularly where John’s “I Want to Break Free” was the key smash hit.

Deacon left the group, and the music business entirely, in 1997 after the death of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in 1991. 1995 marked the release of Queen’s final studio album.

John bowed-out after recording Queen’s 1997 tribute song to Freddie, by Brian May, “No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)”.