Freddie 1977 Original Tambourine

This piece was part of “Keep On Rockin’ — the 2019 Exhibition.” Below are photographs from the exhibition display, alongside the original write-up.

Freddie’s Tambourine 1977

An original tambourine used by Freddie Mercury on the 1977 US tour, at the Portland, Oregon show. Peter Hince — Queen’s longtime road crew member and equipment tech — prepared these carefully to Freddie’s own instructions, since Freddie would often fling the tambourine out into the crowd after the songs that called for it.

It didn’t always survive the throw intact. Only a handful of examples are known to have made it back in good condition — this one among them, shown here alongside a live shot of Freddie mid-performance with a matching tambourine in hand, and a promotional photo from the same period.

This piece is part of “Keep On Rockin’ — the 2019 Exhibition.” See the full exhibition here.