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Canadian singer Marc Martel goes viral with Freddie Mercury imitation



Canadian singer Marc Martel goes viral with Freddie Mercury imitation

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREKkAk628I&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]




Postmedia News Sep 26, 2011 – 11:54 AM ET | Last Updated: Sep 26, 2011 1:36 PM ET

Judges of a new Queen tribute contest may have found somebody to love in a Canadian vocalist with a deadly Freddie imitation.

Marc Martel, a member of the Juno-winning band Downhere, submitted a striking rendition of Queen’s Somebody to Love as a video audition for the Queen Extravaganza, which will see selected singers and musicians set out on a North American tour in 2012 to mark the legendary band’s 40th anniversary.

Complete with moustache, Martel’s audition sounds — and looks — very much like the late singer Freddie Mercury.

Since his audition was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday, the clip has received more than 2.6 million views, and counting.

The contest is headed by Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who is part of a judging panel once the contest — found at queenextravaganza.com — gets down to its finalists.

The contest will fill spaces for a five-piece band and will also select three vocalists to be part of the tour.

Downhere, which started in Saskatchewan but is now based in the U.S., has won three Juno awards for their gospel and Christian recordings.

Posted in: Ampersand, Music Tags: Downhere, Marc Martel, Queen, Queen Extravaganza, Roger Taylor, Somebody to Love

Martel with an insert of Mercury singing
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPhkfk8EBsI&feature=related[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY4BOw1LVco&feature=related[/youtube]

HOLY Freddie Mercury!!!

I'm at a loss for words. Looks like him, sounds like him, can't tell the difference when not looking at the video. WOW!!

Yep and I really wonder if his mother and Freddie ran into each other at some point (ie 9 months prior to Martel's birth)???????

Stephanie wrote:HOLY Freddie Mercury!!!

I'm at a loss for words. Looks like him, sounds like him, can't tell the difference when not looking at the video. WOW!!

If he doesn't get the nod for the tour then someone has a Freddie Mercury clone they haven't brought out yet!!!! INCREDIBLE!!!! That is not an easy song to do either.

Texans will be able to see/hear him singing that song live soon:
"by Downhere

Truly, we never know what tomorrow holds.

After all of the attention Marc’s audition video has received we think it’s time to add a Queen song to our set. We don’t want to be booed off the stage after all. So if you are able to make it to one of our Called To Love tour dates with Jason Gray and Aaron Shust, yes, we will be playing Somebody To Love live! The tour starts October 1st in Abilene, TX.

And if you still haven’t picked it up, our new album – On The Altar Of Love – is now available here and of course on itunes."
http://dhposts.com/#275

And the winners are:
3 Canadians to play in Queen tribute band

Freddie Mercury soundalike Marc Martel among contest winners

Montreal-born vocalist Marc Martel, Quebec City bass player François Olivier Doyon and Toronto guitarist Tristan Avakian are among the winners announced Thursday in the Queen Extravaganza contest.

They auditioned via video before flying to Los Angeles earlier this week for a live audition in front of Queen drummer/songwriter Roger Taylor. The winners will tour next year in a Queen tribute band, recreating the Queen arena experience with songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and We are the Champions.

The other winners of the Queen contest:
Jennifer Espinosa, San Antonio, Tx., vocalist.
Brian Gresh, Tulsa, Okla., guitarist.
Tyler Warren, Camden, Tenn., drums.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2011/12/08/queen-tribute-winners.html

Wow. Just wow. I mean wow.

I'm glad that he won.

I'm happy for him too....can't imagine anyone getting closer (he'll need help with his stage presence but the voice is right on and his looks aren't far off).