John Deacon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Deacon
Deacon in a 1977 publicity photo for News of the World
Born	John Richard Deacon (1951-08-19) 19 August 1951 (age 74) Leicester, England
Education	Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
Alma mater	Chelsea College
Occupation	Musician songwriter
Years active	1965–1997
Spouse(s)	Veronica Tetzlaff ​ (m. 1975)​
Children	6
Musical career
Genres	Rock
Instruments	Bass guitar

John Richard Deacon (born August 19, 1951) is an English musician who used to play bass guitar for the famous rock band Queen. He wrote many popular songs for the group. These include big hits like "You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust", and "I Want to Break Free". He also helped write other songs such as "Under Pressure". Besides music, John Deacon also helped manage the band's money.

John grew up in Oadby, England. He started playing bass guitar in a local band called The Opposition. Later, he moved to London to study electronics at Chelsea College. In 1971, he joined Queen. He was chosen because of his musical skills and his knowledge of electronics. He even built a special amplifier called the Deacy Amp. Guitarist Brian May used this amp to create unique sounds in Queen's music.

From Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, John started writing at least one song for each album. Many of these songs became hits. Besides bass guitar, John also played some guitar, keyboards, and piano on Queen's studio recordings.

After Freddie Mercury, Queen's lead singer, passed away in 1991, John performed less often with the band. He officially stopped making music in 1997 after recording the song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)". He has not performed in any projects with the other two members, Brian May and Roger Taylor, since then.

John Deacon was recognized for his contributions to music. He was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Queen in 2001. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early Life and Interests

John Richard Deacon was born on August 19, 1951, in Leicester, England. His parents were Arthur Henry and Lilian Molly Deacon. He had an older brother, Robert, who passed away young. He also has a younger sister named Julie. In 1960, his family moved to Oadby. Friends and bandmates often called him "Deacs" or "Deacy."

John was interested in electronics from a young age. He enjoyed reading magazines about electronics. He also built small devices. For example, he changed a reel-to-reel tape recorder to record music from the radio. He went to Linden Junior School, Gartree High School, and Beauchamp Grammar School. He earned excellent grades in his exams. He especially liked soul music.

In 1965, when he was 14, John started a school band called The Opposition. The band changed its members and names many times. John left the band in 1969. He wanted to study Electrical Engineering at Chelsea College in London.

Joining Queen

John Deacon joined his first band, The Opposition, in 1965. He was 14 years old. The band played cover songs of popular hits. John first played rhythm guitar. He bought his guitar with money he borrowed from the band's founder. The next year, he switched to bass guitar. This happened after the original bassist left the band. John also kept newspaper clippings and advertisements about The Opposition.

After four years, John played his last concert with the band in August 1969. At that time, the band was called The Art. He left to study at Chelsea College in London. He earned a top degree in Electronic Engineering in 1971.

Even though he left his bass at home, John decided he wanted to join a band again. In 1970, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor formed Queen. John saw them perform but was not very impressed at first. Later that year, he briefly formed his own band called Deacon.

In early 1971, a friend introduced John to Roger Taylor and Brian May at a disco. His friend told him they needed a new bassist. A few days later, John auditioned for Queen. He became the last member to join the band. John was the youngest member of Queen. He was chosen for his musical talent, his calm personality, and his skills with electronics. John played his first show with Queen in June.

On Queen's first album (1973), he was called "Deacon John." This was to make his name sound more interesting. But he asked to be called by his real name. So, from the album Queen II (1974) onwards, he was credited as John Deacon.

Deacon performing with Queen in Dublin in 1979

John Deacon's Songwriting

John Deacon's first songwriting credit was on Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack (1974). He wrote "Misfire," a song with a Caribbean feel. He played almost all the guitar parts on this song. He also helped write "Stone Cold Crazy" with the rest of the band. He played some guide guitar parts on the album too. This was because Brian May was sick when they started recording.

His second song, "You're My Best Friend," was for his fiancée Veronica. It was on the band's fourth album, A Night at the Opera (1975). This song became a big hit around the world. After that, John usually wrote one or two songs for each Queen album. Later albums like The Miracle (1989) and Innuendo (1991) credited the whole band for songs.

He wrote the hit song "Another One Bites the Dust" (1980). It was a dance song inspired by his love for soul music. This song was played on many radio stations in the US. It quickly became one of Queen's best-selling singles. John worked with Freddie Mercury a lot in the early 1980s. He helped move the band's music towards a lighter, disco sound.

John's work with Freddie Mercury led to the album Hot Space in 1982. He played rhythm guitar on the song "Staying Power." This was because of his soul and Motown music style. He also insisted on playing guitar on his own song "Back Chat." He didn't let Brian May play any guitar solos on it. This caused a disagreement between them. "Back Chat" and the album were not as successful. So, the band went back to their rock roots on later albums.

By the mid-1980s, John started playing with other bands too. He played on a single called "Picking Up Sounds." He also played with a group called The Immortals. They released a song for the movie Biggles: Adventures in Time. John also played bass on Freddie Mercury's song with Montserrat Caballe. He worked with Elton John and Hot Chocolate's Errol Brown as well.

John felt that his songwriting was as important as his playing skills in Queen. He once said that if he had only been a bass player, he wouldn't have been as happy.

Life After Queen

John Deacon was very sad when Freddie Mercury passed away in November 1991. This made him stop playing music almost entirely. He said that there was no point in continuing without Freddie. After Freddie's death, he performed live with Queen only three more times. These included The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. He also played at a charity concert in 1993. His last public performance was in Paris in 1997. There, he played "The Show Must Go On" with Elton John singing.

He briefly rejoined his former bandmates in October 1997. They recorded the last Queen song, "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)". This song was on the Queen Rocks album. Since then, John has stayed out of the public eye. He did not attend Queen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. He also did not join the band's collaborations with singers like Paul Rodgers or Adam Lambert.

Brian May has said that John is still involved in the business side of Queen. But he prefers to stay out of the spotlight. May also confirmed that John approved of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. In the movie, John was played by Joseph Mazzello.

In 2013, a new type of damselfly was named Heteragrion johndeaconi after John. This was to honor his musical and songwriting skills. It was one of four damselflies named after Queen band members. This celebrated the 40th anniversary of Queen's first album.

In 2014, Brian May and Roger Taylor said that they don't have much contact with John anymore. They only talk about financial matters. Roger Taylor said John had "completely retired from any kind of social contact." However, May added that John still keeps an eye on the band's money. In 2022, Brian May said that John has repeatedly declined to rejoin Queen.

Musical Style and Gear

In 1973, a music magazine wrote that the combination of Roger Taylor and John Deacon was "explosive." John played guitar in addition to bass. He often played rhythm guitar parts on many albums. He also played in some acoustic performances. Some of the guitar work on Hot Space was done by John. He sometimes played synthesizers on his own songs. He often wrote music on the piano. He played a Wurlitzer electric piano on "You're My Best Friend." You can also see him playing the grand piano in the music video for "Spread Your Wings." However, Freddie Mercury played the piano on the actual song. Unlike the other three members of Queen, John did not sing on the band's records. But he did sing backing vocals during live shows and on a few studio recordings.

John's first bass guitar was an Eko. Later, he switched to a Rickenbacker 4001. For most of Queen's career, he used a Fender Precision Bass. This bass changed its look several times. Towards the end of the band's career, he used a custom bass designed by Roger Giffin. He also sometimes used an Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray live.

As a trained electronics engineer, John could build equipment for the band. His most famous creation is the "Deacy Amp." He built it in 1972 from old electronic parts he found. Both he and Brian May used this amplifier throughout Queen's recording career. Many of the special "guitar orchestras" sounds on Queen albums were made using this amplifier.

John usually played the bass with his fingers. He only used a plectrum (pick) on some songs. He said his musical influences included Chic, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. His favorite bass players were Chris Squire from Yes and The Who's John Entwistle. A special part of John's playing style is his quick bass runs. A review in 1975 said that John Deacon was "one of his rock generation's most able" musicians.

Personal Life

John Deacon has often been described as the quiet member of Queen. The other band members felt he was the right bassist for them. He rarely spoke during rehearsals and avoided arguments. He lives in Putney, London, with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff. They got married on January 18, 1975, and have six children.

According to a 2019 list, John Deacon's wealth was estimated to be £130 million.

Songs Written by John Deacon

Queen songs John Deacon wrote that were released as singles:

• "You're My Best Friend" from A Night at the Opera
• "Spread Your Wings" from News of the World
• "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Need Your Loving Tonight" from The Game
• "Under Pressure" from Hot Space (co-written with Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and David Bowie)
• "Back Chat" from Hot Space
• "I Want to Break Free" from The Works
• "One Vision" (co-written with Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor)
• "One Year of Love" from A Kind of Magic
• "Friends Will Be Friends", "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" (both co-written with Freddie Mercury)
• "The Show Must Go On" from Innuendo (written by Queen, but mostly by Brian May)

Selected Queen album songs:

• "Misfire" from Sheer Heart Attack
• "You and I" from A Day at the Races
• "Who Needs You" from News of the World
• "If You Can't Beat Them" and "In Only Seven Days" from Jazz
• "Cool Cat" from Hot Space (co-written with Freddie Mercury)
• "Rain Must Fall" and "My Baby Does Me" (both co-written with Freddie Mercury and credited to Queen) from The Miracle.
• "My Life Has Been Saved" (credited to Queen) from Made in Heaven.

Selected songs from other projects:

• Jive Junior and Man Friday: "Picking Up Sounds" (single, 1983)
• The Immortals: "No Turning Back" (song from Biggles: Adventures in Time soundtrack) (1986)

See also

In Spanish: John Deacon para niños