“…Freddie was he a good person. Fun and very friendly!”

– Dear Denise Thank you for your participation here
– Where are you from?

Originally I am from Brooklyn New York. My mother is from Galicia Spain

When did you start you career as a dancer?

-About 1973.

– How did you get involved into Queen?We know that you  ended up on a stage with them in 1977, how did it happen?

The director of the dance troop got a phone call that 6 dancers were needed for an after party for a rock group.I asked who it was but the person that notified me had no clue.

 

– Thinking back to that day, were you thrilled to be there?

Well……I was gathering my things when I looked up Freddie was standing 5 ft away from me.Just him and I standing there. He started a conversation with me. He wanted to know why I didn’t go up to him and dance with him.I told him people paid a lot of money for the tickets. They came here to see you not me. He said he didn’t care about that. It would have been fun.Then I asked him if I could ask him a question.He said …you can ask me a question. I know it’s common knowledge now but it wasn’t then. I asked him his ethnic background.He told me he was Iranian..born in Zanzibar. Bet you thought I was English because of my accent. Then told me he’s was educated in England. I told him I knew that.The reason Shira and I were asked to dance at the concert was at the request of one of the band members. Except for one who was dating one of them.
My impression of Freddie was he a good person. Fun and very friendly. Not conceited. He disappeared as fast as he appeared. Ran into a friend backstage with a drummer from another rock band. Said they were friends of Rogers. I didn’t know that.We spent the first 3/4 of the concert in the audience. We were extremely impressed.

 

 

– Today, 40 years later, what memories do you have of that wonderful experience?

Watching Brian play White Christmas on acoustic guitar…by Brian …dancing on stage with everyone thinking how strange when a Christmas tree and Giant gingerbread cooky appeared. I think one was their manager and the other some A and R person from a record company
Brian coming up to me and striking a pose while I was dancing he was interacting.Possibly screaming after the lights were turned up and seeing over 10,000 people in the audience.That’s a lot of people.

 

This dancer also danced with me at the concert. She’s in the photo with me on the middle. She’s all the way to the left her name is Shira Jane. She is now deceased. I miss her all the time

”She really loved Queen. We were both thrilled to dance on stage with them!”

In memoria of Shira Jane

 

Interview Scarlet Denise Russo – October 2017.