Marc Martel

Freddie Mercury Reincarnated as This Guy

To celebrate his rock band’s 40th anniversary, Queen drummer Roger Taylor is offering singers across North America the chance to upload a video to QueenExtravaganza for a chance to ditch their day job and become a rock star. It’s not the most rock n’ roll thing a band can do when hoping to replace the irreplaceable Freddie Mercury, but thems the times we live in, kids.

One entrant submitted a video of himself singing “Somebody to Love,” and it’s pretty much safe to say the contest is over. This dude’s so good he can be accused of lip syncing.

Now, nobody’s Freddie Mercury. But that’s insanely close. For comparison’s sake, take a listen to Freddie Mercury singing “Don’t Stop Me Now,” possibly the most underrated up-tempo rock song ever.

Internet sleuths on YouTube and Reddit traced this singer back to a Christian rock band called Downhere, though that band’s songs sound nothing like Queen’s. Their lead singer, Marc Martel, clearly can sing in a variety of styles. Here’s a Downhere original.

And here’s Martel singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2008:

Stepping in for Freddie Mercury is pretty much like stepping in for God anyways, so if Marc Martel wants to sing in The Queen Extravaganza, it won’t be a big stretch to go from one band to the other.

Comments (21) Write a comment

  1. I don’t think Martel is leaving Downhere. (And Downhere’s music has clearly been Queen-esque at times.) Downhere is his home, but I think he’d be open to a vacation in the Queen world. And Internet sleuths needed to find this out? Us Downhomies have known of this best kept secret of music for years. And yes, for sure, that is the one and only Marc Martel. :D

  2. Marc is hands down the greatest singer i have heard perform live. I have heard him perform Queen songs a bunch of times over the last 5 or 6 years, and he leaves people with their jaws on the floor. This is a no brainer.

  3. search him on youtube doing Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma. Not kidding. Dude can sing anything.

  4. Indeed. Marc is the bomb. I’ve been a fan of downhere for the past…. 5 years or so? This guy knows how to perform and is an amazing man of God.

  7. I’ve seen Marc perform “We Will Rock You” and that has always blown me away. I think over the years he’s grown tired of hearing “you should JUST like Freddie Mercury from Queen” — but now, maybe, he’s embracing it. I am stoked, and would love to see him win this. If he doesn’t, then it would simply have to be God’s will.

  8. Been a downhere fan since before they were downhere and I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone sing quite like Marc Martel! :D

  9. They do sound like Queen. I kept hearing a song on the Christian station, and told my husband that they sound like Queen. Listen to My Last Amen by Downhere on You Tube.

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  13. Have known Jason and Marc since mid ’90… And there is nothing fake about their voices and how they sing. They sang at our wedding in ’97. They sang Calmer of the Storm, Love Moves in Mysterious Ways (Michael English) and The Other Side Of Me (Michael W. Smith).

  14. Though I’m not a Christian, nor am I a big fan of Christian Rock per se…I’m a brand new fan of Marc’s. I am, however, a person of faith and I also find it somehow appropriate that Marc would be the person that God would choose to bless with a voice on par with one of the Greatest Musical Frontmen that Music has ever known. Music, the stories it tells and the impact it has on our souls can only be considered a Gift from Heaven. Since God is the ultimate “conductor” what better than a man who has spent his entire musical career singing the praises of Heaven, singing the songs of one of the greatest musical gifts God ever gave mankind: Freddie Mercury and Queen? Marc is blessed. This is his time to shine…

  17. I just listened to that ‘Let me Rediscover you’ song. Never really listened to Christian music before, but that is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, and his voice is absolutely stellar! I can see why people always told him he sounded like Freddie Mercury ( not to mention he bares an uncanny/eerie resemblance). Its especially present when he sings powerful notes and the softer ones also. Incredible!

  18. The new album On the Altar of Love is the best to date for downhere. I’m glad that you enjoyed it as much as the fans of downhere have :)

  19. he’d be dumb to turn down being on stage with queen and if the band downhere have any respect for him they’d make him go.

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