I feel that the name Queen actually fitted that time. It lent itself to a lot of things, like the theatre, and it was grand. It was very pompous, with all kinds of connotations. It meant so much. It wasn't just one precise label. I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it.

If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name.

Years ago, I thought up the name Queen. It's just a name. But it's regal, obviously, and sounds splendid.

The way that I sing, what I sing about, what I wear, who I am, this is me. I was born this way.

I had no idea how to do that, because I was either above or below everybody. I was either towering above as Clapton the guitar virtuoso, or cringing on the floor, because if you took away my guitar and my musical career, then I was nothing.

One of the challenges we set up for 'Puscifer' was to come up with a core identity and see how far we can push it.