Freddie Mercury, 45, who was known as...

Freddie Mercury, 45, who was known as the showman of British pop music as lead singer of the rock group Queen, died yesterday of acquired immune deficiency syndrome at his London home, his publicist said. As a flamboyant star of the British hard rock scene for almost 20 years, he took Queen to the top of the charts with hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are The Champions." Mr. Mercury announced he had AIDS only a day before his death, calling on his fans around the world to join the fight against the disease.