John Deacon: 10 Fun Facts About Queen’s Bassist
John Deacon, a.k.a. “Deacy,” is often referred to as Queen’s quiet genius. While Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor took the spotlight, John let his bass do the talking.
The unassuming bassist crafted some of the most memorable and iconic bass lines in rock history. A brilliant musician and a true team player, Deacon contributed to the band far more than most people realize.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Queen‘s secret weapon.
1. Deacon is an electrical engineer
A common thread among Queen members is their academic excellence, and John Deacon is no exception. He graduated in electrical engineering from Chelsea College in London.
Electronics is something he showed great interest in from an early age, often reading technical magazines and tinkering with gadgets. John ether build or modified small devices like a reel-to-reel tape deck which he used to record music from the radio.
2. Was part of a band at the age of 14
Deacon‘s first step into the world of music came when he joined a local band called The Opposition at just 14 years old. Although he started as a rhythm guitarist, changes in the lineup prompted him to switch to bass which, from this point of view, seems like fate.
He was also the band’s unofficial archivist, meticulously documenting newspaper mentions of the band, their advertisements, gigs, and rehearsals, until he left in 1969 to focus on his studies.
3. He wasn’t a founding member of Queen
Queen‘s journey nearly unfolded without its anchoring bassist. While Brian and Roger began performing as Smile before Freddie joined them and renamed the band, the several years younger John Deacon was adjusting to college life.
Queen had cycled through several bassists before they found the right fit. After auditioning seven candidates, they finally found their missing piece in February 1971 – the quiet genius who completed the quartet.
4. John is a multi-instrumentalist
Although he is known primarily for his bass playing, Deacon is a talented multi-instrumentalist who can also play guitar, piano, and keyboards. For example his piano playing can be heard on “You’re My Best Friend” and he played rhythm guitar on “Back Chat”.
Of course, those aren’t the only two songs he played different instruments on, his versatility added rich layers to Queen’s studio sound.
5. Wrote some of the biggest Queen hits
As we have already established John Deacon wasn’t just the band’s bassist, but he also wasn’t just an instrumentalist. He penned or co-wrote some of their biggest hits.
The Queen hits Deacy is responsible for – “I Want to Break Free”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, ‘You’re My Best Friend”, “Spread Your Wings”, and “Back Chat”. He also not only provided the song’s iconic bass lines, but co-wrote “Under Pressure”, the mega hit with David Bowie.
6. Used his engineering skills to make a homemade amp
During Queen‘s early days while still completing his engineering degree, John Deacon put his technical knowledge to practical use by constructing a homemade guitar amp now famously known as the “Deacy Amp.”
Brian May loved the unique tones it produced and paired the homemade amp with his own hand-built “Red Special’ guitar. The two items became an integral part of Queen’s legacy and iconic sound.
7. Together with his wife since 1975
John Deacon and his wife Veronica Tetzlaff, whom he married in 1975, proved to be an exception in the rock and roll lifestyle where relationships usually don’t last. The couple have six children together, and John even wrote “You’re My Best Friend” for Veronica using the Wurlitzer electric piano he’d given her as a gift.
Maintaining a decades-long marriage as a rock star is a trait he shares with another “quiet genius” – Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones, who has been married to his wife for more than five decades.
8. Unrivaled when it comes to creating catchy bass riffs
Queen’s music wouldn’t be the same without Deacon’s basslines, which have a way of embedding themselves in your subconscious.
His genius lay in creating deceptively simple but funky riffs that served as the backbone for Queen‘s biggest hits. They may not be as flashy as a guitar solo or as bold as a vocal line, but they are often the glue holding the entire song together.
From the groovy pulse of “Another One Bites the Dust” (the band’s best-selling single) to the hypnotic hook of “Under Pressure” that blends perfectly with Bowie‘s vocals, John showed that he truly is the group’s secret weapon.
May interest you: David Bowie’s Alter Ego – The Thin White Duke
9. He retired from music at the age of 46
The death of his good friend Freddie Mercury in 1991 profoundly affected Deacon, who gradually withdrew from the music world.
Although he performed a few more times with Queen, including the iconic Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, he officially retired in 1997 from both music and public life. And unlike his bandmates, he chose not to participate in Queen + collaborations, refusing to exploit the legacy of the band.
10. He is a big fan of soul music
John Deacon‘s lifelong love of soul and Motown music directly influenced his distinctive bass style. Artists like James Brown and bands like Chic had a noticeable influence on his playing, particularly in his funkier riffs.
This foundation allowed him to bring an unusual groovy, catchy and danceable sound to rock music, and it’s no wonder that his compositions crossed over to the Disco and R&B charts.
Final Thoughts
The story of John Deacon defies every rock star cliché and his influence on Queen and rock music in general is monumental. The modest bassist and devoted husband and father who built amplifiers as a hobby also crafted some of the biggest hits worldwide is an inspiration to us all.
Although he’s been absent from stages for decades, his presence is still strongly felt whenever a crowd instinctively starts humming to “Under Pressure” or dances to “Another One Bites the Dust”.