Queen’s original lineup had four members: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
The group formed in London in 1970 after Freddie Mercury joined the former Smile members Brian May and Roger Taylor. Queen initially recruited bassist Mike Grose, but John Deacon became the band’s permanent bassist in 1971, completing the classic four-member lineup.
That quartet made Queen’s best-known 1970s and 1980s recordings. Mercury handled lead vocals and piano, May played guitar and sang, Taylor played drums and contributed vocals, and Deacon played bass and wrote several major songs, including “Another One Bites the Dust.”
The phrase “original lineup” can cause confusion because early Queen performances briefly featured temporary bassists before Deacon joined. For the classic, established Queen lineup, however, the accepted count is four. Later touring collaborations with singers and additional musicians did not change the band’s original membership.