Brian May recalls Freddie Mercury's reaction to Wayne's World 'Bohemian Rhapsody' scene
Brian took part in a virtual Wayne's World reunion
Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler and Alice Cooper all took part in a virtual reunion for Wayne’s World last night (7th December).
At the start of the year in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, comedian Josh Gad (aka Olaf from Frozen) celebrated a string of hit movies including Ghostbusters, Ferris Bueller, Back To The Future, and Splash by hosting virtual reunions of cast members via zoom and broadcasting the chats on his YouTube channel.
The second season of his Reunited Apart series kicked off last night with Mike Myers (Wayne Campbell), Dana Carvey (Garth Algar), Tia Carrere (Cassandra Wong), Rob Lowe (Benjamin Kane) and other cast members and stars from the rock world all joining Josh Gad from the comfort of their own homes to celebrate the two Wayne’s World movies.
The 37-minute video opens with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler discussing their appearance on the Wayne’s World Saturday Night Live Sketch in February 1990 and in Wayne’s World 2 three years later.
During the chat, Joe and Steven belt out the Wayne’s World theme music alongside Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.
Midway through the reunion, Alice Cooper joins the chat to reflect upon the hilarious “we’re not worthy!” scene in Wayne’s World.
Making light of his casting, Alice said: “I think they probably couldn’t get the Stones of the Beatles. Scraping the barrel until I was the only one left.
“I was just supposed to talk and then when I got there Michael said ‘Oh, by the way, here’s like eight pages to learn.’”
Perhaps the most poignant moment of the entire Wayne’s World reunion was when Queen’s Brian May revealed that Freddie Mercury watched the legendary Wayne's World ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ headbanging scene shortly prior to his death in 1991.
Brian said: “I took (a VHS tape of the scene) around to Freddie not long before he went and showed it to him, because you said you wanted to have the approval.
“He loved it, he just laughed and laughed. He was very weak, but he just smiled and laughed. He said, ‘How wonderful is that?’”
When Brian reveals that the scene helped reignite Queen’s popularity in the US, Mike Myers replied: “I didn’t know that. My little Toronto head can’t handle that. But that’s fantastic.”
“You did it,” Brian added. “You got us back to a new American public, and Freddie was very aware of that. He went to the next place knowing what had happened.”
Watch Wayne’s World Reunited Apart:
The real names of famous rock stars, including Freddie Mercury, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.