The clip was part of an audition for the Queen Extravaganza, a contest marking the 40th anniversary of the legendary rockers. Mercury, their iconic frontman, died in 1991. Drummer Roger Taylor is organizing the event, which will see selected singers taking stages across North America to pay tribute to the band.
While voting doesn't start until Nov. 14, Martel has already emerged a landslide favourite.
"If Marc Martel doesn't win," tweets Nick Seaman, "It will be a travesty."
The performance itself couldn't seem less contrived, except, perhaps, for the 'dirty moustache' Martel cultivated for the audition -- a nod to the iconic Queen frontman who died in 1991.
Martel distills the song to its bare essence, a no-frills performance anchored by a voice that's almost eerily Mercuryesque.
A consummate showman with a penchant for on-stage spectacle, Mercury was born in Zanzibar as Farrokh Bulsara. While he had dated women, Mercury was known to be bisexual.
Martel's band, Downhere, was formed at a bible college in Saskatchewan -- a Gospel and Christian rock outfit that would subsequently earn three Juno awards. The band has since moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
"Our music may come from a biblical standpoint but we don’t shy away from true experiences – doubt, loss, pain, sorrow – we want to deal with all of that," Martel told the WSJ. "Queen’s repertoire deals with those emotions and feelings too and I love singing their music because at the end of the day, it’s just true.”
He also seems to be loving the sudden catapult to internet stardom.
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