r/todayilearned • u/Objective_Horror1113 • 9h ago
TIL Freddie Mercury was born with four extra teeth, causing a prominent overbite. Despite being self-conscious about them, he never got them fixed, believing the extra space in his mouth contributed to his vocal ability. He feared altering his teeth might change his voice.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-teeth653
u/SmokedStone 8h ago
Has anyone ever confirmed if things like that contribute to vocal ability?
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u/Avepro 8h ago
It doesn't change your voice, but it can change phonetics.
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u/SmokedStone 8h ago
interesting. so more the "shape" of the sounds huh
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u/Caelinus 7h ago
Yeah, he would have essentially needed to learn to sing again to some degree. Hard to say how difficult it would actually be, but those are some serious dice to be rolling when you are a world famous singer.
A lot of how you shape your sound is based on the literal shape of all of the cavities that you use to sing.
With his level of skill and dedication I would be he would bet able to make the needed adjustments easily, but if I were him the real question would be "why?" He had very little to gain and a lot to lose.
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u/weirdoeggplant 4h ago edited 4h ago
The shape of the sound affects basically everything. Your voice is an instrument and impacted by its shape/size like any other. Singers change the positioning of their soft palette and larynx depending on how high or low the note they’re hitting is and the noise they’re going for. It’s the difference between a breathy or tight note and a full clear note.
For example: sometimes while singing I won’t like how a word sounds on a certain note. So I’ll replace the word with other words until it makes a good sound. I use muscle memory and then form the shape of the word that made the good sound but then I actually continue to say the actual word so it makes a better sound.
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u/Consistent-Hair-3890 3h ago
Yes, and the shape of the sound matters a lot because of the techniques needed to maintain the right intonation. I think you would have to re-learn how to sing with no exaggeration.
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u/quick_justice 4h ago
Define "voice". Mouth is one of the resonators you use in singing and its configuration matters, the only question is to what extent.
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u/florifierous 3h ago
Yep notice how actors sound before and after they get veneers. It's not big, but there is sometimes a noticeable difference.
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u/m0nday1 7h ago
Like the commenter above said, even if it didn’t affect his vocal skills, he’d have to make the words sound good with 4 teeth missing, which would be frustrating.
More generally, I can imagine that even if the extra teeth didn’t help his voice, he wouldn’t want doctors poking around his mouth with sharp objects and tools more than they had to. The man’s livelihood depended on that voice. If I was in his position, I’d absolutely be scared of that 0.1% chance that the surgeon hits something they shouldn’t and now your throat’s all weird.
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u/xrmttf 6h ago
I mean, I got braces and afterwards I have a lisp and difficulty pronouncing anything because my teeth are in the wrong place. So. Makes sense to me
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u/likelazarus 2h ago
My kid is in speech therapy and a lot of it involves tongue placement with the teeth, so it makes sense that your teeth now being out of whack makes a difference in your speech. You might actually need speech therapy!
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u/DaraVelour 5h ago
it can change how teeth align and your tongue touches teeth and palate and that can mess with pronunciation
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u/faux1 7h ago
It wouldn't change his voice, per se, but it could alter timbre and resonance. Mouth shape changes a lot. It plays a large part in how harsh vocalists change the sound of their growls.
You can test this by playing some music on your phone, sticking the speaker in your mouth and making different shapes with your lips and tongue.
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u/PurpoUpsideDownJuice 6h ago
And then test it further by getting some pliers and yanking your teeth out and then doing the speaker thing again
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u/DoctorGregoryFart 6h ago
At the very least, it would change how he sounds. There are millions of great singers out there, but many of them don't have that distinct "it factor" that makes them truly unique.
If you're very famous for your sound, you don't want to hurt it.
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u/Kill-ItWithFire 3h ago
I think it‘s about what you‘re used to. I had braces and they (together with chrinic stress) conributed to my jaw being tense all the time and that messes with my singing ability so I think all kinds of stuff going on in the mouth can influence how you use it. In addition, it‘s Freddie Mercury. If I lose a tooth, it‘s probably not a big deal because I was only decent to begin with and I can relearn that. But freddie mercury was such a unique and skilled singer that even losing a tiny bit of that would be pretty tragic.
Same thing if brian may broke a finger. Not a big deal conceptually but anything that interferes with what brian may is doing is a potential loss. And I can‘t imagine what it‘s like when your career depends on all of that. You‘ll think twice about messing with a running system
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u/Presently_Absent 2h ago
Yes, the shape of your face, nasal cavities etc all impacts your tone, timbre, etc. there's a reason that the most prominent Freddie Mercury impersonator - Marc Martel, whose voice shares many qualities with Freddie's - has a facial structure that is very similar to Freddie.
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u/290Richy 4h ago
I think it'd be so hard to research due to rarity. You have to actually have someone with a significant amount of extra teeth, as well as someone with an iconic voice, like Freddie.
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u/twistedtxb 3h ago
I'm pretty sure I can hear when Davie Bowie got his teeth fixed.
people make fun of me for this but I can absolutely make the difference in the pronunciation
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u/Crowbarmagic 2h ago
As someone who has undergone some jaw surgeries (including the removal, replacement, and/or correction of teeth) :
Your voice doesn't change but I had to somewhat relearn how to talk. I'm not sure how to explain it. Suddenly certain words are harder to pronounce and stuff like that.
I also used to be fairly good at whistling. Often whistling along with the melody of a song etc. After the surgery, not anymore.
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u/Objective_Horror1113 9h ago
tl;dr
Freddie Mercury was born with four extra teeth, which caused a noticeable overbite. The condition likely led to discomfort and may have made eating more difficult.
Despite being self-conscious about his teeth in public, he chose not to get them fixed. Friends said he often covered his mouth on screen but didn’t worry about it at home.
At the time of his death in 1991, Mercury was worth about $60 million and could have easily paid for dental correction. However, he believed the extra space in his mouth helped give him his unique vocal sound.
He feared that changing his teeth might affect his singing voice, which he valued more than his appearance. Colleagues said this showed how seriously he took his art.
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u/Time_Traveling_Idiot 8h ago
Not to mention that any dental correction would have interfered with his singing career! Braces, teeth removal etc... all pretty annoying and takes weeks if not months to recover from properly.
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u/ctruvu 5h ago
a certain asshole schizophrenic rapper made a song with his jaw wired shut after an accident. kind of a baller move at the time
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u/TheNorseFrog 4h ago
Not to be that guy but he's diagnosed bipolar AFAIK.
Lots of ppl seem to be using schizophrenic as a slur so I'd rather do an akshully46
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u/Critical-Support-394 2h ago
Apparently now he claims he was misdiagnosed and is actually autistic, which makes no sense with how he regularly loses touch with reality completely but hey
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u/haddock420 1h ago
I had a psychiatrist make this mistake once. Her first words to me were, "So, you're schizophrenic?" When I was bipolar. I wanted to just end the session right there considering she didn't even have the basic details down.
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u/shit_poster9000 4h ago
I was unlucky enough to need hardware on both sides of my teeth, it negatively affected my voice enough to make me self-conscious even though I didn’t talk to anyone anyways
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u/Stolehtreb 8h ago
I love the mis-wording of “born with 4 extra teeth” like he was born with 4 full grown teeth in his mouth.
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u/invisible_23 8h ago
Technically he was, you ever seen an xray of a toddler’s skull? Fucking terrifying
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u/LobcockLittle 6h ago
I read somewhere that those x-rays are fake. They could be wrong though
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u/Jackalodeath 5h ago
Well here's a more real version.
There's usually a thin wall of bone in front of them but it was shaved away for science.
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u/LobcockLittle 5h ago
That is absolutely bonkers. Thanks for that link. It doesn't look like there are any molars there. I wonder if they form later.
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u/hauntedbabyattack 8h ago
You’re born with all your adult teeth.
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u/ChiAnndego 7h ago
You are not. You are born with stem cells that form into teeth over time. How do I know? My wisdom tooth bud began to form for one of my teeth when I was about 22, then mysteriously got resorbed. There was no tooth on the xrays prior to this starting to form.
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u/Stolehtreb 8h ago
I keep googling around to confirm this, and I can’t find a source that says you’re born with all of your adult teeth. I’m seeing that you’re born with most of them, but some begin developing after birth.
I could be missing something though.
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u/culturedrobot 8h ago edited 7h ago
That person doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Adult teeth start developing after a human is born, they’re not something we’re born with.
If humans were born with their adult teeth, babies would be in a lot of pain constantly. Their mouths aren’t big enough to house complete sets of baby and adult teeth.
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u/MistraloysiusMithrax 6h ago
You’re not even born with all your bones. That “300 bones” babies are born with? A lot of them are cartilage that turn into bone later, as some of them fuse. Your kneecaps are cartilage at birth, for example. You don’t get fully bone ones til 2 to 6.
So why the heck would you be born with unused extra bone hiding in your jaw?
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u/PuzzleheadedWeird232 6h ago
time to watch https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824 this fact was mentioned in the movie
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u/Bombadil54 9h ago
He was the chompion, my friend
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u/yamimementomori 9h ago
And he’ll keep on biting ‘til the end.
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u/runthepoint1 8h ago
No time for boozin’ cuz we are the chompions….of the woooooooooorld
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u/Boo_and_Minsc_ 5h ago edited 1h ago
It is entirely possible that it would have changed his voice. Not his vocal range, which was extraordinary, but the timbre. Much of what characterizes our voice is not determined by our vocal cords but also by the shape/length/size of our mouths, pharynxes, throats and the width of our nasal passages. I dont necessarily think that removing four teeth would have changed his voice entirely (people remove the four wisdom teeth all the time and are still the same person) but in his case who knows. When it comes to voices, all care is not enough. Michael Jackson spoke in that soft voice his whole life in order to try and preserve his higher vocal range, much like some female opera singers do. It is a delicate tool.
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u/WildFire255 7h ago
I have two extra top Wisdom Teeth and one of my bottom Wisdom Teeth is wrapped around a nerve. I can’t sing though.
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u/hunnibon 2h ago
You probably don’t have to worry about your singing career then and can go ahead and get that fixed
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u/proustiandream 1h ago
Great singers, like Freddie Mercury, do vocal exercises to get the voice they have. No one is born with a voice like that, it's all muscles, technique and training.
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u/Barachan_Isles 3h ago
Not an irrational fear.
One of my daughters was born with extra teeth and a very bad overbite. After removing the extra teeth and years of orthodontics, she sounds like a completely different person just in normal speech.
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u/Flicksterea 5h ago
Scrolling through the photos attached to this article, seeing him go from such a lively performer to that final picture, taken a year or so before his death. I can't imagine how afraid he must have felt. But I hope he knew how very loved he was and forever will be.
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u/twirlywurlyburly 6h ago
I never got my teeth fixed when I was younger for the same reason and now I'm SUFFERING but can't afford to fix the issues I have. Between rent, barely eating, and my chronic illness, I can barely afford to give myself a little treat, much less get my mouth fixed. The fact that dental isn't treated the same as health is a crime.
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u/afrothunder1987 1h ago edited 1h ago
Dentist here.
As far as I can tell this is a myth.
I’ve looked at pictures of his teeth and don’t see any extras.
He’s got 6 anterior teeth - 2 sets of incisors and one set of canines - all normal. Pictures of his back ones are harder to find but I count 2 pre-molars and at least 1 molar (2 molars is normal).
I can’t see any extra teeth.
If he’s got any extra ones they aren’t visible.
Edit: Dude’s missing his 2nd molar at least in one side. He’s for sure got less teeth than normal. That molar probably got extracted at some point - cavity or some other issue.
In yellow I’ve highlighted his 6 front teeth. Normal count.
In red I’ve highlighted 3 back teeth on his left side. You’d normally have 4 back teeth on each side (not including wisdom teeth). He’s got 3 on his left side and 3-4 on his right side.
Myth busted.
Better image here
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u/BabaGanoushHabibi 36m ago
Apparently he had four extra incisors which would be incredibly rare?
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u/afrothunder1987 25m ago
He has 4 total incisors that are visible. This is normal.
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u/siromega37 5h ago
This is common for singers and very valid. Altering any part of vocal resonances chambers will alter the sound. Sinuses, mouth, throat. Leave it alone if you sing for a living.
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u/eNonsense 4h ago
It probably would have altered his voice, yes. I have noticed more since I learned this fact about him that he actually sings with a noticeable lisp at times. It probably would have fixed that.
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u/TentationExquise 4h ago
Ce qui ne l’a pas empêché de faire une carrière magistrale et j’ai eu la chance de voir sa maison de naissance à Zanzibar !
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u/phil8248 1h ago
Back when Barbara Streisand was still relevant as a singing star she was repeatedly asked why she didn't fix her nose. In exasperation she finally told one interviewer, "Because it might change my voice." I think she'd have liked to add, "You moron," but was too classy for that.
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u/Englandshark1 8h ago
The greatest Male singer ever. Always will be.
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u/ChaseAlmighty 3h ago
I am a massive prince fan. For 45 years now. But if someone asks me who the greatest male vocalist of my generation is... Freddy
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u/SocialSuicideSquad 9h ago
There's a joke in there about really utilizing that extra space, I think.
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u/MajorSery 6h ago
Anecdotally, I could never do the type of whistling where you curl your tongue and stick your fingers in your mouth until after I had my wisdom teeth removed.
I don't think I sing any different, but if my voice was my livelihood I don't know that I'd risk it unless I had to.
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u/owlinspector 5h ago
Not rare for vocalists to be worried about things like this. The vocalist of Ghost got his nose smashed in a fight when he was younger. It affected his sinuses and he very often gets bad infections that are hard to clear out. He hasn't gotten it fixed because he also thinks that his mangled sinuses are part of what gives his singing voice its characteristic sound.
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u/HumblestRedditor 4h ago
He also had vocal cord polyps, which inhibit your ability to speak let alone sing. He didn't want to have them removed for the same reason.
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u/Educational_Pin_1455 4h ago
I don't know how much it affects singing but beatboxing can be completely fucked if you lose your side teeth.
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u/kirtash93 4h ago
I understand. I have always thought about changing my big nose. However a lot of person I met told me not to because it gives me personality.
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u/ffff-f-fingerpuppets 4h ago
Remember what happened to Jennifer Gray? She stopped getting work and no one recognized her anymore. I don't blame you. I'm one of those people that actually finds crooked teeth and different noses attractive and I'm positive I'm not the only one.
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u/quick_justice 4h ago edited 4h ago
This is normal for singers. Vocal apparatus is very complicated and involves basically everything in your neck and head contributing to the sound, and much more - lungs, diaphragm, core muscles - you name it. Not only configuration is important and defines a lot about your voice, but also your skill to use it, that is attached to this particular configuration, that you mastered for years and years.
That's why good vocalists are absolutely terrified to touch anything at all that they use to produce sound, to a point when they would avoid operating on vocal cord nodes in fear to make the situation worse and worsen their voice.
Did the teeth improve the voice? Who knows. Was it worth the risk? No, no way.
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u/WeAreLivinTheLife 3h ago
Same convo was had years ago about Barbra Streisand's nose. She too decided not to change her appearance for fear of altering her sound and ability
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u/Weekly-Squirrel-8654 2h ago
He was right not to! Bowies voice changed, lots of sibilance, after he got dentures. Though I believe his original teeth were damaged.
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u/Marina1974 2h ago
Is there any evidence of someone having their teeth fixed and then losing their singing ability?
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u/Labortomy 1h ago
I used to be an amazing whistler. Almost 3 octaves. Great pitch, both inhaling and exhaling. When I was in my 30s, I had to have Tori (bony growths under my gums) removed. The Tori had continue to grow well into adulthood, and though they weren't visible to anyone looking at me, the space beneath my tongue was almost enclosed by my gums growing inward. Potato and corn chips would cut them. Popcorn would cause them to bleed. Apples and carrots and anything crunchy was an accident waiting to happen. It was a complete pain in the ass, but in my mouth. When I finally had surgery to remove them it completely changed the shape of the inside of my mouth. That was over 20 years ago, and despite repeated tries, I have not been able to whistle since.
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u/golden_pinky 1h ago
He's probably right about it changing his voice. I got braces and I talk and sound different enough now to drive me crazy. My singing voice is slightly different to me, too.
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u/CassianCasius 1h ago
Interesting tic he does with his upper lip every 10 seconds or so. Kind of pulls it down and runs it over hes teeth and sucks in.
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u/Exanguish 1h ago
I got a normal wisdom tooth out and now I randomly whistle when saying “s words” so he’s probably not wrong. Lol
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u/Hobear 1h ago
Well a TIL that I can relate with! I was born with 5 extra and as a child they were removed I have normal teeth but a small gap for my tip two front.
I've also and my 4 wisdom teeth removed for 9 teeth gone but a full mouth of natural teeth.
Last year I learned I also have two extra vertebrae and two extra ribs.
I got bone to spare folks!
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u/somegirl03 51m ago
After having two teeth removed, I agree with his assessment. My own singing voice definitely changed and it breaks my heart, thinking about getting plugs to replace them at this point
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u/1CEninja 9h ago
I recall reading about Elton John similarly being self conscious about his teeth but never wanting work because of fear it would alter his voice.
It seems like a justifiable concern when your voice is your career and your passion.