KILLER QUEEN:

In the days following the death of Freddie Mercury, Patrick Myers and his university classmates found solace — and a sense of camaraderie — in the singer's majestic music.

"We started playing each other Queen songs. Everyone was playing Queen songs, all the time," Myers said. "We were all in a state of shock."

Mercury died on Nov. 24, 1991.

And the emotional shockwave from his passing spread rapidly to music fans all across the world.

"I just couldn't accept that he was gone, really," Myers said.

As reality began to set in, that group of English students were determined to do something unique to honor the legacy of the singer.

"We thought, let's have a Queen experience. Let's do this," Myers said. "I had been in bands. I had studied acting and movement. So, I felt I like I knew how to do something like this. I got really passionate about it. I wanted it to be really good."

It was supposed to be just one show.

"But, it took off so fast," Myers said. "Then, it just never stopped."

More than three decades later, Killer Queen, the band formed by Myers and his former classmates, continues to tour around the world, delivering the music of Mercury and Queen to huge audiences.

They are set to perform at the Brown Theatre in Louisville on July 9.

"It's been an extraordinary journey," said Myers, who plays the role of Mercury in the tribute band.

Killer Queen has received critical acclaim for the band's musicianship and presentation, and most notably for their frontman's stunning portrayal of Mercury — both visually and vocally.

"No detail is overlooked," said Duncan Kennedy of BBC 1. "Killer Queen are kings of musical impersonators - the highest of tributes."

Myers and his mates' tribute to music of Mercury, Brian May (guitar), John Deacon (bass) and Roger Taylor (drums) was certainly a revolutionary concept in the beginning.

"We were probably one of the first tribute bands of any kind on the planet," Myers said.

After that first performance, Killer Queen was offered more gigs, then went on a tour across the country and even made appearances on national television. They also became the first tribute band to play in London's famed West End.

"We started winning awards and then we were playing in arenas where Queen played with Freddie in their heyday," Myers said.

For more than three decades, the singer has channeled the spirit of Mercury on stage. Ironically, though, Myers never saw the legendary singer perform in person.

Queen's final live performance with Freddie was in 1986 at Knebworth.

Myers was just a schoolboy then.

"I figured when they released their next album in a couple of years, then I will be old enough to go," Myers said. "Then, of course, there were no more shows."

Myers knows that many of the people in the crowd watching him on stage never got the opportunity to see Freddie, either.

And that drives him to deliver the most authentic performance possible each night.

"We can't be Queen, but as a tribute band, you can get as many of the ingredients right as possible," Myers said.

That's been a recipe for success.

All four band members physically resemble their Queen counterparts, including May's long, curly hair, and deliver a setlist filled with timeless hits in a dazzling arena-style show.

Myers struts around the stage with all of Freddie's flare — and also his signature facial hair too.

"It's real. It's not a fake," Myers said with a laugh of his mustache. "I'm not a natural mustache-wearer. But, because of this job, I've spent most of my adult life with a bloody mustache. That's the true sacrifice of a tribute artist."

Killer Queen have delighted fans across the world for decades.

And those crowds only seem to get bigger and bigger as the legacy and the legend of Queen continues to grow. The 2018 bio-pic "Bohemian Rhapsody" sparked a new wave interest in the band's catalogue, especially among younger generations.

"It's lovely just to see everyone joining in and singing together," Myers said. "We are told by people that (Killer Queen) was their kids' first-ever concert and that they had such great time. That amazing, because they can jump up and down and scream, then watch their parents and grandparents have the same reaction to the music. That's really special."

More than 30 years later, Myers says its still special to get up on the stage each night.

"If your day at work is giving 10,000 or 20,000 people a good night out, that's a nice thing to be able to do," Myers said. "We are just happy to fly the flag for Queen. I hope to continue this for a long time."