LONDON - The late Indian-origin rock star Freddie Mercury has been honoured with a Hollywood-style granite star in the northwest London suburb that was his first home in Britain.

Feltham’s permanent memorial to Freddie, lead singer of the rock band Queen and one of the world’s greatest musical icons, was inaugurated Tuesday by his mother Jay Bulsara and Queen’s guitarist Brian May. Also present was his sister Kashmir Cooke.

Freddie, who was born in Zanzibar as Farrukh Bulsara, went to school in Mumbai before moving to Britain with his family in 1964, where they lived in the area of Feltham - now home to a large Indian-origin population.

Councillor Paul Jabbal, chairman of the local committee that arranged for the memorial, said: I am delighted that at last we are honouring Freddie Mercury’s memory and his achievements with a permanent memorial. As well as celebrating his life and success, it can serve as a reminder that if you work hard you can succeed in whatever you do.

Freddie died Nov 24, 1991 at the age of 45 of an AIDS-related infection.