Tuesday, September 27, 2022

What you did not know about freddie

 

All the things you did not know about freddie....... and now you do ....... because i do my best .....my very...... very...... and i mean very  best.......well!okay maybe i am bullshitting .......a little ......i just love  blogging ........and getting things of  my chest ........and  what i feel ........and  should  write it  down...... or  blog it ........well here are 10 things if you like freddie or not.....i do not  give  a fuck .......i think he was  amazing  ....... we  will never  have  another freddie ....... we  got adam........  but thats  not  freddie .....so  okay......


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The Life of Freddie Mercury - Here's What You Didn't Know

This article was originally published on tworeddots.com and has been republished here with permission.

 Freddie Mercury is a household name as a beloved music star that stole hearts and made people dance, sing and cry - everything a talented musician should evoke in an audience. All around the world, his songs have inspired and delighted people as he entered the stage with his famous band, Queen. 

Freddie Mercury performing with Queen at the Rock in Rio festival, Brazil, January 1985. The festival ran for 10 days and over 1 million people attended. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Dave Hogan/GettyImages

Now, given the rise of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', the biographical hit movie that has recently premiered about Mercury and his Bandmates' lives, new information has been shared and people are starting to get a glimpse into the intriguing and sometimes dramatic personal life of this hit rock star. Learn the secrets and surprises here as we dive into the life of one of our floret Rock n’ Roll legends. Read on!

By A Different Name

Did you know that Freddie Mercury isn’t actually his real name at all? He was born in 1946 with the name Farrokh Bulsara. His heritage is Parsi, born from parents that were Indian Nationals of Persian descent and the Zoroastrian faith. His father and mother moved to Zanzibar, as his father was a British National working as a cashier in Zanzibar for the British Colonial Office.

Singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), of British rock group Queen, during an interview with the Daily Express at his Shepherds Bush flat, London, 1969. (Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward/Getty Images)
Mark and Colleen Hayward/GettyImages

At 7 years old, Farrokh started to learn classical piano and at a young 8 years old he went to a very prestigious British boarding school close to Mumbai. This was actually the place where he formed his very first band!

Youthful Days

During his time at this school, Farrokh teamed up with some classmates at the age of 12 to form a school band called The Hectics (adorable, right?!) Bet you didn’t guess that this was actually the starting point for more fame with his fellow band members, as his friend Derrick Branche went on to star in British television later in life. 

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock band Queen performing in rehearsal in London on 8th July 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Farrokh then picked up the nickname in these schooling years ‘Freddie’ and it stuck - for life! It wasn’t all smooth sailing and happy music, as later on, he would go on to have a brush with violence...

Revolution of Zanzibar

Upon completing his studies at St. Peter’s when he was 17, Freddie moved back with his parents to Zanzibar. The revolution, unfortunately, took place that same year in 1964, and he found himself in a violent era. His family and friends in this community all lived in dangerous conditions, though he later managed to flee with his family unharmed.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock group Queen, 12th February 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

This is what brought Freddie to London. 

In A Different Life…

He could have been a graphic designer. Yes! Freddie studied art in West London at Isleworth Polytechnic. He then received a diploma in Graphic Design and Art from Ealing Art College.

Singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) performing with British rock group Queen, 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Since he was a creative talent and had the degrees, his mother really encouraged him to seek a graphic design office job.

Knew His Heart

Freddie knew that his heart was in music, however, and continued along that path. He joined many different bands but didn't find the right fit to stay with them for very long.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock band Queen poses in London, England in 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

At this time, he also worked in Kensington Market at a vintage clothes stall. Freddie worked with a special person here… can you guess who?

Wife for Life?

This vintage store named Biba was where Freddie met the lovely Mary Austin, back in the 1970s. She says much later as she reflects on the meeting, that Freddie looked like a ‘wild-looking artistic musician’ that intimidated and fascinated her.

Singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), of British rock group Queen, during an interview with the Daily Express at his Shepherds Bush flat, London, 1969. (Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward/Getty Images)
Mark and Colleen Hayward/GettyImages

The pair got together and it was a beautiful romance, as Mary says that “he was like no one I had met before.”

Closest Connection

They were together for a long 7 years and Freddie proposed to Mary. Though they didn’t get married, they remained close for life even after they broke up due to Freddie’s sexuality.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), of British rock group Queen, during rehearsals for the group
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Freddie reflects in an interview about Mary that she is one of the closest friends he has ever had and that to Freddie, she was like a ‘common-law wife’, stating that it felt like marriage in the way that they interacted and shared their life together. 

The Greatest Love

One of Queen’s most famous songs, ‘Love of My Life’ was written by Freddie about Mary Austin. Did you know that Freddie taught himself how to actually play the harp just for this song? That’s dedication to art! Freddie remains humble about this incredible feat, as he says he ‘did it cord by cord’ and that it ‘took longer to tune the thing than to play it.’

Singer-songwriter Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) performing with British rock group Queen, 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Very simply, he puts it like this: ‘I just figured out how it worked - the pedals and everything - bit by bit.’ This skill just reveals how amazing Freddie’s musical talents really were.

A Big Personality

Let’s face it, Freddie was born a star. His massive personality and whimsical character on stage were hard for some band members to handle, as he didn’t quite fit into the dynamics of the groups.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock band Queen performing in rehearsal in London on 8th July 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

He joined a band known as ’Sour Milk Sea’, a Liverpool-based band that he really didn’t get with the other personalities.

Meeting His Matches

Looking back, maybe it can be said that the other members were a little intimidated by his talents and style, and the group eventually broke up. 

British rock group Queen rehearsing for their first major tour, 8th July 1973. Left to right: Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), John Deacon, Roger Taylor. The tour was supporting Mott The Hoople. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Not long after that, Freddie met the drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May, and history was made with forming the band ‘Smile’ (which later turned into the ‘Queen’ band we know). 

All In A Name

Freddie, of course, had some strong ideas about how his new band Smile should operate, and thankfully his friends and new members trusted Freddie’s ideas and decided the roll with the insistence of Freddie’s name change to Queen.

In New York for a series of shows at the Uris Theater, Queen pose in their hotel room with an issue of Creem magazine, may 1974. (L-R) drummer Roger Meddows Taylor, bassist John Deacon, guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury. (Photo by Linda D. Robbins/Getty Images)
Linda D. Robbins/GettyImages

Freddie shared that he loves the ‘regal’ quality to the name, and that also it is ‘very universal and immediate.’ Due to the speculation and judgments of the name, Freddie also responds that “I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it."

The Designer Within

It seems Freddie’s experience with graphic design did come in handy after all, as he was able to design the Queen ‘crest’ that was totally necessary for the band’s image. He designed the coat of arms to express the grandeur of the band. The crest actually has some deeper meaning, as it contains the band member’s zodiac signs.

QUEEN 8/75 Freddie Mercury

© Chris Walter (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
Chris Walter/GettyImages

Two Lion images represent Leo, a Crab represents Cancer and two Fairies are depicting Virgo. The design is completed with a large phoenix backdrop, which was inspired by the crest of Freddie’s school, St. Peter’s.

Trident Recording

The first shows of Queen were already crazy successful, and it wasn’t long before they secured a record deal. This was at the world-famous Trident Studios, who before his time recorded great names like David Bowie, Elton John, and the Beatles.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Queen at the Tokyo Prince Hotel
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

Since Queen was still a new band, they didn’t get the best time slots for their sessions, usually practicing and recording from about 3 am until 7 am.

Darkest Time

This was known as the ‘Dark Time’, as the biography of the band, ‘Is This the Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen’ explains. “That’s when an engineer can produce his favorite band or a tea boy can be used as a tape op,” explains the producer John Anthony. Trident’s house engineer, Robin Cable was exploring a project that gave him a platform to offer Freddie an opportunity when he heard Freddie sing.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Queen, photo session for
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

He asked Freddie to offer some of his vocals, though the story unfolded in an unexpected way.

Controversy Follows

Cable wished to recreate the music producer Phil Spector’s effect known as ‘Wall of Sound.’ Mercury decided to go along with Cable’s plans, but on the condition that he would be credit under a different name so that Queen’s work was to be considered from an entirely different space than Mercury’s work with Cable.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01:   Freddie Mercury of Queen performs in London on October 1, 1976 in London, England. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Anwar Hussein/GettyImages

Freddie chose a name that was a little controversial, however, as he chose the name Larry Lurex.

Larry

Lurex is a word used to describe a type of material in outfits that are big in rock glam culture, and it was seen as a poke of fun at another well-known glam rocker by Freddie. Gary Glitter was iconic in the 1970s for his larger-than-life style, and when the music came out and fans of Glitter heard Freddie’s other name.

ATLANTA - FEBRUARY 21: (L-R) Singer-frontman Freddie Mercury and guitarist Brian May perform with Queen at the Omni Coliseum on February 21, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage)
Tom Hill/GettyImages

It actually led to the drama of some radio stations and DJs choosing not to play the music at all to keep the fans happy.

Queen’s First

Queen later released their first album after this Larry Lurex drama died down. It was a fast rise to fame, with the album often being called ‘amazing’ and ‘groundbreaking.’ People even compared it to the first album of Led Zeppelin. The sleeve of the album had the four band member credits, as well as a mysterious nod to a ‘nobody played synthesizer’.

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 1979:  (FILE PHOTO) Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen performs in concert June 1979 in Paris, France.  (Photo By Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)
Georges De Keerle/GettyImages

This was trying to describe that the sound was actually due to layering recordings and tracks rather than using a synthesizing effect. 

Memorable Mic Stand

All superstars have their quirks, and one of Freddie’s was that he famously carried around his own mic stand. He would twirl the mic stick around like a baton on stage as he detached it from the tripod. In an early show in Queen’s career, his mic stand broke.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) and guitarist Brian May of British rock band Queen rehearsing for their first major tour on 8th July 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Freddie continued to carry it around, however, finding creative ways to use it on stage. Apparently, he continued to use this throughout his entire career. That’s dedication… and attachment!

Early Connections

The members of Queen began to mix with many well-known artists of the time, including big names like David Bowie - even before Bowie became super famous - Freddie actually recorded ‘Under Pressure’ with him prior to meeting him again at Trident! Mercury and Freddie met while Freddie was at Ealing college when Bowie came to play one lunchtime.

During a run of May 1974 shows as support act for Mott the Hoople at the Uris Theatre in midtown Manhattan, New York City, Queen poses backstage. (L-R) singer Freddie Mercury, drummer Roger Meddows Taylor, bassist John Deacon and guitarist Brian May. (Photo by Linda D. Robbins/Getty Images)
Linda D. Robbins/GettyImages

Freddie offered to carry Bowie’s equipment as he was so raptured by his presence, and wanted to find a way to speak to him, Freddie also helped set up the stage.

Boot Fitting

They met again later by chance when Bowie came to the Kensington Market to look for a pair of boots. Mercury was working at the clothing stand and they reconnected. According to the stall owner, Alan Mair gave the boots for free to Bowie as he was yet to be paid for his big hit ‘Space Oddity.’

ARCHIVES : ROCK
Sunset Boulevard/GettyImages

Freddie fit the boots for Bowie, and Mair recalls how strange the situation was now looking back at these superstar’s origins: “So there was Freddie Mercury, a shop assistant, giving pop star David Bowie a pair of boots he couldn’t afford to buy.”

Left an Impression

David later reminisced about the effect that Freddie had on his life after his death. He saw Freddie as an over-the-top performer that somehow just made it work. He reflects: I always admired a man who wears tights.

QUEEN  8/75  Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Freddie Mercury (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
Chris Walter/GettyImages

I only saw him in concert once and as they say, he was definitely a man who could hold an audience in the palm of his hand."

Coming Out?

In the latter portion of the 1970s, Freddie left Mary Austin and pursued a relationship with a man, finally admitting to his own preferences in a more social way.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) British rock band Queen presented with gold discs for
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

Though he already frequented gay clubs, he hadn’t officially 'come out of the closet.’ Fan s and audiences alike had strong suspicions, however.

Facing Off

He received both acceptance and judgment from the outside world - as any star does for his personal life choices, and once experienced someone from the crows shouting homophobic words at him. What Freddie did next was amazing. He stopped the show and actually had a spotlight single the heckler out.

ATLANTA - FEBRUARY 21: Singer-frontman Freddie Mercury performs with Queen at the Omni Coliseum on February 21, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage)
Tom Hill/GettyImages

The hall was silent, waiting for the next move, and Freddie asked him politely ‘say it again, darling.’ This bravery was a common theme for how Freddie dealt with issues like this. 

Confrontation Continues

It seems that Freddie really wasn’t afraid of confrontation. At one point in time, the Sex Pistols were sharing the studio with Queen. This punk rock band was known for being recklessly brash, and their profanity and anarchy were what drew that crowd of fans to their music and show. In contrast, Freddie had a more ‘refined’ way of expressing Rock n’ Roll, and the Pistols frontman Sid Vicious didn’t gel with Freddie.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) British rock band Queen performing on
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

There was one particular incident with Sid Vicious that interrupted the recording session that Queen was having.

Standing Up

Queen’s roadie at the time, Peter Hince, describes the scene: "Vicious stumbled in, the worse for wear, and addressed Fred: 'Have you succeeded in bringing ballet to the masses yet?'" - alluding to a statement Freddie had previously made in an interview.

Steve Jennings/GettyImages

"Fred casually got up, walked over to him and quipped: 'Aren't you Stanley Ferocious or something?', took him by the collar and threw him out." Freddie didn’t stop there, in jest, he decided to perform with the Royal Ballet in one of his shows.

Rhapsody

Of course, we have to go there. We couldn’t NOT mention the rock opera hit ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ Since the 1960s, Mercury had been working on the song. It was only completed and finally recorded in 1975. His good friend and DJ Kenny Everett listened to the track for Mercury for advice, and Everett doubted that the 6-minute track would do well.

Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), lead singer of British rock group Queen, on stage at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, 5th June 1982. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Keystone/GettyImages

He had his reservations before he listened because of this amount of time, though Everett said at the end of listening to the song “forget it, it’s going to be a number for centuries!”

Playback

Everett’s radio station actually couldn’t accept the song to play it, though Everett did speak a lot about the ‘mysterious song’ that he had heard and that audiences are yet to hear.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury of Queen, interview and photo session for
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

He finally played it (against authorization) and was flooded with many calls to know more about the song.

A Rare Moment

For years, Freddie and Michael Jackson were friends, and Mercury loved to rave about the Jackson 5, calling Michael a one-of-a-kind genius. After Queen’s international success in the early 80s, Freddie decided to branch out and explore collaborations with other artists, including Jackson.

Michael Jackson 1979 The Jacksons © Chris Walter
Chris Walter/GettyImages

Their personalities, however, didn’t seem to match, even though they had such admiration professionally. Freddie noted how ‘odd’ Michael became after Thriller, and it didn’t suit his own style.

Getting Weird

An interesting story about a run-in with the oddity of Jackson’s behavior is when Freddie came to the recording studio to find Jackson and his pet llama.

American singer and musician Michael Jackson (1958-2009) of the Jackson Five posed wearing a denim jacket in London, November 1972. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

The manager of Queen, Jim Beach, describes the event: “I suddenly got a call from Freddie saying, ‘Can you get on over here? Because you’ve got to come get me out of this studio’… he said, ‘I’m recording with a llama. Michael’s bringing his pet llama into the studio every day and I’m really not used to recording with a llama. I’ve had enough and I’d like to get out.'”

Another Queen

Freddie became close with another famous queenly figure in the mid-1908s, Princess Diana. The two started to spend time together when Queen’s social circles expanded due to the band’s massive success. Freddie, Kenny Everett, and Princess Di were at Everett’s home one day drinking champagne with The Golden Girls reruns playing when Di asked their evening plans.

TETBURY, ENGLAND - MAY 22: Lady Diana Spencer, wearing a red and white polka dot suit designed by Jasper Conran, waves as she attends her first walkabout with her fiance Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, two months before their wedding, on May 22, 1981 in Tetbury, Gloucestshire, United Kingdom. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Anwar Hussein/GettyImages

They said that they were going to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (London’s famous gay club). Di wanted to come along and join them at the nightclub, despite the fact that the paparazzi were following her everywhere. 

Dramatic Night Out

Diana insisted she come along, despite Everett’s reservations about how safe it was for her, and publicity-wise. Freddie stood up for her saying ‘let the girl have some fun.’ They ended up dressing Diana up in male drag which featured an army jacket, aviator glasses, and a leather cap.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury singing in red leather pants at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, February 1981. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

They were totally proud of their ability to mask her so well that Diana really did look like she was a gay male model, rather than one of the most famous royalties in Europe.

Success!

She snuck into the club as just another regular person, which seemed easy to do since Mercury and Everett were being bombarded with fans, so everyone was busy paying attention to them. The anonymity left Diana feeling free and excited about the opportunity to explore being just another person, feeling able to do what she wants without scrutiny for every decision.

Diana The Princess Of Wales Attends A Gala Reception & Preview Of Her
Antony Jones/GettyImages

She excitedly exclaimed to her friends ‘we must do it again!’

The Nightlife

In 1987, on Freddie’s 41st Birthday, he went all out in a lavish birthday party, hiring the Pikes Hotel in the Spanish party island Ibiza. People who were at the party, or witnesses what went down, said that the birthday event was the ‘most incredible example of excess the Mediterranean island has ever seen.’

Singer Freddie Mercury performing on stage with rock group Queen, 1985. Guitarist Brian May is in the background. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Dave Hogan/GettyImages

The party had over 700 guests attend, with a total of 232 broken glasses (probably more) and with a birthday cake in the shape of the Barcelona Cathedral the Gaudi Sagrada Familia. 

Live Aid

Before this lavish party, back in 1985, the Ethiopian Famine was being reported on the BBC news, and it began the conception of Live Aid, a humanitarian relief fund.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury of Queen, interview and photo session for
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

The music event happened in both the United States and in Europe, and it had almost 200,000 attendees in total.

Treasured Memory

There was also an estimation of 1.9 billion viewers of the live television broadcast. It’s said that to this day, it is still the largest and most-watched music event in history. The concert opened with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen, and closed with a performance of ‘We Are The Champions.’

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury of Queen on stage at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, United States, Hot Space North American tour, Detroit, United States, 06 August 1982. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

Fans remember this moment as Freddie’s greatest performance of all rock music history. 

Romance Blossomed

That same year, Freddie met the partner that he would have until his last breath, in a popular nightclub in the gay scene, called ‘Heaven.’ Freddie was swept away by an Irish hairdresser called Jim Hutton.

Freddie Mercury of Queen, interview and photo session for
Midori Tsukagoshi/Shinko Music/GettyImages

They were inseparable, living together and with Freddie settling down into a domestic life routine, with cats and all. Actually, cats were a big part of Freddie’s life…

Definitely a Cat Person

Mercury falls into the cat-loving person category, as his true loves were always cats. In his giant Kensington Mansion he lived in, Freddie raised up to six different cats at a time, inviting them into his home, allowing the litters to be born in his space, and enjoying the company of these beautiful creatures.

Steve Jennings/GettyImages

He was said to have a paternal relationship with cats like these were the children that he found himself caring for and attached to. 

Kitty Dad

“Freddie treated the cats like his own children,” says Hutton in the book he wrote, Mercury and Me. “He would constantly fuss over them, and if any of them came to any harm when Freddie was away, heaven help us. During the day the cats had the run of the house and grounds, and at night one of us would round them up and bring them inside.”

ST HELENS, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: Winner of Best In Show, Izabella, a five month old Maine Coon red tabby kitten poses at GCCF Merseyside Cat Show at Sutton Leisure Centre on June 04, 2022 in St Helens, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)
Shirlaine Forrest/GettyImages

He certainly did act like he was their father, especially when they misbehaved...

Where's Goliath?

Once, one of Freddie’s beloved cats went missing.  Goliath was a large kitty that roamed around like many of his cats throughout the day. A frantic Freddie offered a 1,000-pound finder's reward, though they ended up finding Goliath themselves. Hutton writes: ‘Freddie was over the moon… for five minutes his poured his attention over the kitten… then, like a mother, Freddie scolded the cat, shouting at tiny Goliath for leaving the garden.’

ST HELENS, ENGLAND - JUNE 04: Winner of Best In Show, Izabella, a five month old Maine Coon red tabby kitten participates in GCCF Merseyside Cat Show at Sutton Leisure Centre on June 04, 2022 in St Helens, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)
Shirlaine Forrest/GettyImages

Freddie didn’t just reserve his affections inside his home with his cats, however. He publicly shared his love through song.

A Love Song

This love song was like no other. Freddie wrote ‘Delilah’ about his favorite cat, who was said to be the princess of Mercury’s home. Hutton reflects: “Of all the cats at Garden Lodge, Delilah was Freddie’s favorite and the one he’d pick up and stroke the most often. When Freddie went to bed, it was Delilah he brought in with us.

1982:  Rock singer Freddie Mercury (Frederick Bulsara, 1946 - 1991), of the popular British group Queen, has his moustache groomed.  (Photo by Steve Wood/Express/Getty Images)
Steve Wood/GettyImages

She’d sleep at the foot of the bed, before slipping out for a night-time prowl.” Queen band members weren’t in love with the song like Freddie, though let him record it anyway. 

Sadness Strikes

In 1987, just before that big birthday bash, Freddie found out that he was HIV-positive.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury of Queen hold up shopping lists for the Japanese Garden and Japanese room at his mansion in London, at a hotel, Tokyo, Japan, September 1986. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

He kept the news to himself and went on with his career, as usual, pretending that all was normal. 

Show Continues

The show must go on, they say. So Freddie didn’t let this disease slow him down. It may have even been what spurred him to record and perform even more in the later years of his career and life. He recorded multiple tracks with Queen and released a range of albums and singles.

LONDON - JULY 13:  Singer Freddie Mercury of Queen performs during Live Aid at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985.  (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)
Georges De Keerle/GettyImages

His health then started to visibly decline, and Freddie continued to reject that he was unwell. Everyone could sense that he didn’t have much time, however.

Last Days

The last album by Queen with Freddie, called Innuendo, featured a sad ballad called ‘These Are The Days of Our Lives.’ The past is examined in this song with sadness and nostalgia, and it seems that the song was a nod to what Freddie was feeling about life. In the music video, he looked sick, and the fans' fears became more heightened. It’s been said that his video is kind of a way that he said ‘goodbye’ in the way he best knew how.

Rock musician Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), of the group Queen, Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, London, 7/13/1985. (Photo by Steve Rapport/Getty Images)
Steve Rapport/GettyImages

The black and white clip has Mercury smiling at the video camera while saying ‘I still love you.’ These were his famous last words recorded on video.

Keep Writing

Freddie reached out to his band members to keep writing for him, and that he would sing these songs until he couldn’t physically sing anymore. Brian May - his friend, and Queen’s guitarist - wrote the song ‘Mother Love’ for Freddie, which he took on with happiness to record slowly and mindfully during this period of his declining health.

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Freddie Mercury of Queen, at a hotel on a private visit to Tokyo, Japan, September 1986. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

He almost finished the song, but before the last line, Freddie said "I’m not feeling that great, I think I should call it a day now. I’ll finish it when I come back, next time." He never got to return and this is why May sings the last verse.

Return Home

Freddie returned to his London home after recording this last session in the band's lake Geneva recording studio. He was met by Mary Austin, and his partner Jim Hutton. Hutton knew that the time had come. Walking away from a recording session meant that Freddie didn’t have any energy left to do what he lived for, so his life wouldn’t be going on.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 24: Elizabeth Tower, often known as Big Ben, is pictured behind a British flag on June 24, 2022 in London, England. The Conservatives lost both the Tiverton & Honiton and Wakefield By-elections overnight. Tiverton & Honiton turned Liberal Democrat with Richard Foord overturning a 24,000 Conservative majority, a historic swing of 30%. Labour took Wakefield with a 12.7% swing from the Conservatives, their MP Simon Lightfoot won 13166 votes. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Carl Court/GettyImages

They made the arrangements together with Mercury as he faced his death with courage. Regarding his will, he stated, “I’m leaving it all to Mary and the cats.”

The Final Hours, The Final Words

Freddie died at his home on November 24, 1991. The people who accompanied him in his final hours were his partner Jim Hutton and his friend Joe Fanelli. Hutton recalled Mercury’s last moment in his book Mercury and Me, going into great detail.

Rock star Freddie Mercury backstage at the Live Aid concert at Wembley, 13th July 1985. On the left is his boyfriend Jim Hutton. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Dave Hogan/GettyImages

"Freddie woke up again at six in the morning and uttered what were to be his last two words: ‘Pee, pee!’” Hutton wrote, describing what would be the music icon’s last words. “He wanted to be helped to the loo.” When he returned him to bed, Freddie broke a bone and was screaming in pain. He went into a coma, and never regained consciousness.

Traditional Funeral

Freddie Mercury passed away late in 1991. He had a Zoroastrian funeral and his body was then cremated at the Kensal Green cemetery in his home London. His property was mostly inherited by Mary, along with his excessive fortune and Kensington mansion.

A fan takes photographs of tributes to the late British musician Freddie Mercury of rock band Queen outside his former home, Garden Lodge in Earl
DANIEL LEAL/GettyImages

Though he also left her something more…

The Simple Epitaph

We will always remember the simple, yet truthful phrase, “Lover of life, singer of songs,” written by Brian May, Freddie’s bandmate and close friend.

Guitarist Brian May, of British rock band Queen, London, 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

A BBC documentary about Queen later aired and showed May explaining the meaning behind the words: “He lived life to the fullest. He was a generous man, a kind man, an impatient man, sometimes. But utterly dedicated to what he felt was important, which was making music.”

Ashes to Ashes

Mary was entrusted with one final favor for Freddie, to spread his ashes in a secret location so that the site of his burial would not be disturbed, and he can be fully resting in peace.

(left to right) Guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor of British rock band Queen pose in London, England in 1973. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

For two years, Mary held onto the ashes before she found the perfect opportunity to fulfill this will.

Last Promise

Austin revealed in an interview to the Daily Mail her process in stepping out of the house to not be noticed by anyone as she took the urn to spread the ashes.

(left to right) Drummer Roger Taylor, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock band Queen pose in September 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

She says that “Nobody will ever know where he is buried because that was his wish.”

He Rests

The mystery of Freddie’s gravesite seemed to have been solved in 2013. At the Kensal Green Cemetery, a small plinth revealed this dedication:
"In Loving Memory of Farrokh Bulsara, 5 Sept. 1946 – 24 Nov. 1991
Pour Etre Toujours Pres De Toi Avec Tout Mon Amour
– M.”

(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Queen at the Tokyo Prince Hotel
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/GettyImages

The French words mean ‘Always close to you with all my love.’ It’s been suspected that the M stands for his lifelong love and friend, Mary. Austin denies that it was the case. The plaque was later removed, however, as Austin says “Freddie is definitely not in that cemetery.”

Leaving a Legacy

Freddie was indeed a legend. Plays, musicals, and an upcoming film on the horizon. When he passed, Queen’s music continued to sell really well, and the estimations of the total worldwide record sales for Queen are beyond 300 million.

Singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of British rock band Queen performing on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City in February 1977. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
Michael Putland/GettyImages

Mercury’s death actually inspired the support of Princess Diana for the National AIDS trust. Diana actually worked to destigmatize AIDS in the 90s. 

What’s In a Voice

In 2016, Mercury’s commercially available recordings were analyzed by a research team to attempt to understand the magic behind his voice. A team led by professor Christian Herbst examined songs and interviews to get a sense of what it is in Mercury’s voice that was so well received. It was found that he could sing a large range of actually more than 3 octaves, and he also made use of unique subharmonics in his voice.

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Freddie Mercury of Queen, 1982 Tour at the Various Locations in Oakland, California (Photo by Steve Jennings/WireImage)
Steve Jennings/GettyImages

It remains magic, however, as examination can only lead so far before we are entranced with Mercury’s talent as being just that - otherworldly talent. So the plans for Bohemian Rhapsody, the biographical film based on his life started evolving to share some of this magic of this man.

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The Actor

Of course, it’s always going to be hard to have someone play a person who has already been in the public eye for decades, so in 2010, when it was announced that there would be a biographical film based on Freddie’s life, people were anxious to know who might play him.





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