Freddie Mercury
Authors: Peter Freestone
Tags: #Arts & Photography, #Music, #History & Criticism, #Musical Genres, #Rock, #Biographies & Memoirs, #Arts & Literature, #Actors & Entertainers, #Composers & Musicians, #Television Performers, #Gay & Lesbian, #Gay, #History, #Humor & Entertainment
Copyright © Omnibus Press
This edition © Omnibus Press
(A Division of Music Sales Limited, 14-15 Berners Street, London W1T 3LJ)
ISBN: 978-0-85712-127-1
The Author hereby asserts his / her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 to 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages.
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of the photographs in this book, but one or two were unreachable. We would be grateful if the photographers concerned would contact us.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.
Visit Omnibus Press on the web at
www.omnibuspress.com
For all your musical needs including instruments, sheet music and accessories, visit
www.musicroom.com
For on-demand sheet music straight to your home printer, visit
www.sheetmusicdirect.com
This book is for my late mother, Olga, and my Father, Leslie, who always let me get on with my life and yet were always around if I needed them. I couldn’t properly grieve for my mother because her death coincided with my growing involvement with deeper care for Freddie and so in some ways this book is my acknowledgment to her.
November 28, 1995, and October 10, 1997,
“I lived for art, I lived for love
Why does God repay me thus …?”
–Tosca. Act II. Puccini.
In the
Sunday Times
of September 24, 1995, a league table of artistic achievement, Masters of the Arts, was published. Included in this were two sections, favourite pop performer and greatest pop performer. Amongst the favourite group which included the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Elton John, the name Freddie Mercury ranked number ten. Amongst the greatest pop performers, which again included Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Elton John, Freddie’s name again appeared, ranked at number five, oddly enough above that of Elton John.
During his life, Freddie greatly admired both Elvis Presley and John Lennon, almost regarding them as heroes. He never dreamed that when he died, he would be included in the same league. And in October 1979, when I first had the offer of working with Queen, I never dreamed that I would be involved with a man whom I see as one of the greatest composers of the late twentieth century.
I was involved with Freddie on a day-to-day basis for twelve years, almost to the day, in a multitude of different roles which eventually all came together under the umbrella description of Personal Assistant. I was chief cook and bottle washer, waiter, butler, valet, secretary, amanuensis, cleaner, baby-sitter (the baby being him) and agony aunt. I shopped for him both at supermarkets and art markets, I travelled the world with him, I was with him at the highs and came through the lows with him. I saw the creative juices flow and I also saw the frustration
when life wasn’t going well. I acted as his bodyguard when needed and in the end, of course, I was one of his nurses.
And I was indubitably one of his friends. I’m one of a handful of people who were lucky enough to have witnessed the creation of much of his work, from conception to performance. There is so much more to creating music than putting lyrics and notes down on paper. The feelings involved and the reason for them mean so much and Freddie had a bottomless well of feelings.
By undertaking this project, I find I have a responsibility to be as truthful as I can in portraying what Freddie went through both as an artist and as a man. I want to show that there was much more to Freddie than has been written about until now. I also want to dispel some of the grosser imaginings of both press and biographers alike, who, doubtless writing from the best of motives, didn’t know the man they were writing about. I realised very early on that the man about whom I am writing was one of the most complex creatures anyone could ever encounter. But, at the same time in writing about him, I also realised that he was in fact just a human being like the rest of us and I sincerely hope that in reading this, anyone will be able to find elements of themselves contained within this very special person. In my time, I have discovered we are all very special and complex people.
A large percentage of the population of the world have read all about Freddie’s comings and goings and doings of this and that but many people have come up and asked me: “What was Freddie really like?”
With this book, I hope I can answer some of their questions. I don’t believe that anyone person can know a hundred per cent about another person and so I would never lay claim to writing anything definitive. What follows is
my
telling of Freddie’s life. I want to show both the man and the genius and the results of the collaboration.
Peter Freestone
London 1995-1998
CAST LIST
I thought it might be helpful to the readers unfamiliar with the cast in this slice of life to have a list of those major players for easy reference as to their place in this tale.
A
HRH The Prince Andrew
Great fan of ballet dancers.
Thor Arnold
Nurse, friend and confidant.
James Arthurs
Businessman and longtime friend in New York.
Debbie Ash
Actress.
Jane Asher
Actress and, later still, cake-maker.
Gordon Atkinson
Freddie’s General Practitioner.
Mary Austin
Former girlfriend. Lifelong Friend.
B
Roy and Barbara Thomas Baker
Mr and Mrs Record Producer.
Tony Bastin
Lover.
Jim and Claudia Beach
Queen’s manager and his wife.
Stephanie Beacham
Actress.
Martin Beisly
Art expert at Christie’s auction house.
Rupert Bevan
Picture frame gilder and furniture restorer.
Debbie Bishop
Actress and singer.
David Bowie
Composer, musician. Still a private company.
Bryn Bridenthal
Friendly ally at Elektra Records, Los Angeles.
Dieter Briet
Physiotherapist.
Briony Brind
Prima ballerina.
John Brough
Sound engineer and scapegoat.
Kim Brown
Wife of Pete Brown, once Queen’s day-to-day manager.
Cake-maker.
Michael Brown
Ballet wardrobe master for the Royal Ballet.
Jackie Brownell
Sympathetic contact at Elektra Records, LA.
Bomi and Jer Bulsara
His parents.
Joe Burt
Guitarist and sometime boyfriend to Mary Austin.
C
Carlos Caballe
Artist’s manager.
Montserrat Caballe
La Superba. Opera diva and friend.
Montsy Caballe
Niece and personal assistant to Montserrat.
Piers Cameron
Father to Mary’s children. Interior Decorator.
Rupert Cavendish
Furniture dealer.
Annie Challis
Record company executive and friend.
David Chambers
Tailor.
Charles the Canadian
Lover.
John Christie
Actor. Colleague of Dave Clark’s. Friend.
Dave Clark
Sixties pop star, theatrical producer and friend.
Trevor Clarke
Nightclub front man and friend.
Roger and Kashmira Cooke
Sister and brother-in-law.
Carolyn Cowan
Make-up artist extraordinaire.
D
Gordon Dalziel
Chauffeur. Partner to Graham Hamilton.
Jo Dare
Singer.
John Deacon
Bass guitarist. One quarter of Queen.
Derek Deane
Principal dancer at the Royal Ballet.
Denny
Hairdresser and friend.
Jim Devenney
Sound engineer in charge of on-stage monitors.
Richard Dick
Barman and lover.
Anita Dobson
Actress and friend. Brian May’s partner.
Rudi Dolezal
Video-producer and director and friend.
E
Wayne Eagling
Principal dancer and friend.
Ken and Dolly East
EMI Record Company Executive.
Eduardo the Venezualan
Lover.
Gordon Elsbury
Top of the Pops Television Director.
Kenny Everett
DJ extraordinaire, comic genius and friend.
F
Joe Fanelli
Chef, lover and friend. Latterly nurse.
Pam Ferris
Actress.
Tony Fields
American dancer and actor.
Michael Fish
Shirt and tie designer. Nightclub front man.
Leslie Freestone
My father. Funeral director.
G
Brian Gazzard
Consultant physician.
David Geffen
Record company executive.
Bob Geldof
Singer, composer and event organiser.
Boy George
Singer, composer, performer.
Terry, Sharon and Luke Giddings
Security, driver and friend.
Julie Glover
Jim Beach’s deputy at Queen Productions.
Harvey Goldsmith
Concert and event promoter.
Bruce Gowers
Video film director.
Richard Gray
Art director.
H
Tony Hadley
Singer, composer and esteemed peer.
Graham Hamilton
Chauffeur and friend.
Gary Hampshire
Chauffeur.
Sarah Harrison
Fashion consultant and friend.
Stephen Hayter
Nightclub proprietor.
Peter Hince (Ratty)
Member of Queen road crew.
Jennifer Holliday
Singer and actress.
George Hurrell
Photographer.
Jim Hutton
Barber and lover.
Sally Hyatt
Administrative assistant at Queen Productions.
I
Michael Jackson
Singer, composer and entertainer.
Elton John
Singer, composer, performer and friend.
Peter Jones
Chauffeur.
K
Petre van Katze
One-time friend.
Trip Khalaf
PA sound engineer.
Tony King
Music business executive and friend.
Winnie Kirchberger
Restaurateur and lover.
L
Debbie Leng
Actress and Roger Taylor’s partner.
Carl Lewis
American athlete.
John Libson
Accountant.
Sir Joseph Lockwood
Record Company Executive, mentor.
M
Rheinhold Mack, lngrid and John Frederick
Record producer and friend.
David Mallet
Video director.
Fred Mandel
Keyboard player.
Diego Maradona
Footballer.
Brian May
Guitarist and one quarter of Queen.
Donald McKenzie
Household friend.
Roxy Meade
Press representative and friend.
Bhaskar Menon
Record company executive.
Robin Moore-Ede
Interior designer.
Mike and Linda Moran
Composer, musician, recording producer and friend.
Peter Morgan
Lover.
Diana Moseley
Costume designer and friend.
Graham Moyle
Case physician at Westminster hospital.
Russell Mulcahy
Video director.
John Murphy
American Airlines Cabin crew, friend.
Nina Myskow
Columnist and friend.
N
Anna Nicholas
Actress and friend.
Lee Nolan
Waiter and friend.
Gary Numan
Musician.
David Nutter
Photographer and friend.
O
Terry O’Neill
Photographer.
P
Elaine Page
Singer and friend.
Rudi Patterson
Artist and friend.
Christopher Payne
Furniture expert at Sotheby’s.
Yasmin Pettigrew
Actress and friend.
Mary Pike
Cleaner.
Tony Pike
Hotelier.
Paul Prenter
Personal manager and one-time friend.
Peter Pugson
Wine merchant. Friend of Jim Beach.
R
Kurt Raab (Rebecca)
Performer.
Bill Reid
Lover.
John Reid
Manager and friend.
Tim Rice
Lyricist and friend.
Cliff Richard
Singer, peformer.
Dave Richards
Recording engineer/producer
Howard Rose
North American concert promoter.
Hannes Rossacher
Video director.