Read Freddie Mercury Online

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

Freddie Mercury

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.

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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.

Introduction
 

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

Preface
 

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.

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