Freddie mercury in full growth. Freddie mercury biography

Drawing, sports, from the age of seven he studied to play the piano.

In 1964, the Bulsar family moved to the UK.

In 1965, Mercury entered the Ealing College of Art, where he studied painting, design, was fond of ballet and music. In 1970, he joined the student rock band Smile Brian May and Roger Taylor, replacing his former classmate. With the arrival of bassist John Deacon in 1971, a twenty-year stellar history of a band called Queen began.

In 1972, Freddie took the creative pseudonym Mercury (English Mercury - Mercury, mercury). He played a leading role in the formation of the musical concept of the group and authorship of most of the compositions - Bohemian Rhapsody, the lyric ballad Love Of My Life (both 1975), the song We Are The Champions (1977), which became the anthem of sports fans.

In addition to working in a group, Mercury has released several solo discs. His single Love Kills (1984) and the album Mr. Bad Guy (1985) was among the top ten British hits, and the single The Great Pretender (1987) was fourth on the list of popularity.

In 1988, the disc Barcelona was released, on which Mercury performed classical opera arias with soprano Montserrat Caballe. The single Barcelona became the official anthem of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Possessing acting skills, Mercury turned the band's concerts into shows. In addition to a powerful, instantly recognizable voice, he amazed with his emotionality, temperament, plasticity, avant-garde costumes. Mercury's desire to combine music and theater, light and sound effects was embodied in the creation of video clips of the group. He wrote most of the scripts for the videos and directed their production.

However, a number of the group's works for homosexual motives, in particular, the video I Want to Break Free was criticized.

On November 24, 1991, Freddie Mercury died in London. The day before his death, he made a confession that he had AIDS. Mercury died of AIDS-related pneumonia.

It is known that he was cremated at the Kensal Green cemetery, the burial place is unknown.

In London's Kensal Green cemetery, Queen fans found a plaque dedicated to what they believe to the musician Freddie Mercury. The inscription on it was dedicated to Farukh Bulsara; the dates of birth and death also coincided. The appeal is signed with the letter "M" - presumably, this is Mary Austin, a close friend of the musician, with whom he lived for about seven years.

On his deathbed, Queen's lead singer bequeathed to her his Kensington mansion in Logan Place, the proceeds from the sold records. In addition, he asked Austin after cremation to bury his ashes in a secret place - he did not want the posthumous pilgrimage of numerous fans to his grave.

Before Mercury's death, he also donated the proceeds from the reissue of the song Bohemian Rhapsody to the Terrence Higgins AIDS Foundation.

In 1992, Mercury's Queen colleagues organized a grandiose concert in memory of the singer at Wembley Stadium in London, which was attended by many famous musicians who performed the best songs of Mercury.

Some of Mercury's songs did not have time to see the light during the singer's lifetime: they were included in the Queen's album Made in Heaven, released in 1995.

In the 2000s, Queen resumed their concert activities without their legendary soloist.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Freddie Mercury (born Freddie Mercury, birth name - Farukh Bulsara (Guj. ફારોખ બલસારા, Pharōkh Balsārā‌); September 5, 1946, Stone City, Zanzibar - November 24, 1991, London, UK) - British singer of Parsi origin, songwriter, vocalist of the rock band Queen. He was the author of such hits of the group as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Killer Queen", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Somebody to Love", "We Are the Champions", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", etc. solo creativity. Freddie died on November 24, 1991 from bronchopneumonia, which developed against the background of AIDS.

In 2002, Freddie Mercury was ranked 58th in the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons poll. In 2005, Blender magazine conducted a poll, according to which Freddie was ranked second among vocalists (first among men). In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 18th on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Vocalists of All Time. Allmusic described him as "one of the greatest rock singers and one of the greatest voices in the history of music."

Personal life

Attractive, charming Freddie Mercury ... The singer's personal life interested many of his fans. At the end of 1969, Freddie meets Mary Austin, with whom they were together for seven long years. But they could not get along and therefore were forced to leave. But even after that, they remained good friends, and the girl became Freddie's personal secretary. As Mary says, they broke up because of Freddie's confession that he is bisexual. He considered the girl to be his good friend.

After this parting, Freddie had many girlfriends, but he was simply fond of them, none of them could replace Mary for him. Many of Freddie's songs were dedicated to this girl, in addition, he bequeathed his mansion to her.

Barbara Valentine is an actress from Australia, with whom Freddie also had a fleeting affair. They met in 1983. The musician himself admitted in an interview that this girl helped create a strong union for him, and he could not achieve such a relationship in the last years of his single life.

The true cause of death of Freddie Mercury

You can put forward a preliminary version of where and when Freddie Mercury was infected with AIDS.

It happened in September 1986, at London's Harley Street Hospital.

What happened in Harley Street was not a medical error or negligence, but a carefully planned contract killing. Otherwise, "Sun" would not have found out about it so quickly, Freddie would not have been the only victim, and the scale of the scandal would have been hard to imagine.

In the 80s and 90s, there was a wave of massive AIDS infections in medical institutions around the world. But in each such case, the infection was quickly identified, the culprits were found, and the press raised a scandal. There were also cases of single infections (for example, in 1991 the whole world was shocked by the tragedy of an American student infected with AIDS in the dentist's office), but such cases were quickly identified.

The Mercury killers chose a method that provided them with release from all possible suspicion. The death of Mercury did not cause any such rumors and conversations. Not one of the wildest tabloids has published a single, even completely sucked out, alternative version of his death. After everything that was said about Freddie, his death seemed a normal logical conclusion of a dissolute life. Indeed, what else could die of the main gay in England, who had hundreds of male partners?

A noble man and a believing Zoroastrian was exorcised to the whole world by the vilest male sin, the most terrible crime of his faith. He lost the most important thing that a man and a warrior can have - honor and reputation. It won't be long before hundreds of millions of people around the world will discuss his debauchery, his homosexuality, his fictitious vices, and his name will become a symbol of absolute debauchery ...

For what and why Freddie was removed - I think you already understood. After 1986, this was the only way to stop Queen's triumphant movement and prevent the development of a spiritual rock revolution. They could not allow Freddie Mercury to take the throne of the King of Rock, and when it did happen, they simply had no other choice.

Discography

Seven Seas of Rhye
Love kills
Made in heaven
Living on my own
Love of my life
Bohemian rhapsody
We Are The Champions Barcelona
How can i go on

Freddie Mercury, biography

Farukh Bulsara, whom we know as the cult vocalist of the band "Queen" Freddie Mercury, was born in Tanzania in 1946. Farukh's parents - Bomi and Jer - were Parsis (followers of the teachings of Zoroaster). 6 years after the appearance of a son in the Bulsar family, a daughter of Kashmir was born. At that time, the family moved to India and stayed in Bombay. 6-year-old Farukh was sent to school. The educational institution was located quite far from Bombay, in the city of Panchgani. The boy's grandfather and aunt lived there, with whom he stayed. At school, English-speaking classmates started calling Farukh "Freddie".

Freddie was a diligent student. He quickly became interested in sports, choosing for himself hockey, tennis and boxing. And the boy also became interested in music and painting. He painted well, distributing drawings to all his friends and relatives. But most of all, Farukh loved to sing. Classes in the school choir took up a lot of his time. The school director drew attention to the excellent vocals of the student. He invited the boy's parents to develop his abilities in piano courses, promising to petition for a small price. Thus, Freddie Mercury began attending music courses. Upon completion, he was awarded as the best student.

At the age of 12, Freddie, together with his friends, organized a rock group, calling it The Hectics. The guys played and sang at school discos and wherever they were received.

In 1962, the future Queen leader, who turned 16, graduated from high school in India and returned to Zanzibar, where his parents moved again. After 2 years, the power on the island changed: Zanzibar proclaimed its independence from England. Riots began. Bulsar's family moved to London.

In 1965, the guy becomes a student at the prestigious Ealing College, where he studies painting and design, and also continues to study music and ballet dancing. Mercury calls Jimi Hendrix and Rudolf Nureyev his idols.

Freddie Mercury, film

The name of Freddie Mercury is not real, the name of the singer is Farrukh Bulsara. He is remembered by his fans also as a songwriter, and, of course, as the vocalist of the cult rock band Queen. One of the achievements of this man can be called the fact that in 2002 he was assigned the 58th place in the list of one hundred greatest Britons. In general, during his life he received many awards and prizes. What was Freddie Mercury like? Biography, personal life of the singer do not leave indifferent his fans.

Childhood and youth

What was Freddie Mercury like? The biography says that he was born on September 5, 1946 in the Stone Town. The singer died on November 24, 1991. But everything is in order. Where are the roots of Freddie Mercury? His nationality is Parsi. The parents' names were Jer and Bomi Bulsara. The newborn baby was named Farrukh, which means “happiness”. When the boy was six years old, his sister Kashmir was born. The head of the family worked as a cashier at the Supreme Court.

In 1954, parents sent their son to St. Peter's School, located half a kilometer from Bombay. What kind of student was Freddie Mercury? His biography tells that during his studies the boy began to get involved in music, thanks to the singer Lata Mangeshkar. In Panchgan, the guy lived with his uncle and aunt. His real name was difficult to pronounce by his peers, and then they began to call him Freddie. Since then, this name has been attached to him. After some deliberation, the singer took such a pseudonym for himself.

All disciplines that were held at the school were exclusively British. Most of all, the guy was fond of sports such as sprint, boxing and hockey. But such activities as running and cricket, he did not like. In sports, this man excelled while at the school bench. At the age of ten he was recognized as the champion among schoolchildren in tennis, two years later he received the cup for the all-around. When he was 12 years old, the director of the educational institution presented Freddie with a certificate for success in art and the exact sciences.

Despite his busyness, he did well in his studies. This is what the future singer did during his school years:

• performed with a choir;
• drew;
• composed scripts and participated in performances;
• studied successfully.

But most of all he was fond of music. It was to this occupation that the boy devoted his childhood. I also recall such cases when this hobby was at the expense of studies. The fact that the guy has talent was the first to be noticed by the headmaster. Then he wrote an appeal to his parents with a proposal that they give their son to study the piano for a nominal fee. The parents did not mind, they also rejoiced at the success of their child. Freddie began to learn to play a musical instrument and enjoyed it. The result of his work can be called the fourth degree, both in practice and in theory.

The boy was not singing alone, he had like-minded people. So in 1958, a small company, the guys created a musical group that performed rock. It consisted of five people, and its name translated means "crazy". It is worth noting that this is the perfect name for such a team, which was quite justified. But this name did not bother the school administration, and the guys performed at various events.

In 1962, the singer graduated from an educational institution. Then he was sixteen years old. In the same year, he returned to his native Zanzibar. But in 1964, the country in which the family lived underwent major political changes. An Arab sultan became the ruler of Zanzibar. And then the family got together in a few days and moved to the UK.

The path to fame

When the family ended up in England, at first they had to live with relatives in Feltham, and after a while they bought their house. At this time, Freddie became an adult and he wanted to study further, so he entered the Icefort school, where he studied painting. And he really liked this occupation.

The family experienced financial needs during these years, and therefore Freddie, as the eldest son, had to go to work part-time. He first served at the London airport, then became a loader. Then his colleagues were very surprised that such a young and talented guy works in such a field. But Freddie justified himself and said that he does this only in his free time, and his profession is a musician. Due to his charm, they began to treat him with condescension, and some employees performed Freddie's duties.

How was Freddie Mercury on the way to his popularity? The biography tells us that after leaving school, in 1966, the guy decided to go to study at an art college located in London. In the fall, Freddie entered this institution. After that, he decided to live separately from his parents, and then together with a friend they rented an apartment in Kensington. His neighbor was also passionate about music, and therefore they often arranged rehearsals, but they were in no hurry to appear on stage yet. This city at that time was considered the center of art.

The singer devoted a lot of time to drawing, and most of his creations were addressed to his favorite guitarist - Jimi Hendrix. There, the guy found a new friend - Tim Staffel, the leader of the Smile group, as well as an excellent vocalist and guitarist. After some time, Freddie was invited to the rehearsals of this group. There he met and began to communicate with other team members and was amazed at what he saw.

In 1969, the guy finished his studies and moved to live with Taylor Roger, with whom they opened a shop where they sold Freddie's paintings and other exclusive things.

In the same year, the singer met with the Ibex group. He was so interested in her work that in a couple of weeks he already knew everything about her repertoire. And then Freddie added several of his own songs to the existing ones. And at the end of August, he already performed with the group on a common stage. He proposed to rename the team, his proposal was appreciated and a new name was invented - Wreckage. But in this composition, the group did not last long: one by one the members left it, and soon it broke up.

And then the guy decided not to stop there. He started looking for a new job for himself. He looked through the ads every day and decided to become the lead singer of the Sour Milk Sea band. When Freddie came across this ad, he came for an interview the same day and was appointed vocalist. The members of the group received him well, as his voice was inspiring, and the way he knew how to move, amazed everyone. Several rehearsals were held, and then the group began to give their concerts.

Most of all, Freddie became friends with Chris, and soon he moved to his apartment. But the rest of the band members did not like their relationship, as they thought it would harm the group's reputation. A few months later, the team still broke up, but it happened not through Freddie's fault. It was just that the person who was the owner of all the equipment took it away, and the group could no longer carry out its activities.

1970-1982

In April 1970, Freddie became the lead singer of the Smile group, since its former vocalist decided to leave the team. At the same time, a new name was invented - Queen. For the group, Freddie began to draw a symbol based on the coat of arms of Great Britain. In 1972, while recording another masterpiece, Freddie had the idea to change her last name. And from that time on, he became Freddie Mercury.

Already in 1975, the group began touring in various countries, including Japan. Most of all, the guys remembered the performance in it, since they were warmly received, which the band members themselves did not expect. Freddie really fell in love with this country and he dedicated all his works related to painting to her. In 1980, Freddie decided to change his image: he grew a mustache and cut his hair short, which only added to his attractiveness.

1983-1988

At the end of 1982, the band members decided that they wanted to rest and not play any more concerts in the coming season. But Freddie himself was not ready for this. His plans did not include such a long inaction. But he was not upset, since he had more time for himself, and decided to take up a solo album, the dreams of which he lived for a long period of time.

In 1983, Freddie began work on a solo disc and spent a lot of time in the studio. Then he met the most popular composer Giorgio Moreder, who invited Freddie to record joint music for the film. In September 1984, the song Love Kills was released.

Freddie Mercury released his first album at the end of April 1985.

Montserrat Caballe played an important role in Freddie's life, the first meeting with whom took place in 1983 and made a strong impression on him. The second time they saw each other four years later, then Freddie presented the singer with a cassette with his music. Caballe was impressed by Freddie's creation, and in the same year they were already working on a joint album.

The date of the last appearance of the singer on the stage was October 1988, it was one of the music festivals. At this time, he already knew that he was sick with AIDS. The album of the great singer was released this year.

Personal life

Attractive, charming Freddie Mercury ... The singer's personal life interested many of his fans. At the end of 1969, Freddie meets Mary Austin, with whom they were together for seven long years. But they could not get along, and therefore were forced to leave. But even after that, they remained good friends, and the girl became Freddie's personal secretary. As Mary says, they broke up because of Freddie's confession that he is bisexual. He considered the girl to be his good friend.

After this parting, Freddie had many girlfriends, but he was simply fond of them, none of them could replace Mary for him. Many of Freddie's songs were dedicated to this girl, in addition, he bequeathed his mansion to her.

Barbara Valentine is an actress from Australia, with whom Freddie also had a fleeting affair. They met in 1983. The musician himself admitted in an interview that this girl helped create a strong union for him, and he could not achieve such a relationship in the last years of his single life.

Freddie Mercury's children

Freddie Mercury had no children. According to many of his fans, this was only because of his gay orientation. But if you recall some interviews, then Freddie dreamed of children and family life.

He did not like to talk about personal topics. The image of the singer caused a lot of controversy about his orientation. It is worth noting that at all interviews he either kept silent, or joked, or spoke vaguely when it came to questions about his sympathies and preferences.

Are these rumors about Freddie Mercury true? Biography, cause of death - everything indicates that he was, as it were, "not like" everyone else. Even after Freddie died, the press did not stop talking about his orientation. Many claimed that he was gay, and this information was obtained after communicating with people who personally knew Freddie. As his friends said, the musician was homosexual and did not hide it at all.

In 1992, a concert was held in memory of the singer, but even there his orientation was affected. In the book of Freddie's personal assistant, meetings of a celebrity with men were described.

Freddie Mercury before dying

In 1986, rumors began to spread that Freddie was terminally ill. First, they began to write in the newspapers that it was noticed that the singer donated blood for HIV infection. It would seem that it was a simple analysis, but then the press beat this information up and down. Starting in 1989, fans began to notice strong changes in Freddie's appearance. Fans said that he began to lose weight in front of his eyes, and then his diagnosis was confirmed. But until his death, Freddie denied the disease, and only those close to him knew the truth.

In 1989, the Queen group gave interviews on one of the radio stations. The participants were asked when their next tour is planned. But the group replied that they did not know the exact date, as their soloist had big health problems, and Freddie again became the subject of discussion.

But the musician himself knew that his backwardness would not live long, and therefore he wanted to record as many musical compositions as possible. In total, two solo records were released in his life, but he wrote songs that were released in the albums of other performers. For some of his songs, clips were shot, which delighted the audience. The last videos were filmed in black and white so that viewers would not notice the state of their idol. After the musician died, another album was released. This was in 1995.

What did Freddie Mercury die of? On November 23, 1991, the singer announced that he was HIV-positive. He understood that there was no point in hiding it, because sooner or later everyone would know about it. Freddie transferred his rights to the songs to the foundation, which was created to protect seriously ill people.

How Freddie died

Freddie Mercury, whose biography was rich, but, unfortunately, short, enriched the world musical heritage. On November 24, 1991, Freddie died. It happened at about seven o'clock in the evening. Death occurred at his London home. What did Freddie Mercury die of? According to the conclusions of doctors, death came from bronchopneumonia, which was provoked by AIDS.

When the fans found out about the departure of the legendary man, many fans gathered at the gates of his house, who came to say goodbye to the idol. After all, he was young, he was only 45 years old. Flowers, postcards, photographs and letters lay on the paths of his house.

The funeral of the singer

Freddie Mercury's funeral was closed. The fans were not allowed in. Only close people were present. How was Freddie Mercury buried? His nationality is Parsi, and this people adheres to Zoroastrian beliefs. When the musician matured, he did not observe them. But his parents buried him according to primordial customs. The only thing that is known at the moment is that the burial ceremony was carried out to music.

Freddie's body was cremated, and only his family knew where the musician's ashes were. This was his desire, which the relatives could not dispute. But a couple of years ago, information appeared in the press that his fans had discovered a burial place - a cemetery located in London.

Freddie managed to draw up a will, according to which most of his funds were to belong to Mary Austin, his sister and parents. He also bequeathed his money to the following people:

• the cook;
• chauffeur;
• personal assistant;
• Jim Hutton, a close friend of his.

Posthumous glory

But despite the fact that Freddie died more than twenty years ago, he was, is and will be one of the most popular performers in history. Freddie Mercury's voice is still a legend. His songs are listened to to this day, and many people embody his image, since they remember the star of those years.

Even people far from music gasped when they learned about the death of such a great man. After his death, the members of the group in which he had recently been a soloist staged a memory concert. The proceeds from the performance were donated to the AIDS Foundation.

Freddie Mercury's life was not in vain. In Switzerland, in 1996, a monument was erected to this man. And not without reason, because the musician and singer was in this country for a long time and worked there. Initially, they wanted to install this monument in London. The search for a place for its erection went on for about four years, which never ended in success. But in London there is still a modest monument located in the backyard of the college where Freddie studied. However, his friends found it offensive.

The development of music in the eighties is associated with the name of Freddie. Today, many singers try on the image of the legend of the days gone by. But no one managed to prove themselves the way Freddie did. The music that was written and performed by Mercury deserves all kinds of awards, prizes and audience admiration.

Facts from life

As his friends say, Freddie was very fond of pets, especially cats. Therefore, in his house there were several pets, each of which he took care of. Freddie even dedicated a song to one of his cats.

Mercury tried to work with Michael Jackson. The musicians recorded four songs together, which simply shocked the audience.

Freddie Mercury is a legendary man who died so early due to a fatal illness. He fought to the last, but was powerless in the face of such a difficult diagnosis. He made grandiose plans for life, but it is a pity that they were not destined to come true.

The legendary Freddie Mercury, a biography whose personal life does not leave millions of fans indifferent, was undoubtedly great. After his death, a huge number of documentaries were shot, which were shown on various TV channels in honor of the memory of Freddie. In 2012, he even became a character in one of the games. The story of Freddie Mercury will continue for many more years. He will forever remain alive for his fans.

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September 5 is a memorable date for Queen fans, because Freddie Mercury was born on this day 73 years ago. His work, extraordinary stage images and eccentric demeanor during performances are known even to people far from rock music. That is worth the rock ballad "Bohemian Rhapsody", created by him, which got into the Guinness Book of Records as the best song of the millennium. But what a cult musician was like in real life, only the people closest to him know.

Before worldwide fame

Little Freddie (Farrukh) in the arms of his mother Jer.

• Freddie was born in the British colony of Zanzibar in 1946 to a Parsi family who moved to Stone Town (the capital of Zanzibar) from the Indian state of Gujarat. When the boy was 7 years old, he was sent to a boarding school in India. There is an opinion that separation from his family at such an early age became a psychological trauma for Freddie and gave him an insatiable thirst for attention.
• The singer's real name is Farrukh Bulsara. "Farrukh" in translation from the Gujarati language means "beautiful", "happy". In 1970, the year the Queen was founded, the singer officially changed his name, since then Frederick Mercury has been listed in his passport. When they addressed him as Farrukh, Mercury was furious.
• Interestingly, Freddie's first (and only) language was English, not Gujarati. At least, so says Peter Phoebe Freestone, who for many years was a personal assistant and friend of Mercury. According to Peter, the singer communicated with his family and wrote letters to them exclusively in English.

Freddie with the trophy, which he won as the best cricketer among the junior pupils of St. Peter's School in India.

• Freddie has a younger sister, Kashmir Cook. She recalls that her brother was gifted in all areas since childhood, and believes that the love of music was instilled in him by their aunt, in whose house Freddie first started playing the piano.

Freddie and Kashmir in childhood.

• Prior to Freddie's appearance, the Queen group was called Smile - it was renamed on his initiative in 1970, when Mercury became a soloist.

• In 1987, Mercury covered the hit of the 60s "The Great Pretender"(translated from English - "the great pretender"). In his performance, the song received a second life, and the nickname of the same name literally stuck to the artist.

“What is the secret of Freddie's success? I think he knew how to be in the right place at the right time. And he was an incredibly talented musician with a lot of personality and ability to get his message across. He had the willpower to fulfill his dream, extraordinary imagination and the ability to write songs for all time. Freddie was not afraid to conquer the world. "

Peter Freestone, personal assistant to Mercury

Personal life

• Freddie made great efforts to keep his personal life out of the press. But Mercury's partners were discussed no less than his hits. Once, in response to a journalist's phrase "I heard that you sleep with men," Mercury said: "I sleep with men, I sleep with women and sleep with my cats ... What does this have to do with my music?"

• Freddie Mercury had a relationship with Mary Austin that lasted 7 years. In 1976, the artist confessed to her that he was bisexual and they ceased to exist as a couple. However, until the end of their lives, they remained close friends. Austin served as Mercury's secretary, and by will she inherited part of the musician's fortune, as well as his house.

The film "Bohemian Rhapsody" tells in detail about Freddie's relationship with Mary Austin, but there is no mention of another bright woman in the singer's life - Austrian actress Barbara Valentin. Later, the singer admitted that he was carried away by her more than any of the male lovers over the past few years. “Next to her, I again felt like myself,” Mercury recalled about the novel.

• It is possible that the relationship between Mercury and Valentine was platonic. According to Peter Freestone, they had a lot in common and Freddie was impressed by Barbara's straightforwardness. But when rumors appeared in the press about their romance and that the couple was supposedly going to get married, the singer came to the conclusion that Barbara herself is the source of this gossip, because she wants to stir up interest in her person. This upset Freddie so much that he almost did not communicate with Valentine in the last year of his life.

Freddie with the same bag in his hands.

Transport

• Mercury never took a driving test, but that didn't stop him from owning five cars. He was adamant that "we are all here for a reason." This means that he, Freddie, had to devote himself entirely to music - creating, recording and performing. And other people are here to drive cars.

A 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, once owned by the lead singer of the Queen. The car was purchased at an auction on January 12, 2013 for 74,600 pounds (89,700 euros), which is 6 times the price at which the experts estimated it.

• The singer was terrified of the planes. Once, boarding a plane from Tokyo to New York, Mercury found out that this model had numerous technical problems in the recent past. He immediately demanded that his things be unloaded and flew away on another plane.

Hobbies and habits

• Mercury loved his cats. Up to 10 furry pets could live in his house at the same time. Debut solo album Mr. Freddie dedicated Bad Guy to cats, and even a separate composition to his favorite named Delilah. Periodically during the tour, he called London to talk to the four-legged. Mary Austin, at the request of the singer, brought this or that cat to the receiver.

Freddie and his cat Romeo, a gift from Jim Hutton.

• The Queen's leader's favorite country was Japan. Freddie was recharged here with energy that he could not find anywhere else in the world.

In 1993, the National Postal Museum in Great Britain acquired the stamp collection that Mercury had been collecting all his life. The money from the sale was transferred to the account of an AIDS charity founded by Freddie.

• On the eve of the millennium, the Royal Mail of Great Britain issued a stamp with a portrait of the great singer, which, in addition to Mercury, featured drummer Roger Taylor. So the rule was broken: of the living people, only members of the royal family can be depicted on stamps. The public was indignant until a statement by postal workers was published in the media, which indicated that the design of the stamp had been personally approved by Elizabeth II.

A brand that was at the center of a grand scandal.

The fate of Freddie Mercury is a ready-made script for a movie. There is romantic drama, tragedy, and epic soundtracks. However, in Hollywood, they decided to interpret the story of the greatest musician of the 20th century in their own way. Let's talk about what events were embellished and what details were omitted by the filmmakers in Bohemian Rhapsody:

The beginning of the band's historyQueen

The Queen team has been united for much longer than in the film. Mercury already knew Brian May and Roger Taylor, but performed with other bands. For the first time, the line-up of the future Queen played together at the Ibex show. By the time Tim Staffel decided to leave the group "Smile", May, Taylor and Mercury rented an apartment together and were well acquainted, so the first scenes of the film are nothing more than a beautiful decision of the director.

Mary Austin's proposal

For many viewers, the love story with Mary Austin was a surprise. Despite the fact that Mercury was gay, he spent many years in heterosexual relationships, and twice it came to marriage. However, the offer to tie the knot didn't look as gaudy as it did in the movie. Instead of a ring with a large diamond, Mercury gave Mary a huge box for Christmas. When the girl opened it, there was another inside, and then another. Inside this "nesting doll" Mary found a small jade ring and, moved, said the cherished "Yes".

Parting of Mercury and Austin

In the film, the relationship between the rock star and his beloved after the breakup was shown to be much more tense. In fact, Mercury continued to think of Austin as his wife throughout his life. In an interview, the musician confessed: “All my lovers asked me why they could not replace Mary? But this is simply not possible. She is my only friend, and I do not need others. She was my wife. Yes, for me it was a marriage. "

Ray Foster

One of the film's most striking scenes - Queen's meeting with Ray Foster - was completely fictional. This character was based on Roy Featherstone, the chief of EMI's record company, who thought Bohemian Rhapsody was too long for the single format.

Scene in limousine

Queen manager Paul Prenter becomes the main antagonist in Bohemian Rhapsody. It is he who is trying to destroy the group, convincing Mercury with the help of John Reid that he needs a solo album. An angry Mercury pulls Reid out of the limo, but in reality, Reid's departure was much less dramatic. The group has fond memories of working with him. “We had a good working relationship with John. He was very fiery and angry, but we were the same. So we weren't afraid of him, ”said Roger Taylor in a 2011 documentary about Queen.

"Murder" Queen

According to the law of the genre, the main character Freddie Mercury breaks down and makes the wrong choice, which turns his life upside down. The rock star announces to the band that he wants to start a solo project. Mercury's choice becomes a tragedy for his comrades. “You just killed Queen!” The devoted Taylor shouts. But history suggests that during the breakup of the group, Mercury was not the only one who worked on a solo album. Brian May was busy with the Star Fleet project, and Taylor himself was thinking about a solo career. The fact is that Mercury's statement was unexpected for the rest. So in the biographical book about Mercury, Taylor wrote that he never thought that his friend had thoughts about a solo album.

Firing Paul Prenter

Prenter gained fame as a real devil of show business. The selfish and calculating manager took control of not only Mercury's career, but also his personal life. Queen musicians really disliked him, and here the filmmakers did not lie. But the chronology of the work of Prenter and Mercury was violated, which greatly influenced the image of the character. So, for example, the scandalous interview was the reason for Prenter's dismissal, and not its consequence. By the way, it was published in The Sun and was not broadcast on television.

Meeting of Mercury and Jim Hutton

Mercury and Hatton's romance was actually much more prosaic than it was on screen. Jim was not a waiter, but a hairdresser, and he met the musician not at a house party, but in a nightclub. The scene with the phone book is also fictional - in reality, the guys accidentally crossed paths in the club.

Freddie Mercury's coming out before Live Aid

In the film, right before the legendary Live Aid, Mercury tells his bandmates about AIDS, and they try to support him. However, the musician learned the terrible diagnosis in 1987, two years after Live Aid.

Jim Hutton and Mary Austin Behind the Scenes of Live Aid

There is no documentary evidence as to whether Hatton and Austin actually stood next to each other during the concert, but experts believe this is unlikely. Austin hated Hutton, like all Mercury's lovers. The first thing that the woman did after the death of Mercury was ordered to expel Hatton from the musician's house, which she inherited.

As with any Hollywood biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody has its own inaccuracies. But to the question "Is it worth watching a movie?" even the most dedicated fans of Mercury and Queen answered with a laconic "Yes". There are at least two reasons for this - the genuine vocals of Mercury and the impeccable performance of Rami Malek.

10 facts about Freddie Mercury that were distorted in "Bohemian Rhapsody" was last modified: November 12th, 2018 by Vlada Gorshunova