Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury
Read Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury Online
Authors: Lesley-Ann Jones
PRAISE FOR
“Lesley-Ann Jones asserts that Freddie Mercury’s was a ‘big, extravagant, multifaceted life,’ and the rock journalist has certainly done a sterling job of documenting it here.”
—
DAILY TELEGRAPH
“Exactly the sort of tribute that Mercury himself would have wanted . . . full of perceptive and moving insights.”
—
THE SPECTATOR
“Rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones is lucky enough to have known the man. She . . . formed lasting friendships with the band. She eventually gained access to Freddie’s colleagues and friends, and so we have this thoroughly researched portrait of the man behind the rock legend.”
—
BRISBANE TIMES
“What makes this biography so enjoyable is that through it, Jones avoids the ‘stars in your eyes’ view that dogs so many biographers. Queen is a backdrop to Freddie Mercury the man. . . . Really encapsulates the 80’s music scene.”
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BUZZ
MAGAZINE
A REVEALING,
INTIMATE LOOK AT
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE
QUEEN
A
s lead vocalist for the iconic rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury’s unmatched skills as a songwriter and his flamboyant showmanship made him a superstar and Queen a household name. But despite his worldwide fame, few people ever really glimpsed the man behind the glittering façade.
Now, more than twenty years after his death, those closest to Mercury are finally opening up about this pivotal figure in rock ’n’ roll. Based on more than a hundred interviews with key figures in his life,
Mercury
offers the definitive account of one man’s legendary life in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones gained unprecedented access to Mercury’s tribe, and she details Queen’s slow but steady rise to fame and Mercury’s descent into dangerous, pleasure-seeking excesses—this was, after all, a man who once declared, “Darling, I’m doing everything with everyone.”
In her journey to understand Mercury, Jones traveled to London, Zanzibar, and India—talking with everyone from Mercury’s closest friends to the sound engineer at Life Aid (who was responsible for making Queen even louder than the other bands) to second cousins halfway around the world. In the process, an intimate and complicated portrait emerges. Meticulously researched, sympathetic yet not sensational,
Mercury
offers an unvarnished look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the fast lane. At the heart of this story is a man . . . and the music he loved.
LESLEY-ANN JONES
is an award-winning music journalist and author. She toured with Queen and had unrivaled access to the band. She lives in London.
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FRONT JACKET PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGE HURRELL
BACK JACKET PHOTOGRAPH © DENIS O’REGAN/CORBIS
COPYRIGHT © 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER
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Copyright © 2011 by Lesley-Ann Jones
Originally published in Great Britain in 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton
Published by arrangement with Hodder & Stoughton
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Touchstone Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Touchstone hardcover edition July 2012
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