Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury (55 page)
Read Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury Online
Authors: Lesley-Ann Jones
Graffiti tributes to Freddie and Queen on the walls of the entrance to the former Mountain Studios, Queen’s own facility in Montreux, Switzerland. The studios are long gone, but the entrance and doorway are preserved as an informal shrine, March 2011.
Fans gather at sunset to honor their idol at Freddie’s statue on Lake Geneva, March 2011.
Freddie Mercury’s statue by Irena Sedlecká, overlooking his beloved Lake Geneva beneath the Swiss Alps, March 2011.
To Michelle Howry, my American editor, and Stacy Creamer, US publisher; to Marcia Burch, Jessica Amato, Meredith Vilarello, Justina Batchelor, and David Falk—all at Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, New York. Their energy and enthusiasm is inspirational.
To Hannah Black, my awesome UK editor, for spirited effort and guidance.
Also to Camilla Dowse, Kate Miles, Alice Howe, Kerry Hood, Bea Long, Jason Bartholomew, and everyone else at Hodder & Stoughton who worked with such commitment to the cause. Their exuberance and “extra-mile” attitude has been a joy.
To Ivan Mulcahy, my brilliant agent, for constant encouragement, friendship, and support. Also to Laetitia Rutherford, Stephanie Cohen, and Jonathan Conway at Mulcahy Conway Associates. It’s a privilege to know and work with such upbeat people.
To Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, for the music that thrills my children as much as it has always thrilled me.
To the many generous friends, colleagues, and associates, as well as key figures in Freddie Mercury’s life, who opened their hearts and memories or helped to make this book happen in some way—most of whom (I hope) are remembered here:
Tim Rice, Steve Harley, Phil Swern, Andy Hill, Jim Diamond, Steve Levine, Mick Rock, Dan Arthure, Jonathan Morrish, Leee John, Frank Allen, David
Wigg, Clare Bramley, Francis Rossi, Dave Hogan, Nigel Angel, Bob Lefsetz, Peter Paterno, James Saez, Eddie Delena, Reinhold Mack, Rick Wakeman, Ben Wakeman, John Waite, Elton John, Jamesie, Kim Wilde, Nick Boyles, Chris Hewlett, Alan Edwards, James Nisbet, Scott Millaney, Simon Napier-Bell, Richard Hughes, Robert Lee, Gray Jolliffe, David Hamilton, David “Kid” Jensen, Paul Gambaccini, Spike Edney, David Stark, John Fleming, Jeff Griffin, James Khalaf, Nick Fitzherbert, Paula Fitzherbert, Louis Souyave, Tony Hadley, Carolyn Cowan, Bernard Doherty, Tony Bramwell, Harvey Goldsmith, Pete Smith, Peter Freestone, Mike Read, Michael Appleton, Bob Geldof, Fiz Shapur, Andrew MacGillivray, Lindsay Martins, Jude Martins, Alicia Martins, Daniel Martins, Jeremy Norman, David Thorpe, Rolf Harris, Denis O’Regan, Peter Hillmore, Edmund Preston, David Quantick, Phil Symes, Jerry Hibbert, Chris Poole, Shernaz Screwaller, Michael Anastasios, Dominic Denny, Jim Jenkins, Gerd Kochlin, Nick Elgar, Stuart White, David Syner, Toby Rose, Sandy Evans, Bonzo Fernandez, Perviz Darunkhanawala, Diana Darunkhanawala, Nancy Galloway, Nasser K. Awadh, Professor Abdul Sheriff, Hamari Omar, Kevin Patience, Sheroo Khory, Morris W. Innis, Cyrus Ghandy, Janet Smith, Gita Choksi, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Marcela Delorenzi, Hollow Skai, Tomas Petterson, Paul Davies, Saskia Campbell, Annabel Lord, Frank Warren, Laura Morris, John McFaul, Stephen Kahn, Mike Stone, Michael Charidemou, Robert Kirby, Chris Griffin, Wendy Reid, Phil Mackney, Jessica Mackney, Rachel Tarnoy, Dominic Collier, Alison Miller, Claire Weeks, Lia Policane, Sharron Nasir, Pauline Thomson, Julie IvesRoutleff, Karen French, Bill and Rachel Leigh, Maureen and Ghee Ong, Jan Moore, Jane Stone.
Professor Edward G. Hughes, MD MB ChB, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Dr. Cosmo Hallstrom, MD FRCP FRCPsych MB ChB DPM, London.
Bob, Jim, Nick, and Dave, Right Turn Left RIP.
Kelvin Mackenzie, Rod Gilchrist, Lynda Lee-Potter, Nigel Dempster, Bob Hill, Nick Gordon, John Koski, John Chenery, Herbert Kretzmer, Jack Tinker, Baz Bambigoye, Sean Usher, Pat Hill, Anne Barraclough, Steve Absolom, Geoff Sutton, Roger Tavener, Richard Young, Alan Davidson, Alan Grisbrook, Dave Benett, Geoff Baker, Annette Witheridge, Gill Pringle, Rick Sky, Martin Dunn, Nick Ferrari, David Wigg, John Blake, Piers Morgan, Hugh Whittow, Adam Helliker, Lisa Clark, Rachel Jane, Stephen Rigley, Clair Woodward, Peter Wright, Sian James, Nick Pyke.
Special thanks to Dave Hogan, and to David Stark.
I am indebted to Roger Tavener for his notes and recollections of our night with Freddie Mercury, Montreux, 1986.
Grateful thanks to Jim Beach, Phil Symes, to Freddie’s mother, Jer Bulsara, and to his sister, Kashmira Cooke.
Christopher Millard and Elizabeth Bell, the Royal Opera House
Imperial College, London
Ealing Art College, London
University of Westminster, London
Trident Studios, London
De Lane Lea Studios, London
I Like Music, London
Associated Newspapers, London
News International, London
Trinity Mirror PLC, London
British Library Newspapers, Colindale, London
The Groucho Club, London
Soho House, High Road House & Shoreditch House, London
Babington House, Somerset
Zanzibar Museums, Zanzibar
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
St. Peter’s School, Panchgani, India
Norbert Muller & Montreux Music, Switzerland,
www.montreuxmusic.com
Billboard USA,
www.billboard.com
Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles
Hollywood Records/The Walt Disney Company, Los Angeles
Soho House, West Hollywood
New York Daily News
Soho House New York
The Mercury Phoenix Trust
46664 Nelson Mandela HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign
Child Hope
UK National AIDS Trust
Bone Cancer Research Trust
Official Queen website
Official Freddie Mercury website
www.loveroflifesingerofsongs.com
Freddie for a Day Global Charity Network
Official website of the Who
email:
[email protected]
Rose Allocca, Poly Styrene, Peter Batt, Gerry Sanderson, John Entwistle, Roger Scott, Kenny Everett, Ginny Comely, Barbara Valentin, Pat Stead, Giles Gordon, Tony Brainsby, Tommy Vance, Jim Hutton, Liam McCoy, John Sutton, Lester Middlehurst, Sir Henry Cooper, George Bodnar.
Any omissions are unintentional. I am sincerely grateful to all concerned for invaluable assistance. None of the abovementioned is in any way responsible for the author’s views as expressed in this book.
5 September 1946 | Farrokh Bulsara born in Zanzibar. |
1951 | Farrokh enrolls at Zanzibar Missionary School. |
1955–1963 | Farrokh becomes a boarder at St. Peter’s School, Panchgani, India. Changes his name to Freddie. Launches his first band, the Hectics. |
1963 | Freddie returns to Zanzibar and completes his education at St. Joseph’s Convent School. |
1964 | Zanzibar revolution, January. Freddie and his family flee to the UK. |
1964–1966 | Freddie studies art at A Level at Isleworth Polytechnic School. |
1966 | Freddie arrives at Ealing College of Art to begin his course in graphic design and illustration. He leaves home and meets Tim Staffell, who plays in a band with Brian May. |
1969 | Freddie graduates from Ealing College of Art with a diploma; runs a Kensington market stall with Roger Taylor; meets the bands Smile and Ibex; launches his second band, Wreckage; meets Mary Austin. |
April 1970 | Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Freddie join forces as Queen. Freddie changes his surname to Mercury. |
1970 | Freddie’s rock idol Jimi Hendrix dies, 18 September. |
1971 | Bassist John Deacon joins Queen, February. |
1972 | Queen sign deal with Trident Studios. |
1973 | Queen sign recording contract with EMI. Queen’s debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” and debut album, |
1974 | “Seven Seas of Rhye” single and |
1975 | Queen’s first headlining US tour. First tour of Japan. Freddie wins Ivor Novello songwriting award for “Killer Queen.” Queen conclude their deal with Trident. Elton John’s manager John Reid becomes Queen’s manager. “Bohemian Rhapsody” single released, 31 October. |
1976 | Queen’s second US tour. All four Queen albums in the UK Top 20, February. The band tour Japan and Australia. Queen give massive free concert in Hyde Park, London, 18 September. |
1977 | Queen tour the world. “We Are the Champions” single released, October. “Bohemian Rhapsody” wins Britannia Award. |
1978 | Queen tour Europe. The band celebrate launch of the album |
1979 | Queen begin recording at Musicland Studios, Munich. |
1980 | “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” hits Number One in countless countries, earns Queen their debut US charttopper. Freddie purchases Garden Lodge, his lavish home in London. Queen embark on an epic US tour. |
1981 | Queen tour South America. Freddie throws five-day birthday party in New York City. |
1982 | Queen sign new contract with EMI for a further six albums. |
1983 | Freddie meets Winnie Kirchberger and Barbara Valentin in Munich, and Jim Hutton in London. Begins first solo album in Munich. |
1984 | The Works |
1985 | Queen headline at Brazil’s Rock in Rio festival, January, then tour New Zealand, Australia, and Japan from April. They steal the show at Live Aid, Wembley, July. Freddie quits Munich for good and returns to London. |
1986 | Queen’s “farewell” Magic tour of Europe. |
1987 | Freddie releases cover version of “The Great Pretender,” February. Meets with Montserrat Caballé in Barcelona to discuss possible collaboration, March. Former personal manager Paul Prenter betrays Freddie in print. Freddie performs at La Nit Festival, Barcelona, in the presence of the king and queen of Spain, October. Freddie’s album with La Superba, |
1989 | The Miracle |
1990 | Queen presented with BPI’s Outstanding Contribution to British Music award. |
1991 | “Innuendo” gives Queen first Number One single for ten years. |
24 November 1991 | Freddie Mercury dies. “Bohemian Rhapsody” released as Christmas single, raising more than £1 million for Terrence Higgins Trust AIDS charity. Also released in the United States, with profits shared among AIDS charities across the States through Magic Johnson Foundation. |
1992 | Mercury Tribute concert, Wembley Stadium, Easter Monday. Mercury Phoenix Trust AIDS charity launched. |
1994 | Jim Hutton publishes memoir of life with Freddie. |
1995 | Made in Heaven |
1996 | Statue of Freddie, by Irena Sedlecká, unveiled in Montreux on fifth anniversary of Freddie’s death. |
1997 | Le Presbytère: Ballet for Life |
2002 | Brian performs “God Save the Queen” on roof of Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee. Queen stage musical |
2004 | Brian performs at Fender Strat Pack concert, where he is reacquainted with Free/Bad Company front man Paul Rodgers. |
2005 | Brian, Roger, and Paul Rodgers announce world tour as “Q + PR.” The band also perform at concert in South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s AIDS awareness campaign. Brian awarded CBE for services to the music industry. |
2006 | Q + PR play 23-date tour of North America. Queen’s |
2008 | Q + PR perform in Hyde Park for Nelson Mandela’s ninetieth birthday. |
2009 | Freddie memorial plaque unveiled by his mother in his English hometown, Feltham, attended by 2,000 fans. |
2011 | Queen’s fortieth-anniversary year. |
