40. He Was An A-Lister
Critics hailed Queen’s performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert at the highlight of the show, which was one of the most-watched TV broadcasts of all time. They were rock royalty…and Mercury had the friends to match. Actress Cleo Rocos introduced Mercury and Kenny Everett (the radio DJ who’d made “Bohemian Rhapsody” a hit) to Princess Diana—and they quickly discovered that she had a wild side.
41. He Snuck A Princess Into A Gay Bar
One night, the quartet were at Everett’s home when they came up with the idea to go dancing at a gay club. They figured that Diana would head home before they went—but they were wrong. She wanted to go to, and although Rocos and Everett warned her of the consequences should the authorities show up, Mercury said “Let the girl have some fun.”
Everett gave Diana the ostentation outfit he’d planned on wearing—and with that, the most famous woman in the world got to go out incognito with Freddie Mercury and friends.
42. He Needed A Change Of Scenery
Princess Diana was basically the only star who could outshine Freddie Mercury at a London club in those days—and while he had a good time, the attention in that city grew to be a bit too much. In the mid-80s, Mercury moved temporarily to Munich, where he could still go out and have a good time while keeping a much lower profile.
Not that he always did—his lavish 39th birthday party there has gone down in infamy for its black & white drag dress code and pure excess. But then, just as quickly as he’d arrived, Mercury abandoned Munich. When he got back to London, he seemed a changed man…
43. He Had Some Serious Heartache
Mercury’s close friend Barbara Valentin remarked that after his stint in Munich, he was subdued, and seemed uninterested in the globe-trotting, hard-partying lifestyle he’d been living up until then. The sad reason why? Well, it’s entirely possible that it was heartbreak. While living in Germany, Mercury had been involved with restaurateur Winnie Kirchberger. It got serious, and Kirchberger even gave Mercury a silver wedding band.
It looks like things ended between the pair when Mercury left Germany—but he wouldn’t have to wait long to fall in love again.
44. He Met The Love Of His Life
One of Queen’s most beloved songs, “Love of My Life” was written by Mercury about Mary Austin. During live performances of the song, the audience would get so caught up in it that Mercury would often stop singing and let them take over. After his passing, the remaining band members would often dedicate the song to his memory when they performed it.
Austin would play a crucial role in the next few years of his life—as would another great love of his life, Jim Hutton.
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45. He Settled Down
Freddie Mercury knew a good thing when he saw it—and when he first saw Jim Hutton, he tried to pick him up. Hutton, who had a boyfriend at the time, said no. But 18 months later, when they met again, sparks flew. They began dating, and within a year, Hutton had moved into Mercury’s London home, Garden Lodge.
It was the first time he’d really settled down since Mary Austin—but “settled down” is a relative term.
46. They Had Their Problems
In many ways, Freddie Mercury’s romance with Jim Hutton was a fairy tale. In other ways, it was a horror story. Remember that Mercury had, for the most part, been quite promiscuous (his words, not mine) when he was single. And, as we all know, old habits die hard. In the beginning of their relationship, Hutton would catch Mercury with other men at clubs and once, even at their home.
But Hutton was no shrinking violet—and he wasn’t about to take that kind of stuff sitting down.
47. He Told Him He Had To Make A Choice
With his physicality, confidence, and star status, Mercury could be intimidating—but ultimately he just wanted someone to treat him like a normal person. And that’s exactly what Hutton did when he told Mercury to “make his mind up.” Mercury quietly agreed to the ultimatum—and the pair settled back into their lives together.
But while their home lives were mundane, Mercury still had a flair for the dramatic.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Twentieth Century Fox
48. He Knew How To Throw A Party
Freddie Mercury’s epic 39th birthday party was nothing compared to the bash that he arranged for his 41st—which begs the question, what did he do on his 40th? Stay home and knit? Either way, Mercury’s 1987 party was so massive and wild that the hotel where he held it in Ibiza still celebrates his birthday annually to this day. For the party, Mercury flew 700 of his closest friends to the small Spanish island and had a cake made to look like the Sagrada Familia (which ultimately collapsed under its own weight).
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49. He Wasn’t Well
The raucous party came not long after Queen’s Magic Tour. Little did any of them know that it would be Mercury’s last. While it may have seemed like Mercury and the band were sitting on top of the world, the singer was hiding a devastating secret. He was sick, and he had been sick for a while.
It was getting back enough that it was beginning to show, and rumors began to fly about Mercury’s health.
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50. There Were Early Signs
While Mercury didn’t receive a definitive diagnosis for years, he began to see doctors about worrying symptoms. At the time, so little was known about HIV and AIDS that people were still calling it “gay cancer.” While in the US at part of Queen’s final stateside performance, Mercury saw a doctor about a white lesion on his tongue—potentially an early symptom of an infection.
Still, Mercury appeared healthy on the outside, so no one had reason to talk—until 1986.
51. He Had To Deal With Vicious Rumors
In October of that year, the British press reported that Mercury had taken an AIDS/HIV test at a local clinic. In an interview, Mercury claimed that he’d tested negative—but within a year, those close to him began to worry. Mercury’s best friend in Munich, Barbara Valentin, visited him in 1987—and when she saw him, her heart sank to the floor.
52. She Knew When She Saw Him
Valentin had a cabal of gay friends—and sadly, had lost quite a few to AIDS. When she noticed dark patches on Mercury’s face, a symptom of Kaposi’s sarcoma, she knew exactly what was happening. Though they refused to confront the truth of it, Valentin helped him use makeup to cover the patches that night. From there, things began to take an even darker turn.
53. He Was In Terrible Pain
Eventually, the patches spread to the rest of Mercury’s body—but they weren’t simple discolorations. They were quite painful, and Mercury had to take medication just so that he wouldn’t be in constant agony. In April of 1987, doctors finally gave Mercury a definitive diagnosis. He had AIDS. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, the famously private singer now had to share the news with his loved ones.
54. His Love Stood By Him
When Mercury told his partner Jim Hutton that he had AIDS, he said “I would understand if you wanted to pack your bags and leave.” Hutton’s reply was so touching, it’s unforgettable. He vowed to stand Mercury and told him that he was in it for “the long haul.” Hutton would ultimately deliver on this promise—but first, Mercury had to deal with the day-to-day tribulations of living with a horrific illness.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Twentieth Century Fox
55. He Lost Himself
It doesn’t take watching the YouTube video of Queen’s 1985 Live Aid set to know that Mercury possessed incredibly physicality and energy—but you could, and should, watch said video at your earliest convenience. As AIDS ravaged his body, Mercury grew gaunt, frail, and lost his vigor. His shocking appearance only served to fan the flames of the rumors about his health, but Mercury remained steadfastly private in the face of the stories.
56. He Faded Away
When asked about his health, Mercury would simply say that he’d calmed down a lot from his hard-partying days, and that it was all simply a matter of age taking its toll. After performing for his album Barcelona in 1988, Mercury largely disappeared from the public eye. When he did appear at the 1990 Brit Awards with Queen to accept the trophy for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, fans and critics alike were shocked.
Mercury was extremely gaunt and quiet, and May did most of the talking. It would sadly be his last ever appearance on stage.
57. He Had An A-List Collaboration
When Freddie Mercury met Michael Jackson, the two became fast friends. Jackson was a fan of Mercury and Mercury was incredibly impressed at Jackson’s longevity in the business. It seemed like a musical match made in heaven—but when the two went to collaborate, it blew up in their faces.
58. It Crashed And Burned
Mercury and Jackson recorded three demos together in the early 80s, but in 1987, when a writer asked Mercury about it, he gave a heartbreaking answer. Mercury evasively blamed the fact that the two stars were never being in the same country long enough and commented that Jackson had “retreated into his own little world.” However, there seemed to be much more to the story.
59. Not Everyone Agreed With His Lifestyle
In one version of the story, Mercury grew frustrated that Jackson was bringing his pet llama to the studio every day. The truth may have been much darker. In another version, Jackson blew up at Mercury after catching him using illicit substances. Well, I guess what they say about meeting your heroes is true…
Wikimedia Commons
60. He Gave It His All
By the time the band made the album Innuendo, Mercury could barely walk. Still, he was committed to giving every he had to the songs he recorded, including the heartbreaking “The Show Must Go On.” As May later said, he had no fear, and kept begging for more material to sing. The video for the song “These Are The Days Of Our Lives” was filmed in black and white to further conceal Mercury’s gaunt appearance.
It would be the last time that he was on camera.
61. He Finally Told The Truth
On November 23, 1991, Mercury released a statement that confirmed to the world that he did, indeed, have AIDS. But the short statement didn’t let on just how terrible his suffering was. Mercury was bedridden, had lost most of his sight, and had stopped taking his medication three weeks earlier, hoping to hasten the inevitable. Ultimately, he got his heartbreaking wish.
62. He Wasn’t Alone
In his final days, Mercury couldn’t leave his bed, but he told Hutton—with whom he’d exchanged wedding rings—that he wanted to go downstairs and see his collection of art. Hutton remembers that he hadn’t truly accepted just how bad Mercury’s physical state was until he carried him down the stairs. Hutton not only had to face the truth of that situation, but of his own potential fate as well—he’d received his HIV diagnosis just a year before.
But while he’d been there to take care of Mercury, Mercury sadly wouldn’t be able to repay the favor.
63. He Was With His Loved Ones At The End
Mercury had told them that his illness was terminal about a year before—but as his family remembers, even in that devastating moment, he worried more about how the news would affect them than he did about himself. Just 24 hours after he released his statement, Mercury died of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS at his home in Kensington. He was only 45 years old.
Those closest to him were there at the end, including Jim Hutton and Mary Austin. In fact, it was Austin who called Mercury’s parents and sister to break the news to them. And Mercury’s story didn’t end there…
64. He Did Things His Own Way
After the truth about Mercury’s AIDS diagnosis finally came out, some groups criticized him posthumously for not sharing it with the world, saying that he could’ve helped a lot of people. But those people forget that, in the late 80s, Mercury encouraged young men to get tested for AIDS and emphasized the importance of safe sex. Mercury knew his boundaries and believed he had a right to privacy—but there may have been another, even more heartbreaking reason for his secrecy.
Wikimedia Commons
65. He Was Secretly Devout
Mercury was raised in the Zoroastrian religion by his parents, and his funeral was performed by a Zoroastrian priest. Many people believe that some passages from Zoroastrian books could be interpreted to say that homosexuality is a form of demon worship. Mercury never discussed his sexuality with his parents—and its entirely possible that their shared religion was the reason.
Of course, there were also other factors at play…
66. He Remained Private To The End
The world had been lucky that Freddie Mercury spent the prime years of his life sharing himself with them—but his desire for privacy prevailed even after his passing. His funeral was small and private. And that’s not all. After his body was cremated, his ashes were kept in an urn by his lifelong friend, Mary Austin. Two years later, Austin quietly left her house with the urn, fulfilling Mercury’s wishes to be covertly laid to rest without risk of disturbance.
Not even his parents were told, and Austin has kept the secret of where the star’s final resting is to this day.
67. She Shared Her Pain
Mary Austin kept Freddie Mercury’s secrets and she rarely, if ever, talked about him or their relationship. However, after she lost him, she did share one heartbreaking statement. She said: “I feel a great sense of loss and pain and I am sure there are lots of fans who share that loss. I never ever stopped loving Freddie and I don’t think he ever stopped loving me.”
She was absolutely right, as Mercury once said in 1985, “The only friend I've got is Mary, and I don't want anybody else.” While he left money to a number of friends and family, including Jim Hutton, he left most of his estate to her, as well as his beloved Kensington home.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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