Book: Freddie Mercury The Definitive Biography by Lesley Anne Jones

This is a biography of the late great Freddie Mercury, written by someone who obviously knew him quite well. Thankfully it was a warts and all story and not a fans account of someone who is a flawless icon who does no wrong. Freddie was no angel. He lived his life on the fast lane and it eventually killed him, but you can’t help but warm to the guy for all his faults. The book documents his childhood, his schooling and his first steps into music. It’s hard to imagine Freddie working on a stall in the market but that is exactly what he did. His steps to stardom were done the hard way, playing in various groups, getting nowhere, working the pub and club circuit for what seemed like ages until John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor came together with Freddie to form Queen. Again it wasn’t instant, the band had to work hard before they got their record deal and like most new bands their first musical efforts failed miserably. However, their profile suddenly shot into orbit with the release of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. With the new video format just taking off Queen used it to the best of their advantage. The song was huge and Queen were here to stay. The book details all the tours, the recording sessions, the rows, the parties, the girls (and boys in Freddies case), the highlights and low points of Freddies career. One of the highlights had to be Queen opening the Live Aid concert in 1985. Without a doubt the best band of them all that day. To Freddie another highlight was his association with the opera singer Monserrat Cabballe. An unlikely pairing but it worked. The subsequent duet ‘Barcelona’ was a big hit and it was something Freddie remained proud of. It was no secret by now that he was ill and it was then that he disappeared from view. Behind all the gloss, over the top costumes and rock star lifestyle, Freddie was actually a very shy man. As he got older he preferred to stay at home with his beloved cats and his partner. He carried on writing songs until he was just too sick to carry on and then quietly passed away. The world still mourns his passing, he has become a legend and the music of Queen carries on to this day. This book details the life of someone worth reading about, a guy who really lived his life and gave us someone unique who will never be forgotten.
Score Board: 9/10 They don’t make rock stars like Freddie anymore. Read the book.