Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words

This book is the nearest thing to Freddie’s autobiography it is possible to achieve. It is a moving, witty and often irreverent collection of quotes from the man himself, covering an extraordinary life and meticulously edited by Queen’s long-time archivists. An essential read not just for Queen fans, but for anyone intrigued to know more about one of music’s most endearing and enduring performers.

Freddie rarely talked about himself to others, so the relatively few interviews he did agree to – carefully compiled for this book, with some unpublished until now – provide an intriguing insight into a man who outwardly exuded confidence and arrogance, but behind the public persona spent long periods alone and searching for happiness. The truth was that Freddie was painfully shy and uncomfortable in the company of anyone who might intrude upon his famous “royal family” of close friends and invited guests.

Spurred on by the almost uncontrollable ambition and forthright character of their frontman, Queen succeeded in becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. On many occasions the group almost broke up, but was always held together by a shared love of breaching musical boundaries. Freddie’s own story is one of pursuing a dream, dealing with wealth and fame, looking back without regrets and reflecting on growing old, his legacy and death. He was determined to succeed to the point of being willing to act “frivolous and preposterous” to win over an audience: “I love the feeling of it. It’s greater than sex!” As the pages turn, however, we see Freddie Mercury gradually changing his priorities towards a more sedate life, necessarily altered by the cloud of the HIV/AIDS virus beginning to shadow the gay community.

For a man who seldom spoke, Freddie says it all in A Life, In His Own Words: “There are times when I wake up and think, ‘My God! I wish I wasn’t Freddie Mercury today.’” In 20 chapters, 194 pages and nearly 73,000 words – 45 years in the making – Freddie covers it all, and then some. He does it, of course, in his own inimitable, unpredictable, invariably funny, often poignant and always entertaining way. “I love the fact that I make people happy, in any form. Even if it’s just half an hour of their lives, if I can make them feel lucky or make them feel good, or bring a smile to a sour face, that to me is worthwhile.”

A card signed by Simon Lupton and Greg Brooks is included with the book