As lead vocalist for the iconic rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury’s unmatched skills as a songwriter and flamboyant showmanship made him a superstar, and Queen a household name. But few people ever really glimpsed the man behind the glittering faÇade. Mercury was the first major rock star to die from AIDS. Now, twenty years after his death, those closest to him are finally opening up about this pivotal figure in rock n’ roll. With unprecedented access to Mercury’s tribe, rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones has crafted the definitive account of Mercury’s legendary life. Jones details Queen’s slow but steady rise to fame, and Mercury’s descent into dangerous, pleasure-seeking excesses. Jones doesn’t shy away from Mercury’s often colorful lifestyle—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 Freddie’s closest friends, to the sound engineer at Band Aid (who was responsible for making Queen louder than the other bands), to second cousins halfway around the world, an intimate and complicated portrait emerges. Meticulously researched, sympathetic yet not sensational, Mercury offers an unvarnished, revealing look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the fast lane.
A decently written biography about a legendary rock singer. Jones' extensive interviewing reveals the thoughts and feelings of figures surrounding Freddie, with occasional quotes from the artist himself. Jones also interjects her own thoughts and feelings into the mix, which is fine. The book has follows a basic chronological order, paralleling Freddie's early life, his time with Queen, and his solo projects. No stone is left un-turned. While the writing isn't necessarily compelling, it covers important moments Freddie's life and it is pretty complete as far as information about him and those he was close to.
I would recommend it to any Queen fan or those curious to know more about the personal life of the fairly mysterious Freddie Mercury.
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