The rock star’s creativity shines through every page of photos and lyrics, following his creative transformation
Credit: Image Courtesy of Mary Austin
NEED TO KNOW
- Mary Austin is sharing some never-before-seen pieces of Freddie Mercury’s legacy
- The Queen frontman’s closest friend and ex-fiancée writes about her experiences witnessing the star’s creativity as he crafted some of the most beloved music of all time
- A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury is available Sept. 1, wherever books are sold
Freddie Mercury was larger than life.
For those who became fans of the eccentric icon as the frontman of Queen, Mercury lived a legendary life where he was unapologetically himself. While throngs of fans admired the fruits of his creativity, those who knew the singer personally got to see the process as it was unfolding.
Mary Austin, Mercury’s close friend and ex-fiancée, shared a behind-the-scenes look at Mercury in A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury. The new book, out Sept. 1, looks back at the stories and personal moments that helped Mercury craft some of rock’s biggest hits.
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01 of 09
Pre-Queen song lyrics show evolution
Credit: Reproduced by permission of Queen Music Ltd/Sony Music Publishing Ltd, London N1C 4DJ
Freddie Mercury hand-wrote the lyrics to a song titled “The Murder of the Black Queen” in this notebook between the summer of 1969 and the spring of 1970. It was during a time when he was bringing fantasy and religious imagery into his songwriting.
02 of 09
Happier together
Credit: Image Courtesy of Mary Austin
Austin says that Freddie became “Freddie Mercury” around late 1971, though she couldn’t remember exactly when he started using it. She recalled, “Freddie was always interested in the zodiac and often talked about Mercury as the ruling planet of his star sign, Virgo.”
She continued, “It was also a name that, perhaps unwittingly, seemed to capture his nature – mercurial – the many sides I’ve mentioned. A new name marked a separation between the boy and the young man who was emerging. Mercury was powerful – the Roman god associated with communication, movement and exchange – and while all those different parts of Freddie always coexisted, he was strong enough never to lose connection to Bulsara, while also being powerful enough to manage Mercury.”
03 of 09
A cat named Tom
Credit: Image Courtesy of Mary Austin
Freddie Mercury found a lot of love in a little furry bundle when he brought home a female cat he named Tom, who became “key” to their home life together, Austin shared. Tom joined another little black cat, named Jerry. Of bringing Tom home, Austin noted, “It was a happy time.”
04 of 09
Hard work paid off
Credit: Image Courtesy of Mary Austin
Mercury and Austin in their early days together, with others at the Kensington Market stall that the singer and bandmate Roger Taylor had set up to sell Freddie’s art. His different creative endeavors gave him the space to work on his music and fine tune his persona.
05 of 09
Crafting an iconic tune
Credit: Reproduced by permission of Queen Music Ltd/Sony Music Publishing Ltd, London N1C 4DJ
Freddie Mercury was working out the opera section of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on his notepad in 1976. Austin saw and heard bits and pieces of the song before the final version came together.
Of hearing it herself for the first time, she said, “I remember thinking how strange it must sound to people hearing it cold. It was so unlike anything else — you didn’t quite know what you were listening to at first. But it carried you with it. There wsa such joy in it, such confidence, that it didn’t matter if you couldn’t immediately make sense of every part.”
06 of 09
Mercury came up with visuals that never came to pass
Credit: Various Queen rights holders and Mary Austin
Mercury didn’t just use his notepads for working out lyrics. He also used them for sketching, like with this band drawing of Queen in seventeenth-century Cavalier costume.
07 of 09
Always up for a laugh
Credit: Image Courtesy of Mary Austin
Freddie Mercury was never afraid to have fun, playfully posing with a Japanese paper fan.
08 of 09
Commanding the stage
Credit: Steve Jennings/WireImage
There was no denying Mercury was a rock star when he took the stage with Queen. In 1982, things were shifting for the band, but Mercury’s presence was as powerful as ever.
09 of 09
Freddie leaves behind a rich legacy
A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury is available Sept. 1, wherever books are sold
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