“My first memory of Freddie is of him standing by the fireplace in a house southwest of London, with his black hair forming a spectacular halo around his head, talking about names for the band. There was something special about his presence. Everything, from the way he stood with one arm resting on the mantelpiece to the firmness with which he spoke, radiated confidence and conviction.” Thus Mary Austin remembers Freddie Mercury in an article for The Times, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the legendary Queen singer’s birth this September 5.
Mary Austin and Freddie Mercury, whose real name was Farrokh Bulsara, undoubtedly formed a strange couple. He was a rock star in one of the world’s most successful bands; she was a shop assistant in a clothing store. He was flamboyant and loved spending money; she was shy, conservative, and cared little for material things. He was gay, she heterosexual. But their relationship has captivated fans of the band for decades.
Many Queen fans have accused her of hoarding their treasures, of making a fortune at the expense of the legendary leader of the British group and denying them and their family access to his legacy, including the place where his ashes were scattered. The truth is that Freddie Mercury seemed to consider her the only person in the world he could fully trust. And she has lived up to that trust.
Now Mary is about to publish Freddie Mercury: A Life in Lyrics, a book that combines the singer’s lyrics in their original form, with doodles, photographs and her observations about the relationship between the lyrics and their author, and between Freddie Mercury and herself. As one would expect from someone who has fiercely defended her privacy since the artist’s death in 1991, this is not at all a book of shocking revelations. But it does contain tender anecdotes from the woman who was his life-long partner to the end.
The captivating story of Freddie and Mary
Freddie was a Fine Arts graduate student who worked as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport to make ends meet. They met in April 1970 in London, through their mutual friend and future Queen guitarist, Brian May. They soon became friends and lovers, and after four months, he proposed that they move in together. Freddie wanted to live in London and couldn’t afford an apartment on his own. So they moved in and split the rent.
Freddie Mercury, el fallecido líder de Queen.
In 1973, at the height of Queen’s rise, Freddie proposed to Mary. She accepted, though the wedding was postponed as the band’s career took off radically and Freddie began to explore his true identity. In 1977, Freddie confessed to Mary that he was bisexual, to which she replied: “No, you are gay.” Insisting that she did not intend to hurt him with her reply, in a recent interview with The Guardian she recalled that “He did not answer me to that. I did not say it to hurt him, nor to deny him anything, but simply because I knew from the outset what his confession meant to me.”
This conversation marked the end of their romantic relationship and their cohabitation as a couple. However, rather than drifting apart, love transformed into a deep and eternal friendship. Praising Mary, Freddie once said: “All my boyfriends asked me why they couldn’t replace Mary, but it’s simply impossible. The only friend I have is Mary, and I don’t want anyone else. For me, she was my common-law wife. For me, she was a marriage.”
He dedicated his iconic song Love of My Life to her, and she continued working for him as his personal assistant. Mary later had two children with the painter Piers Cameron, whom she separated from in 1991. Mary and Freddie also faced together the singer’s devastating HIV diagnosis in the spring of 1987, but kept it secret. The two knew that soon it would be impossible for him to continue performing, and Freddie told Mary “how painful it was becoming physically.”
Mary Austin and Freddie Mercury.
The guardian of Freddie Mercury’s legacy
Mary Austin was one of the first people to learn of Freddie Mercury’s diagnosis and she faithfully cared for him at his London residence until his death in 1991. Before passing away, he told her she would inherit his London mansion, 50% of his fortune (with which she bought two Ferraris for her ex-husband) and the copyrights to his songs. The singer justified his decision by saying: “If things had been different, you would have been my wife and all this would have been yours anyway.”
Freddie Mercury, junto a Montserrat Caballé en 1988.
Now, the soul sister of the late artist has chosen to honor his memory alongside the Victoria and Albert Museum with a free temporary exhibition titled Freddie Mercury: Splendid Things. It showcases costumes and accessories he wore throughout his extraordinary career. The collection takes its name from a quote the Queen frontman uttered in 1978: “I like to surround myself with splendid things. I want to live a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite disorder.”
