May revealed he and front man Mercury, who passed away in 1991, were extremely close. "We were like brothers. We still are," he said.
Sir Brian May: “The clothes are part of it, and no one was more aware of that than Freddie. Freddie really pioneered a lot of stuff and we came out of an era which was called glam, where people in rock groups realised that they could dress up and look fancy and make a big splash. But it was all very kind of random.
Freddie Mercury may have been one of the more extroverted singers of his generation but his closest friend in Queen was the quietest member. Peter Freestone was a PA to the band and witnessed the friendship from close up and has revealed what bonded Freddie with bassist John Deacon.
Eventually, he does connect with Jim Hutton, a London hairdresser who shunned the trappings of fame, and was by Freddie's side for seven years until his death from AIDS in 1991. Freddie never publicly talked about his sexual orientation and only disclosed his diagnosis the day his death at 45.
Who were the great loves of Freddie Mercury's life? Per the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, it comes down to two people: Mary Austin and Jim Hutton. However, the film leaves out many details about both relationships, tweaking and glossing over precious facts.
Vintage EverydayFreddie Mercury and Jim Hutton remained a couple until the singer's untimely death in 1991. Jim Hutton's first meeting with Freddie Mercury in March 1985 was inauspicious, to say the least.
John Deacon
John at Freddie's funeral. It is well known that John stayed away from Freddie during his illness, according to the words of Peter Freestone, John was the only member of the band who never visited Freddie while he was in bed, so they were surprised that he attended his funeral.
With a study friendship spanning 15 years, fellow singer Peter Straker was Mercury's best buddy. The West End star had bonded over the 1970s and survived it all. As Mercury's star soared, their friendship never faltered.
Freddie Mercury's lover played by Aaron McCusker in Bohemian Rhapsody. Jim Hutton was one of the most important people in Freddie Mercury's life, and was a major character in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. Jim McCusker played Jim Hutton in the film, but what happened to the real life Jim?
Freddie was faithful at first, but his attraction to men couldn't be ignored for long and he began to sleep with people without her knowing. Mary has said she had her suspicions, but never had the courage to confront him.
"Me and Roger both, I think, completely overreacted to Freddie's death, if it's possible to say that," the Daily Express quotes him as saying. "In other words, we went so far away along the path of trying to forget that we over-grieved and we sort of denied the existence of Queen for a while. I certainly know I did."
On 24 November 1991, British musician and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury died from bronchial pneumonia at his home in Kensington. He had exhibited HIV/AIDS symptoms as early as 1982 and was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987.
'Yes, I love you,' I whispered and kissed him on the forehead." On the morning of November 24, Freddie woke at 6am and spoke what would be his last two words: 'Pee, Pee'. After helping the 'terribly weak' star to the toilet, Jim carried him back to the bed.
The guests included the star's bandmates and their wives, as well as Elton John, Mary Austin and Freddie's partner Jim Hutton.
Best Picture nominee Bohemian Rhapsody is a true story based on the life of singer Freddie Mercury. That said, it does take some liberties with the story, simplifying many aspects to keep the story moving and to make it a bit more flashy.
"I like to be surrounded by splendid things," he once said. "I want to lead the Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter." But now Austin has decided to sell the collection, "because I need to put my affairs in order," she explains.
Freddie Mercury – US$50 million
A cultural icon and the most famous face of all the members of Queen past and present, Mercury amassed a considerable fortune, thought to be worth US$50 million by the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
On June 2, 1979, Hutton died of liver cancer, two days after his 45th birthday, and a month after being diagnosed.
Freddie signed a will in September 1991, that gave half of his vast wealth to Mary and the rest to his parents and sister. Most of his friends, including lover Jim Hutton, were given £500,000 each or a house. Mary was Freddie's bedside holding his hand when he passed away at the age of 45.
"There is no point carrying on. It is impossible to replace Freddie. "I can't sing; it's the one thing I wish I could do, because it would make songwriting so much easier!" Clearly, Freddie's death is the reason why John left the band, and he was greatly upset by the death of his close friend and colleague.
The 25-minute ceremony ended with Freddie's favorite opera aria, Verdi's D'amour sull 'ali Rose sung by his dear friend Montserrat Caballe.
Jim Hutton died at 60 years of age due to lung cancer
Hutton, who cared for Mercury during the singer's battle with the same syndrome, said that it took him a year to break the news to Mercury that he too had been diagnosed with AIDS.
Freddie's friend and PA Peter Freestone disputes that the star even knew he was ill at the time of Live Aid. Peter exclusively told Express Online: “Freddie thought he was sick in 1986 and it was confirmed in 1987.” That was two years after Live Aid.
Freddie Mercury never married, and he didn't have any children. He had a long-term relationship with a woman, Mary Austin, and they lived together for several years until he came out as gay to her in 1976, having started a romantic affair with US record exec David Minns.
Rami himself has revealed that he is lip-syncing, but it's not just Freddie's voice that we hear. "It is an amalgamation of a few voices," he told the Metro US. "But predominantly it is my hope and the hope of everyone that we will hear as much Freddie as possible. I think that is the goal for all of us."