Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Lesley Ann Jones on Freddie Mercury, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
By Thomas Bateman
2012-08-08

This article shared 15532 times since Wed Aug 8, 2012
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Award-winning music journalist Lesley Ann Jones, author of Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury, recently spoke with Windy City Times about the process of writing her latest book.

Speaking to us from her home in England, Jones illuminated the process of collecting hundreds of interviews, reinterpreting famous lyrics, assessing Queen's newfound popularity and providing a broad perspective on Mercury's life more than 20 years after his untimely death.

Windy City Times: First of all, I've just finished reading Mercury, and was very impressed. I'm wondering when and how you conceived the project and subsequently how long it took you?

Lesley Ann Jones: What happened was in 1991, a book was written by Jim Hutton, Freddie's lover, after Freddie died; I was then approached by my literary agent at the time, who said, "I think there's a market here for a wider book about Freddie—not a personal point of view, but an overview. Do you know anyone who might be interested in writing that?" And I said, "Well, obviously, I would!"

WCT: Of course!

LAJ: I had seen Queen four times by then, so we did a proposal, and my original book about Freddie was published in 1997 (Freddie Mercury: The Definitive Biography); it did very well. After all these years, I was called by Peter Morgan, the scriptwriter, and he was writing a movie about Freddie Mercury. He'd read my book, which had been recommended to him by Jim Beach, Queen's manager. I was very surprised about [this] because Jim is always a little disdainful of anything written about Queen that isn't by him!

I spoke to my manager about re-publication because of the movie, and I suggested that old book was a bit of out of date. Freddie's still dead, of course, but Queen has a career in America now, which they never had when Freddie was alive.

Americans at that time didn't get Queen's music at all; it was a bit too strange. Your market was about heavy rock, and we were in a glam phase. Queen just fell on deaf ears, you couldn't give it away. But that's not the case anymore; I think that's largely because of "We Will Rock You" and because a number of Queen songs have been picked up as sports anthems in your stadia—America football and basketball and so on.

So I decided I needed new material and I ran around. It was very interesting because quite a few of the people had refused to speak to me for the original book; I guess because they were still too grief-stricken. But 20 years down the line, people saw the point of talking about him. That made a massive difference and, suddenly, I had over a hundred new interviews.

WCT: Fascinating, so with over a hundred new interviews, who did you talk to who provided the most illuminating insights into Freddie's life?

LAJ: One in particular—I'm sure you've heard of Tim Rice? [Note: Rice is a British lyricist and author noted for his work with Andrew Llyod Webber and Disney.]

WCT: Of course.

LAJ: Well, he's a close personal friend of mine and he had worked with Freddie on the Barcelona album and he had been elusive the first time around, but this time we had a number of sessions talking about Freddie. He gave me a revelation about the meaning of "Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen's most famous song. It had never occurred to me, but "Bohemian Rhapsody" was Freddie's coming-out song, written in a time when he wasn't able to be honest and open about his sexuality.

It was a very covert statement about who he was as a gay man, which he couldn't come out directly and say because of the lifestyle he was leading. His parents brought him up with a very rigid Zoroastrian lifestyle and he didn't want to offend them. Homosexuality is still outlawed by the religion and in Zanzibar, where he was born. [Note: Zanzibar is now part of Tanzania.]

Freddie never came out during his lifetime to whom he loved very much, Mary Austen—in fact, he adored her. They had a sexual relationship, as well as a loving and emotional relationship, that lasted about six years. Deep within himself, though, that wasn't who he was and he was being drawn in another direction. "Bohemian Rhapsody" expressed all of that anxiety.

When Tim said that, everything fell into place and I went back and read the lyrics and everything fell into place. "I see a little sillhouetto of a man"—that was the old Freddie leaning over his shoulder and saying, "There's going to come a time when you have to be open with yourself or you're going to explode." And this was very frightening; he even said that, "Thunder bolts and lightning, very, very frightening."

Galileo, Figaro, Scaramouche—all of those classical references that he loved [actually] represented the other members of the band. They were surrounding him—protecting him from the outside world, but also from himself, as he was a very fragile creature. In interviews, whenever they were asked, "What do the lyrics mean?" they would never say. Freddie himself, whenever you asked him, would say, "It means whatever you want, darling. If you see it, it's there."

WCT: That's intriguing, because it would essentially mean that what is arguably the greatest song of the 20th century is, in fact, a coming-out song. You mentioned in Mercury that there was considerable tabloid controversy after his death. How did his family cope with his status as a publicly gay or bisexual figure?

LAJ: I think the really tragic thing is that they would've accepted it. I've met his mother and father; in fact, I talked with his mother recently at a party given at the Savoy Hotel for Freddie's 65th birthday, with quite a few prominent gay figures in London getting up and speaking about the politics of homosexuality and how far we've come. It's such a tragedy that Freddie couldn't enjoy his sexuality openly. He could've helped gay people and the fight against AIDS so much, had he been allowed to. His mother said that attitudes have changed, and had we known we might've been able to accept. But we didn't know.


This article shared 15532 times since Wed Aug 8, 2012
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event
2024-03-25
Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground
2024-03-24
At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman
2024-03-21
Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar'
2024-03-21
Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners
2024-03-19
Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

RuPaul finds 'Hidden Meanings' in new memoir
2024-03-18
RuPaul Andre Charles made a rare Chicago appearance for a book tour on March 12 at The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Presented by National Public Radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, the talk coincided with ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance
2024-03-18
Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition'
2024-03-15
Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it
2024-03-13
The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy
2024-03-08
COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer
2024-03-08
Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle
2024-03-08
Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret
2024-03-05
Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare
2024-03-05
Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Without compromise: Holly Baggett explores lives of iconoclasts Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap
2024-03-04
Jane Heap (1883-1964) and Margaret Anderson (1886-1973), each of them a native Midwesterner, woman of letters and iconoclast, had a profound influence on literary culture in both America and Europe in the early 20th Century. Heap ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.