Freddie and me
During the upcoming show by rock tribute band Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic at the State Theatre, expect to see a 52-year-old British man sitting in the back row of the stalls, smiling to himself.
That man enjoying Queen’s iconic hits is Peter Freestone, who was a personal assistant to Freddie Mercury for the last 12 years of his life, until his AIDS-related death in 1991.
Two years ago, Freestone saw Queen: It’s A Kinda Magic in concert, and gave them his blessing as the best Queen tribute act he had ever seen.
Now, when they play, he likes to recall the heyday of Queen in the 1970s and 1980s, when Mercury’s voice and stage presence thrilled audiences around the globe.
When I sit down in the back row and take my glasses off, it really could be Freddie all over again, he laughs while speaking from Switzerland. Every now and then, there is a glimpse of something amazing.
The lead singer Craig Pesco has all the mannerisms and he becomes Freddie Mercury for those hours, and that is the thing that got me from the very beginning. He has the mouth, the top lip and the hands, as well as the voice, and just goes for it. He has Freddie down.
Queen -“ It’s A Kinda Magic features over 20 original Queen hits including We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, Fat Bottom Girls and We Are The Champions.
Freestone first saw the band two years ago and, since giving them his blessing, has acted as a consultant to the show.
He first met Freddie Mercury in 1979 and began working for the outrageously high-camp and talented singer as a personal assistant, travelling the world with Queen as they recorded and toured in concert.
Freestone stayed with Mercury until he died, caring for him at the singer’s London home until his death on 23 November 1991, only 24 hours after Mercury publicly acknowledged he had AIDS.
Nine years later, Freestone wrote about his life with Mercury in the well-received book, Freddie Mercury: An Intimate Memoir.
Freddie really was a one-of-a-kind marathon, he says. He inspired everyone around him and it was a loyalty and devotion. He never expected it, he just inspired it because he was a genuine person and the most kind, generous and loyal friend a person could have.
He also had a temper and his moods, but so do most people. While he was this amazing showman and genius music composer, he was also a human being.
The star and assistant, Freestone stresses, were never lovers. That was one of my claims to fame in the household because, of all the people in Freddie’s house, I was the only one who hadn’t slept with him, Freestone laughs,
I wasn’t his type and he wasn’t mine. He preferred people of his own age and, as I was nine years younger than him, it didn’t work out.
Freestone says he has no regrets about writing his book, as he wanted to share an insight into a man who still fascinates the music world. Queen was recently voted by BBC Radio as the greatest British band of all time, eclipsing The Beatles.
Over 100,000 copies of the book are in print around the world, and I think it is wonderful that there are still 100,000 people who want to know about Freddie. And Freddie never regretted anything he did and never went out of his way to hide anything.
Queen -“ It’s A Kinda Magic plays at the State Theatre on Saturday 17 March. Bookings are on 1300 136 166 or at ticketmaster.com.au.
