Freddie Mercury's HIV Diagnosis – Some Insight – 1985 to 1987

Isn't it ironic. . .

"Each morning I get up I die a little can barely stand on my feet"

The whole Somebody To Love song can be taken as foreshadowing. =(

Oh, Farrokh... where ever you are... I hope you're pain free & singing your ass off! I wish I was alive when you graced this earth, I'd kill to see you in concert! You have been & will always be one of my favorites.

<3

Wow, that is bizarre and chilling. I also consider the cover of "News Of The World" to be shocking in its forshadowing as Freddie is the one killed by the giant robot!

It was my understanding that he abruptly left Munich because the tabloids were reporting that he was going to marry Barbara Valentin and he was sick of it. Also, if Jim is to be believed then this would also be about the time Jim told him to decide if he wanted to be in a monagomous relationship or not. Freddie ultimately chose Jim so this also fits into leaving Munich abruptly. Freddie knew he had Aids in April-ish of 1987 for sure. However, to my knowledge he had been continuously been tested for a couple of years before that, most likely due to the fact that many people close to him (lovers,friends) now had AIDS. Unfortunately, as stated before, it was difficult to get an accurate reading on an AIDS test until 1987.
I believed it to be the general consensus of his friends that he contracted HIV in the very early 80s and most likely in New York--not that it matters, per se, but it fits into the progression/timeline for a person living with HIV in that time period.

From what I've read Freddie wasn't officially diagnosed with AIDS until spring of 1987 when he had a lump taken out and the results came back positive.
However, a few years back 1985-1986 Freddie started assuming he contracted the virus when he heard that people he used to hang around (and quite possibly involved in a sexual relationship) had been diagnosed HIV positive.
On the 'Days of Our Lives' documentary Jim Beach commented on how back then "Freddie preferred not to know", and therefore decided not to get tested.

As far as where he got the virus from. It's been mostly implied that it was New York. Freddie had a group of friends back in those days (among them Paul Pretner) that used to frequent gay bars and bathhouses in NY.

(Quote)I also remember reading about the lead singer of Erasure (I think it was
him anyway, may have been Holly Johnson from Frankie GTH). He said that
when he received a positive result for Aids he wasn't really surprised
because he had been having a lot of unexplained minor illnesses in the
weeks and months prior to his result. I reckon Freddie may have had a
lot of colds or rashes or whatever that were annoying but went away
quickly. This would have been enough to make him worry about having the
disease.(Quote)

Here is additional info:

[url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news/johnson-almost-died-after-hiv-diagnosis_11204]http://www.contactmusic.com/news/johnson-almost-died-after-hiv-diagnosis_11204[/url]

I find it unlikely that he was able to live so many years without knowing and getting medical help. It was probably 1986 and 1985 at the earliest. Besides just because he did not want to know at some point did not mean that he was infected at that point. Though many people would say it was INCREDIBLY irresponsible to continue being sexually active if he was cogniscant of ANY possibility of having H.I.V. To the point of disturbing and some would say murderous. This is why it is so important to have the correct facts and not just carelessly misrepresent information or make implications about what happened when in terms of Freddie becoming infected.

It's a very interesting post; I'm actually in line with scofflaw, and think that Freddie was infected in NYC sometime during the early 1980s, with the hot space period being the most likely. And guess what; so do most people; and considering that there were no treatments around he did very well; 1981/82-1991 is ten years, with half of that time being spent with full blown AIDS. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if not for all the reinfections that Freddie had, he might well still be alive! Remember there are people out there who have been living with the virus since 1978/79; before even Freddie was probably infected! It's not that much of a stretch of the imagination. That being said, Freddie is not here, and while I think he did know that he was at least HIV positive in 1985, I don't think that makes him as negligible as some may think, because in 1985, it was thought that most people who were infected with HIV would not develop AIDS (sort of like these little throat cancers that are in the news here in America; only a very small percentage of people with oral HPV infections actually get the throat cancer). It wasn't until the late 1980s when science realized that HIV was a nightmarish exception to that rule. That being said, as much as I love Freddie, I think he not only infected Hutton, but also his German lover before that and the postal worker he was with before that (towards the end of that relationship) and in turn was infected by godknowswho in New York. He really was the ultimate party animal. Such, as scofflaw said, were the Times. I also don't think Queen tours stopped because of insurance, simply because Brian or Rodger would have said so by now. Brian himself has said that Freddie knew what was coming and wanted to go out on top. I'm also sure that, by 1988/89, Freddie was simply not well enough for Wembley, and even if he had been, would he REALLY have wanted tabloids embarrassing him after playing in front of 60 or 70 thousand people? I really don't think so. Yet, I'm amazed by the studio work that was put out in that time, and I think innuendo is the band's best album.

to Bo Rap//page 1 or 2 of this treat.,.freddie looks different at knebworth?as you were in front of the stage you must have noticed what happened in the audience??..don't tell us bullshit mate...!!

After the 86 tour , Queen have taken options for 1988 , for two massive shows in Rotterdam kuipstadium. The management had contacted the Kuip for 2 show days.

and he was a proffesional smoker?...i've met him a couple of times,..79,..82, 84, and several meetings during the 86 tour. ..didn't saw him smoking.he only took the sigarets a a sort of shyness. He never ever inhaled the smoke over his lungs. ..and btw...he was in tremendous condition the days we met in 86. I do have lots of pictures from our meetings..he don't have any marks or spots on his face or body..and he don't have any make up on the pics.. And about his bad voice during some occasions..remember the 79 tour??....i do have concerts in my collection were his voice is not in a ..very good shape...
maybe he was already infected by then!!...it's easy to see a wolf behind every tree.

[QUOTE] [b]bootlegger wrote:[/b]

After the 86 tour , Queen have taken options for 1988 , for two massive shows in Rotterdam kuipstadium. The management had contacted the Kuip for 2 show days.[/QUOTE]

That's quite the claim, as it calls the history of Mercury not wanting to tour into question. Do you have anything to support that with?

Do we know if he told Montserrat Caballe before he told the rest of the Queen guys? I know she has spoken of him telling her the news maybe during the Barcelona sessions, but apparently the band, whilst sensing something was wrong, weren't told by Freddie until sometime well into the The Miracle sessions?

Montserrat Caballe was informed by Freddie in 87/88 that he had full blown Aids ( source M.Caballe)

here :

For 18 months during 1987 and 1988 they recorded together, and would greet each other with a kiss. Then, one day, Mercury recoiled as she opened her arms to embrace him.

‘I said, “Sorry, Freddie, I didn’t want to bother you.”

He said, “No, no, I have to tell you. I am HIV-positive.” I said, “What does that mean?” I knew many people with HIV and they were well so I didn’t think it was a problem.

‘He said, “Well, in my case I have developed Aids and I don’t want you to catch anything.”

And this part of the interview give us a little insight what Freddie belived...now that he had full blown AIDS it`s dangerous and so was the time back then. I remember 1987 here in Germany was a campaign startet called " No Chance for AIDS" wich People alert to use condoms.

Freddie himself get a prediction that he is hiv positive 1984 and this was confirmed with the newer test in 85.( one or at least the reason he left munich head over heel).

David Wigg also confirms that he(Freddie) knew it since 1984.
Mary Austin mentioned that Freddie knew about his HIV status for seven years.

http://www.queenzone.com/pictures/freddie-mercury/17285/freddie.aspx

The Kaposi Sakoma on his left cheek (visible in the last filmed interview by the DoRo brothers) can be seen here:

http://pictures.queenzone.org//Freddie_Mercury/111742724384.jpg

this pictures was taken on Freddie´s styay in Japan in late 1986. Thus, the beginning of full blown AIDS was 1986 maybe earlier

[QUOTE]
http://pictures.queenzone.org//Freddie_Mercury/111742724384.jpg
[/QUOTE]

Is there an option for a higher resolution or a source like "The Sun" or something ?

Don`t get me wrong but it could be a hoax/fake whatever you want to call it.

I know pictures of that Japan trip, where he didn`t have that stain on his cheek.