Can you imagine how many people that are Queen fans around the world would love to be here chatting with you like we are? If so many fans that aren't members of Queenzone(or active members) knew what was happening here I think this place would be flooded.
Like I've stated previously, I haven't really been active on these boards much at all until seeing Queen+Adam Lambert recently brought me back here to chat it up and I stumbled across this. I was like...Oh...My...G.
You don't have to respond to this Thor, I'm just ruminating on what a privilege this is!
Hello Panchgani,
You are correct. Freddie did not like the attention that a limosine gathered. He had a
Lincoln Towne Car once he bought his condo in New York. To make two of our escapades
a little more special, he did ordered a limosine to go to Jones Beach for the day and an actual
"yellow" limosine for our trip out of San Francisco to the Russian River, a popular, mostly gay
retreat at that time. I believe that Lee has a slide of Freddie lying on the roof of the tacky yet
fabulous yellow limosine with one leg kicked up high. I'll have to ask him to show it to me
again - it is a classic photo (slide)! I will try to get him to share it with all of you here.He's a
little let's say "difficult" when it comes to sharing his pictures.
Hey rainbow61,
Wow...that's a lot of questions. You will get answers if I am able to give them
but my energy is a bit drained right now so I promise I will get back to you a little later.
Thor...that jacket you all gave him for Christmas 1981 I've seen him wear in many photos and I've always thought it was really cool "rock star" type yhing.
Speaking of Christmas, how many did you spend at Garden Lodge?
I understand. When you started posting, you probably had no idea how quickly popular you would become! If you chose to, I'm sure you could answers multiple questions every day. That would become exhausting after a while. I have a feeling we are just the first wave of people who have discovered this gem of a forum.
While it's fun to learn about Freddie the rock star. Freddie the everyday guy who liked to hang out with his friends is somehow even more interesting, hence all my questions about what a typical night was like. I like to believe that his friends were a little oasis in his busy and demanding life as an international rock star.
Thanks again.
@Rainbow61
I understand how answering all of these questions can be incredibly tiring...especially typing it all out!
Just curious Rainbow, have you seen the YouTube videos at Garden Lodge with Thor in them?
@PrimeJive USA
To be honest, I did see some of those YouTube videos, but I didn't finish them. Initially I thought how great it would be to see Freddie in his home, but then it struck me part way through that the videos might be invasive. I hadn't considered that when I initially started watching them, but upon consideration, I felt guilty about it, so I stopped. Freddie seemed like such a private guy...doubtful he would have liked showing the world his beloved place of retreat. My simple gesture of trying to be respectful...if a bit late!
Now you're making me feel guilty for watching them!
Actually, I have to admit I did feel kind of wrong watching them.
@ PrimeJiveUSA
I apologize...not my intent to make anyone feel guilty.
The privacy thing is why I have never purchased Jim Hutton's book, "Mercury and Me". I have read snippets of it online, but my impression from other people is that it reveals aspects of Freddie's personal life that he was fiercely protective of.
Thor...did you see the Garden Lodge tapes that were posted on YouTube or read Jim Hutton's book? What did you think of them?
Hi Thor,
thanks very much for your reply. In fact, what I meant is : where there AIDS sufferers ( sorry my mistake, I wrote activists) that he supported financially ("quietly" as I wrote ) ?
Just asking because according to Peter Freestone and Lesley Ann Jones (?) he gave quite a bit to AIDS related charities before he passed away and occasionally signed cheques to people who had a difficult time ?
You :" He certainly was entitled, as anyone is, to make his own associations at this time in his career. " Of course ! I am sorry if my question appeared intrusive.
This thread is fascinating, seriously ! With all these small anecdotes and details you bring to live a much more nuanced FM than one imagines from the various books.
Could I ask more ? I apologize ....
Did he know Andy Warhol personally in NY ? If so, did Freddie visit Warhol's Factory ?
I only read about Warhol's stopover in Hongkong in 1982 where he met several Queen members... After Warhol died, his diaries were released and the Queen encounter in Hongkong was summarized as , "Met one of those English rock bands in the elevator, think it was The Clash. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones maybe ."
---lol :)
In fact, have you ever seen a print of the photo Warhol apparently took of Freddie in Hongkong (
https://www.pinterest.se/pin/154740937166674239/) ?
Did Freddie also know/ meet Robert Mapplethorpe ? ---- maybe Truman Capote ? ( is it true that the 39th Munich birthday party was inspired by Capote's Black & White Ball ?)
ok, I better stop, sorry ....
[QUOTE] [b]thundergod wrote:[/b]
Hi again LOTV,
I really enjoy your observations, heartfelt comments and excellent knowledge about
what you write!
I am positive the band knew he was gay. When his four new NY friends met them,
what were they to think? Oh...Freddie has four single straight guys in his company
now- LOL.
Thank you for informing me that Queen actually did make an effort to promote AIDS
awareness. I take back most of my former comment on the subject.[/QUOTE]
Thanks old bean. Ironically I'm not very well read on Fred, due to as I stated earlier I know there's been so much bollocks written on a man not many knew.
I'd imagine the band did know he was gay, my point was regarding telling them about his illness / them realising he had it. They are very contradictory with their responses on the subject. No matter, dear boy.
A lighter question: apart from all the DISCO clubs and parties of the gay scene did you ever go see / listen to any rock music with Freddie? Of course he loved the scene's sound and opera and all that but he clearly liked Rock n Roll too else he wouldn't have been a rock singer, he'd have been a pop singer. Did you ever go see the New York Dolls or anybody like that?
Thanks, as ever, for your time.
OK Rainbow61 let's see about your questions.
- A night out with Freddie was affectionately called a "pub crawl." We'd go to a club, size up the crowd,
and most times, move on. Sometimes we left without even touching our round of drinks (by the way, we
all took turns buying the drinks - It was not just Freddie). We all enjoyed the freedom of just moving on
even though the grass was not always greener at the next place.
- We usually met at Freddie's place before starting the pub crawl. His apartment was outstanding, over-looking
5 of New York City's major bridges, the closest being the 59thSt. Bridge (Queensborough Bridge) which looks
great all lit up. Another of my favorite times was when I was on my 1 hour nightime break from the nearby
hospital.I would grab a cab, fly up to Freddie's and spend 45 minutes with him then rush back to work.
My Fri, Sat, Sun evening job was finished by midnight so I would drive up to Freddie's and we'd all start the
night off at 1:00AM.
- We never stayed in one place long enough to have our own spot - lol. We often walked around Greenwich
Village where I lived, occasionally stopping at my apartment. The clubs were close to each other so it was
easy to just walk.and Freddie, of course, loved this blending into the crowd, in the club and even on the street .
I can only remember one or two times when he was recognized.but the person was very pleasant and respected
his space.
- With so many all-night full restaurants we might have a snack if we broke up early or if it was a longer night,
we might have breakfast.
- I hope this answers most of your questions.
Hello kosimodo,
As I've mentioned before, Freddie did not speak much about his family or
up-bringing. He told us once that he was born in Zanzibar and that his parents
were Persian (not Indian). I did not even know until now that Freddie went
to boarding school in India- probably India because it is partly an English
speaking country probably with better schools than Zanzibar, but I don't
know for sure.
Sorry, but I know very little of Freddie's youth and the early situation with
Mary. He would refer to her as his good friend and at times, his soul-mate.
He enjoyed people who did not try to use him for their own benefit. My group
treated Freddie the same way...never expecting things because of who he was.
Two or three times I bought my own airline ticket to London without thinking
twice.
Hey PrimeJiveUSA,
I never spent Christmas in London. But Freddie spent Christmas '81 and '82 with us in New York.
We tried to make those two times as special as possible for Freddie and ourselves. We even
invited Freddie's friend David Hodo (from the Village People) for one of them. He was a charming,
sweet person and lived one block away from my place.
