Freddie's struggle and depression

Do you believe Freddie fought with depression in his final years?
Some photos indicate sadness but did he actually struggled with depression as his time on earth was coming into full circle ?

Personally, I always thought of Freddie as a very positive person. His bandmates described him as having no fear of dying and wanted to record more music before he died. He definitely regretted not being able to make more music, but depression? I don't think so.

I think he struggled with depression his whole life. That came out in various forms early on and once he was secure financially (taking a weight off his shoulders) he was able to deal with it in different ways. You've got to have stared into the void yourself to understand it in other people. His final days? I can't comprehend how horrible that could've been for him

I think he was lonely and depressed. I think he became less depressed in the later years. He knew what was coming, and he was so into celebrities, he had his own hero’s, he knew his death would be world changing, that he made legendary status and will live on forever.

^agree

I meant to post the "agree" comment to dysan's reply

I think he had some emotional issues in the late 60s and early 70s, partly because he was still closeted and self-hating. At least that's how I see him from what's written in the Rosemary Pearson's and David Minns' books.

I think depressed is too strong a word. He was a strong person with definite emotional struggles, but his positivity and determination to live life regardless just shines through

Well i think he was a strong person and the boarding school experience gave him an edge in surving tactics and outlook on life. I do remember Brian saying that Fred had some really dark places and that was pointing prior to the aids diagnosis the way Brian was making that statement.
From the way Freddie was perfoming i do get a sence that there was always an inside battle going on. Like acting out his demons.
But my initial question was aiming after the 1987 aids diagnosis. I cant comprehend how a man knowing what is about to happen, can keep his spirits up. Was it only for when the camera and tapes were rolling? ( i do get that sence in the Headlong video) or was it an all around attitude that prevented him from having the, clinical lets say, attributes of depression ?

Sad at times after ‘87 probably. Frequently depressed? I don’t think so. He still seemed to enjoy hanging out with friends, going out to eat, doing his opera album, working with Queen, shopping. He loved Jim, and stopped writing sad, depressing love songs. He became more mature, almost like an old fashioned conservative.

I think the AIDS diagnosis made Freddie enjoy life even more, he looked at life differently. Plus he was in a long term relationship. He had people around him, there was always business to attend to. He previously hated being in Switzerland, and then his thought process changed and he enjoyed looking at the snow covered mountains. Freddie a decade earlier would have been looking at a cloud of smoke over a crowd of people in a packed club. The clubbing, frequent heavy drinking, frequent cocaine use were gone. He has Garden Lodge and would go out to the nurseries with Jim for plants and landscape supplies. He’d give tours of his house with such enthusiasm. It was also back to song writing and recording with a lot of devotion. How often did Freddie/Queen make personal fan club songs for fans prior to 1987? I’m sure 1987 was tough after the diagnosis, but he didn’t let that stop him. It made him think about his priorities and the little things that make life worthwhile. Brian himself has said that their times together in the later years were some of Queen’s happiest, despite the grim outlook.

^ well said

MisterCosmicc exactly. Freddie's illness made them all realize how much they cared for and needed each other, and they were closer as a group than ever before. Instead, Freddie worked even harder, knowing that he was working with a deadline, and Queen as a whole made a return from the less successful albums of mid 80s.

We know he turned completely to his music which is what kept him going. All else is speculation.

[QUOTE] [b]Costa86 wrote:[/b]

We know he turned completely to his music which is what kept him going. All else is speculation.[/QUOTE]

We know that because of accounts from people around him after the fact. Like we know other things besides this because of accounts from people around him after the fact. Why in your opinion would you single out only this one to be true and the rest be just speculation? Seems like selectively picking what you consider to be true like a religious person.