Tuhi, I dont think that's entirely the case with Peter it seems to me he is pretty involved with Queen enterprises and such as his views on the bohemian rhapsody film which I know is unrelated back when he was writing his books there is no way he wouldve been down with the way that project went down .I'm just saying I hope your not offended.
Amidds, nice to see you return! Reading that you also enjoyed “The Great Believers” pushed me to go ahead and order it. TUHI I’ll pop in after I’ve read it and let you know what I thought. I’m always happy to get a recommendation for a good book.
Thanks guys - nice to be back. Though I do miss the Fl sunshine!
Yes! I wonder how much of that is contractual vs respectful. I really DON'T need to see a tell all, I love the stories Phoebe and others have shared to let us get to know the real Freddie. Though, between Phoebe's veiled remarks and Thor and Lee's threads (which I have also been re-reading), there were a few mentions that lead me to believe that the 'Queen Machine' has put a concerted effort in to white wash things. While nobody needs to hear 'dirty details', I don't know of anyone who hasn't put FM in a good light and share their love of him (OK, by that I mean people that know him, NOT LAJ or whoever these other people are who never even met him!).
Along those lines, I find the opening and closing chapters of Phoebe's books so interesting when he mentions the 'characters' in the books with where they are now. I don't have it with me, but I will probably chime in with a couple to see if those of you with the encyclopedia minds know what he is referencing because, at times, it's a little unclear lol!
Katy - hope you enjoy that book as much as we did. I thought the author did an exceptional job with covering years of history in a condensed manner while still covering so much ground and showing so many different aspects.
I dont think dirty details of someones life are necessary either but what I do believe in is not telling a story book version of someones life and creating a character that they arent.When your telling stories and relationships of someones life.Especially someones sexuality I find it so sad to say they are something or pretend they are something they arent.Thankfully there will be a book soon to validate this.White washing is a great word for what was done.I think phoebe is a great man and loyal friend Ijust feel his views have changed to accommodate what Queen management instead of what he really feels.We cant forget he is a gay man as well and he understands those times and that life.
I think phoebe wrote those stories in his book with the most love and respect of those times while he was still grieving.
amidds I agree with regarding Peter and I've found it a little frustrating. To me it's as if sometimes he backpaddles on what he has said. Personally i don't want dirty scandal on Freddie but I would like to know the real story in as much as he can say.
I personally feel that since the film which he helped with, he has become more guarded in certain areas . What I find most frustrating is he clearly backed up what Jim said about the unfortunate events at GL after Freddie's death but later on he has changed his story slightly almost making out that Jim lied. This disheartens me somewhat.
I have done a little digging and in the UK you don't need a property to be vacant when applying for Probate. Probate is what you need to deal with the estate. If GL was being sold they wouldn't have been able to do it without probate . Probate was granted in May 1992 so sometime after the three months notice given.
I don't wish to get into a war of words over this, I'm really just putting my thoughts on this contentious issue out there. I really do think the moment Freddie died it became a business matter and Jim's main issue was getting the men out of GL and getting it transferred over to Mary. I just think with all the raw emotions it was perhaps delivered badly and taken badly and not done perhaps exactly how Freddie may have imagined it could be. In the long run I feel Jim was better off out of there but it's a shame he wasn't given time in GL to properly mourn Freddie in the place he shared so many memories.
What a mess aye. We will never know the real story but its an interesting one
I have just looked into 'The Great Believer' as I enjoy reading. Thank you I'm going to read it.
Thanks, Doughnut for your UK insights into the probate issue. I wondered about that 'house has to be empty' thing, it didn't really make sense to me. I agree that it was better that the three guys FM loved (and who loved him in return) left GL as I'm sure it was (in the long run) best for them in moving forward with their new lives. Still, whatever FM's intentions, once he died, it was all about business and property, and valuable property at that. It would have been a kind and compassionate measure to give each of the guys some time to adjust to the changes and I suspect that's what FM would have wanted given his generous nature towards those he loved and trusted, especially those three who cared for him, but he didn't make that known in writing.
I hope you enjoy the book--I bet you will, it's a lovely read!
Agree totally Doughnut you took the words right out of my mouth all I can say is Queen Machine has influenced him what to say that's my opinion.
Doughnut, very interesting, thanks for the info! I wondered about the probate thing and couldn't help but wonder - why didn't someone warn the guys of this if it's true?!?!? Not sharing it makes either Jim Beach or Mary look deceitful and uncaring. Not knowing makes Jim Beach look incompetent as a lawyer. Neither of those sat exactly right with me so I assumed there was more to the story. Either way, your'e right - the guys were probably better off as they were forced to move on/not dwell and we will probably never know.
I also agree about Peter and can't help but wonder how much of his hesitance is due to Queen influence and how much of it is from nasty people contacting him. Ever since the movie came out, there has been a great resurgence of interest in FM and, with that, comes the tendency for some to throw their opinions around as fact and get incensed over it. Last September (I think) on his blog, Phoebe made some passive-aggressive remarks which seemed to be directed at people insisting that their views/opinions were truth (and weren't). I would imagine it's very difficult for him to put up with that when he is only trying to share his love of FM and stop the rumors/lies. I totally get that - I find myself being very careful in QZ so I don't get attacked by someone wanting a fight or getting angry that I may not agree with a different opinion!
Qz is full of opinions we all have different minds and different thought processes thank God it would be a boring place if we were all clones of one person.Thats what makes each one of us special and unique.I just feel I'm the beginning Peter was really involved with Freddie and his buddies in Newyork even friends if you will and it seems like now to me he has turned the tables and is taking one for the team and belongs to everything Queen management has to shove down his throat.To me this part is so disappointing.
amidds its a no win situation .....if Mary came out and said 'yes Freddie made me promise to let the three men stay until they are ready but I knew it was a promise I wouldn't keep ' it wouldn't have done her any good in the public eye at all. Imagine Freddie's fans if they knew she had gone against something he had made her promise.
We wouldn't have known any of what went on if it hasn't been for Jim and Peter's books. Those books then lead people to either turn against Mary or turn against Jim. It was an unpleasant situation for all concerned but I do agree it could have been handled better and with more compassion.
The probate thing doesn't add up to me because the Mews was also part of his estate which was also left to Mary. Why then did they have to move out of GL and into the Mews for those three months. It's all very odd and whatever the reason was at that time it hurt those three men very much . Its been 28 years now and clearly time is a healer so for Peter it isn't painful anymore, he has moved on . However, you can't take back what has been put in print and what he was clearly feeling when he wrote the book.
I saw the comment on his blog and I think it may have been directed to that awful troll who was saying terrible things about Jim. She has an IG account and a fan of Freddie and Jim got Jacky Smith from the fan club involved by showing her what this troll was doing. I presumed that she may have told Peter prompting that post on his blog.
I also don't feel fully comfortable posting certain things on QZ for fear of being attacked. This is way to public and there are many people with intense feelings. That's why I have said 'it's just my thoughts'. .
I don't wish to go down the 'queen machine' route as we don't really know what Jim Beach is doing on behalf of Freddie. The fact that Freddie was gay and lead an interesting life is out there now so there is nothing to cover up . From what I can tell, Mary has no dealings publicly now as Kash is around and happy to represent Freddie when needed. That's another thing as from a show I saw her and Peter on, it's clear there is no love lost between her and Mary. All very interesting.
If you have a FB account I recommend you look up the group 'the show must go on ' as they posted a copy of Freddies will that they had applied for . It's public so anyone can pay for a copy. They have explained it in a easy to understand way. It's actually that which got me thinking about the probate and vacating GL.
it seems since the film there has been a surge in requests for his will.
The film has certainly invigorated new interest in Queen and Freddie. I've found that, a few trolls as the exception, QZ is a fairly safe place to discuss and/or ask questions, at least with *this* particular community of fans. Yes, tempers flare on occasion, but for the most part, everyone is respectful.
I think the troll you're referring to is now on Quora, dispensing his/her "wisdom" about the Freddie/Jim relationship, using the same writing style and "facts" used to defame Jim that were use on QZ in the past. Trolls gonna troll, I suppose. The difference is that the QZ fans, who are generally knowledgeable, would have none of the garbage the troll was selling and that troll eventually gave up, whereas Quora is a different kind of Internet venue. I agree with you, doughnut, that he/she was the person who Phoebe was referring to in his last post some months ago, I definitely got that impression.
I guess there must be loads of sites on FB devoted to Freddie and Queen? I've never looked at any, but I'll bet there are some...interesting ones.
Also, for anyone who's interested, I noticed that Queen Online Forums seems to be back, up and running. Apparently, there was a server issue, the moderator scrapped the whole deal and started again from scratch. While not as active as QZ, it's also a good place for information.
TuhI, It sure is opinions are a good thing to have as long as we are respectful of eachother I started a threadAbout Freddie and Jim last week.I dont feel that Jim gets enough attention that he deserves it seems he is always catching the droppings of alot of the discussions there or the arguing over Mary.One or two posters I see there post but that's okay one told me posters that are fans of Jim are afraid of getting verbally attacked for stating their honest opinions.Imagine that.Me on the other hand it might not be a popular vote but I refuse to say a woman was the love of any mans life if a man was.Its clear to me yes trolls will be trolls but we must not mistake people with strong honest beliefs and no fear to say how they feel as being a troll trying to stir the frying pan.I do agree with some of your points you have made some good ones.
Doughnut, I do love that interview with phoebe and Kash you can sure tell there is no love lost between her and Mary.The mews yes well it doesnt make sense to me either.Mary also had the place sterilized after Joe moved out because they had AIDS.Its not airborne silly woman.But this same woman wanted Freddie to throw Jim out and she wanted her man back.How can you have someone that was never your to begin with.So all these little inconsistencies about the boys and GL wouldnt surprise me a bit if it wasnt Jim beach behind that pen as well.oh the point I was making phoebe did say Mary influenced Freddie alot so she was behind much unkind feelings.You can forgive someone in time but forget you never forget.
