BLOG 61

The TV keeps telling me that we are now in spring. I always thought spring started about 22/23 March. Anyway, we have had the mildest winter in all my years in Czech Republic, maybe 3 weekends of snow, none of which stayed on the ground very long, and current day-time temperatures around 10-14 Celsius. I wonder what we have in store for the rest of the year.

Richey asked about the inspiration behind Freddie’s parties.
The one he mentions, the big ‘hat’ party at Garden Lodge, came from an original idea he had in New York a few years earlier. I was sent out to buy a selection of basic hats and also things like paper flowers, feathers etc, anything that could be used to decorate the plain hats. He invited some friends round and we then made up fantasies using whatever we could lay out hands on. The Garden Lodge party was much more ‘professionally’ handled with all out hats designed and made by Diana Moseley. All Freddie’s parties, big or small, were carefully thought out beforehand, with Freddie, the master party planner at the centre. He would come up with the theme and take notice of all the details. Even for a lunch or dinner party, we would lay the table with all the required cutlery, using the service Freddie had selected, but he would review everything, even to moving a spoon a fraction of an inch to make sure all was perfect.

Anna wanted to know about Freddie and Barcelona.
I think Freddie’s song Barcelona sums up his feeling about the city. Freddie was very rarely a tourist in any of the countries he visited, unless you count shopping as a tourist activity. Monuments etc were not on his daily schedule, but in Barcelona I remember us going to see as many buildings as possible designed by Gaudi, also spending quite a lot of time in the Parc Guelph, where Montserrat had been filmed in the part of Richard Strauss’ Salome. Montserrat was really his inspiration and Freddie was fired by Montserrat’s passion for her home city, and he found so much in the city that he really loved.

Jim asked if Freddie was a Liverpool Football Club supporter.
I know Freddie was pictured at ‘The Kop’ in the beginning of the 70s, even before he joined Brian and Roger, and while Liverpool held a special place in his memory, Freddie wasn’t really a supporter of any football/soccer club. Freddie enjoyed watching sports on TV, particularly tennis and rugby, but he never claimed any loyalty to any particular club.

Camila wanted to know if Freddie ever visits me in my dreams.
I think my dreams are like many other peoples, characters appear, who you accept as a particular person, even though they don’t appear as they did, or do, in life. I have had many dreams of occasions that I remember happened and so put faces to the inhabitants of the dream, as I remembered it. I have had dreams of Freddie as he appeared, with all the changes over the years, but one thing remains the same, when I wake up I always feel content, never sad or upset.

Eric wondered if there is a son or daughter somewhere in the world that Freddie never knew about.
This is a question I cannot answer, and one that really can’t be answered. There is no 100% statement one way or the other, but I fall on the side of saying that Freddie had no un-acknowledged children.
Damian asked about the injury to Freddie’s foot that Brian mentions in an interview.
Freddie had Kaposi’s sarcoma on the sole of his foot. He received x ray treatment for it which created a scab. As the scab hardened, the sharp edges started to turn inward, so starting to bite into the soft flesh of Freddie’s foot. This was one of the reasons Freddie had difficulty walking, and this is what Brian was referring to in the interview.

Phil asked if I ever feel obliged to keep Freddie’s memory alive.
Firstly, it is not me who keeps Freddie alive; it is all of you who still love his music and the personality that went along with it. I was incredibly lucky to have spent 12 years alongside one of the best composers/musicians/performers of all time. All I do is pass on bits of information that fill in some gaps for some of you. I believe it is the majesty of the music and the mystique of the man that keep his memory alive.

Penny wanted to know why I wrote a book, and by extension, do this blog, when Freddie was such a private person.
When Freddie was alive, his privacy was very important to him, but during this time he also knew that people wanted to know more about him. I remember a conversation with him in the last years of his life, where he said that he understood things would be written about him when he was gone, but what was most important was that it was the truth that was told, not just something made up of all the good things that happened, as he said, ‘it has to be everything, warts and all’. It is in this vein that I do this blog, trying to make it as honest as possible, without hurting peoples sensibilities.

Milana wanted to know about Freddie’s coffee consumption
I don’t think I ever saw Freddie drinking coffee, not even after a meal. He would have tea morning, noon and night.

Christine asked how Freddie dealt with criticism.
Freddie was not so lost in himself that he didn’t recognise when something he did wasn’t as good as it could be. He didn’t like when ‘critics’ reviewed Queen’s new albums saying that this was wrong and that wasn’t right. He would remark that surely the people that created the music would know what it should be like. He didn’t like it when someone’s personal opinion was voiced as judgment for everyone else. When someone would comment on a show where Freddie knew he wasn’t at his best, he would just accept it quietly, but could be very vociferous if he didn’t agree with the opinion.

Ok all, time to get my act together and get ready to go out. Please take care of yourselves until the next one.