Queen guitarist Brian May has shared poignant details about Freddie Mercury's final days, revealing the frontman's determination to keep recording music despite his weakening condition. Mercury died on November 24, 1991, at age 45, just 24 hours after publicly confirming his HIV/AIDS diagnosis.
Freddie's Final Recording Sessions
In the weeks before his death, Mercury spent his remaining strength in the studio, recording vocals for what would become Queen's final studio album, Made in Heaven (1995). At times, he was so weak he could only sing a few lines before needing a break. Yet his talent remained undiminished, delivering legendary performances that would be released posthumously.
The last song Mercury recorded was Mother Love. During the session, he told bandmates, 'I can't do it. I need to rest, but I'll be back to finish it.' Tragically, he died before he could return, and Brian May stepped in to record the final lines.
Freddie's Revelation to the Band
In the 2011 documentary Queen: Days of Our Lives, May recalled the moment Mercury disclosed his condition to the band. 'He did sit us down at one point and he said: 'Look, you probably know what I'm going to say. You know what I'm suffering from, you know what the problem is, but I don't want to talk about it anymore, I just want to make music to the day I f****** die and let's get on with it.''
Remarkable Tranquility Amid Suffering
May emphasized Mercury's stoicism, saying, 'Freddie found an amazing tranquillity and I never really heard him complain. I never heard him go, 'This is really awful. My life is sh**. I'm going to die.' Never, never, never. He was an amazingly strong person.'
During recording sessions, Mercury would sometimes consume vodka to manage his discomfort. May described the scene: 'Freddie was becoming weakened by this horrible disease and he finds it hard to stand up a lot of the time, but he'd throw a couple of vodkas down and prop himself up on the mixing desk and have his mic there, and go for it.'
Final Visit to Garden Lodge
May also recounted his last visit to Mercury's home, Garden Lodge in Kensington, where Mercury lived with his partner Jim Hutton and their six cats. 'The last time I saw Freddie was, Anita and I went to see him and he was in bed with the curtains open so he could see out into his garden,' May said.
During the visit, May initially made small talk about the garden, but Mercury gently interrupted: 'Guys, you don't need to feel like you need to make conversation. I'm just so happy that you're here. So even if we say nothing, it's just having these moments.'
