Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed he does not mark the anniversary of Freddie Mercury's death, because the day brings up too much pain. The 79-year-old musician described losing Freddie as one of the "most terrible" days of his life.
Freddie and Brian were both members of the iconic rock band Queen. Frontman Freddie died in November 1991, aged 45, from complications arising due to HIV and AIDS. This November marks 35 years since Freddie's death. In those years, Brian has repeatedly returned to the stage alongside Queen drummer Roger Taylor to keep Freddie's memory alive, but he does not mark the actual day.
"A day to avoid"
Speaking to Metro, Brian said: "I don't celebrate the anniversary of his death. It's a day to avoid because it brings up pain. The day he died was one of the most terrible days of our lives."
He added that he "acknowledges" Freddie in everything he does, as does Roger Taylor. "There isn't anything that we do where we don't refer to him in some way," he said. "The times we had together, the values and adventures we shared."
Freddie's final days
Freddie's death came only a day after he instructed Queen's manager Jim Beach to release a statement confirming he had AIDS. In the statement, he explained: "I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me."
"However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease."
The cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. His funeral was attended by the surviving members of Queen, Brian, Roger and John Deacon, as well as 35 close friends, such as Elton John. In accordance with his wishes, his former partner and friend Mary Austin was given his ashes, who buried them at a location known only to her. Though she has vowed to never reveal where the ashes were buried, Queen fans believe them to be at Kensal Green Cemetery.
Keeping Freddie's legacy alive
Over the years, Queen had a number of huge hits, including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Are The Champions and We Will Rock You. They are considered one of the most successful music acts in British history.
Brian has continued to play the guitar since Freddie died, performing with Motorhead, the Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga and more. He also played with Queen + Adam Lambert, a project he and Roger Taylor set up so that they could keep playing Queen songs live.
It had been suggested that Brian and Freddie might return to the stage as part of a new hologram show, similar to ABBA Voyage, but those plans have stalled. Brian shared that this was "partly because of the AI thing", as he was "not comfortable" with "stealing people's work" and needed to make sure that any show would not be "taking advantage of existing artists".
