David Evans - THIS WAS THE REAL LIFE: The Tale of Freddie Mercury

The Tale of Freddie Mercury

by

David Evans and David Minns

New edition, being a part-republication of their
THIS IS THE REAL LIFE first published in 1992 by Britannia Press

2008
Tusitala Press

In memory of
David Charles Minns
February 1954 - May 2007

Copyright David Evans and David Minns 2008 All rights reserved
12 Ripplevale Grove London N1 1HU
0207 607 0071

Published by Tusitala Press 2008

12 Ripplevale Grove London N1 1HU

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be re-produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers.

BRITISH library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

Tusitala

THIS WAS THE REAL LIFE

The Tale of Freddie Mercury

Print ISBN 978-0-9558951-0-4
eBook ISBN 978-1-78301-635-8

Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Antony Rowe, Eastbourne

All type, graphic layouts and editorial assistance for new text and photographs by Melinda Sandell

Please call 0207 607 0071 for all enquiries concerning this publication.

The authors moral rights are hereby asserted.

Back Cover Photo by Sally Soames

Every effort has been made to trace the photographers whose work appears here. Our apologies to those whose names may not have been credited.

MEN PLAN: GOD LAUGHS

At The Shawl, on the Downs at Friston, missing them all

October 2007

Whilst sheep grazed the downlands, dear and stars lit the sky

I rarely asked questions, dear, no need to ask why

Assumed youd be with us, love as wed be with you

For years not just moments, dear; such moments proved few

At night wed watch headlights, dear, enjoying our wine

As life came and went along the A 2-5-9

I planned days at Birling, love, whilst sun lit the cliffs

Snoozing and swimming, love, no buts and no ifs

Wed munch through our picnics, dear, drink glasses of wine

I took us for granted, dear - why look at the time?

My hopes were too easy, love, such fools play, those schemes

The tides swamped the castle, love and all those sweet dreams

Now clouds hug the sea, dear, the moons on the rise

Late days dont pass easy, dear yet, oh how time flies

The winds turned the wheel, love as I sew our view

The stitches help bring me, love, a thought close to you

And thoughts drift like leaves, dear, piled up neath a hedge

No days like the autumn, dear to sense winters edge

The nights have drawn in, love, the light is now short

No joy thinking cocktails, love, no joy in these thoughts

Red sunsets ahead, dear but suppers just stew

Its early to bed now, dear - lifes so without you

No gossip to tell, love, so much you wont know

I listen to silence, love since you had to go

I relive the past, dear, when ours was the way

Me Daisy, you Dilys, dear; we dogs had our day

But that was back then, love and nothing like now

Nows not like the nursery rhyme: the moons jumped the cow

So sunrise comes late, dear, my nights can be long

Lifes now about waiting, dear, I wish I was wrong

Yet somehow the sun, love, turns maudlin thoughts clear

Bright mornings remind me, love of why Im still here

The downs sheep still graze, dear, stars still light the sky

(And youre right, Dil )

Theres still joy to look for, dear, I promise Ill try

London October 2007

After David died in May 2007, I wondered what to do for a memorial. There seemed then and there seems now no better one than to refurbish and republish our 1992 book about Freddie Mercury, THIS IS THE REAL LIFE which has been out of print for several years.

David was working on a full memoir of the entirety of his life at the time of his death and so I have extracted the relevant sections concerning the circumstances in which his fateful meeting with Freddie took place and the first, rather too short, draft of his memories of those three years that they were together.

I would hate to think that David might be remembered merely for his association with Freddie but as he will never finish the full manuscript of his account of the rest of his full and thoroughly well-lived life and Freddie isnt here either, this book will have to stand the test for both of them.

Of their correspondence to prove the depth of their feelings for each other, only some of Freddies survived:

My dearest and precious cherub - I thought Id finally get it together and write you my first little card. I hope alls going well with you and go easy on those business lunches or else your going to burst before I can get back to you - youre going to have to fit into one of my cat suits if it kills you (it probably will). The rest of the tour is coming along nicely, but I cant wait to get back, love you and miss you, my love to everyone back home, and take special care oodles of love and kisses. Freddie.

And another:

My dearest, the little boy reminds me of you so much I had to send it for you to see, hes so cute. I hope my little puddings taking care of himself - I cant tell you how much I miss you I sometimes have a fit and start tearing my hair out, no wonder I give Dane and everyone a hard time - But there very good to me. I hope all your plans with business are going well - I do so want you to have a hit on your hands that will give you a lot of confidence (sounds as if Im starting to lecture you already), anyway you get that chubby little arse of yours to work before I see my little cherub again, miss you and love you, - Freddie

And after one of those really rough nights:

My Dearest, Im sorry about last night but thats because Im a Dreadful tart! - Love you with all my heart Kisses Merkles xx

Even at the Christmas at the start of their relationship, in more guarded measure:

My Dearest Minnsy, Wishing you a Divine Xmas and a Beautiful New Year - Love you always with all my heart Freddie xx

And so it followed its course, this Kind of Madness. Please dont judge either of them, neither David nor Freddie. They were living through extraordinary times and neither had a map. Even if they had been furnished with a map, I doubt that either would have been capable of or even interested in reading it. Unpalatable matters, unacceptable options and uncomfortable memories were never aired by either of them. When Freddie or David didnt want to talk about something, believe me, it was as though the subject didnt exist. That their relationship was the last chance that either of them had for enjoying a normal life is possibly arguable but I would be pleased to debate it with anyone who cares to form a forum.

In short, Freddie got to be too famous and David got too badly burned. That both were scarred by the experience is undeniable. Soon after their break-up, Freddie found his way deeper into the bolly-stolly-coke arena and those with whom he surrounded himself, both employees and friends alike, were similarly fuelled and similarly impelled. Theirs was the good time that they thought should be had by all and by golly Freddie was going to have that good time even if it killed him. It did.

His later lovers were not in the same bracket as David and most, if not all, were to let him down. The tale of some of those men and the associated events and occasions have been too well-documented to warrant reiteration here but commitment and equality and democratic personal relationships were not what Freddie dealt with and indeed, in star-speak, are often what a career does not need even if the home-life does. The ratio of men to women in the directory of ex-lovers of legendary rock stars is overwhelmingly skewed to the ladies however many new outings have occurred since that moment in 1976 when Freddie told James Johnson of the Evening Standard that he slept with men and women and cats Was he the first to open up voluntarily to Fleet Street? Dont write in. Anyway, my point is that if many, many women have found living with a legend problematic, the problems multiply in a gay situation and many times more so in 1975 than in 2007.