Interview with Freddie Mercury on his 39th birthday - from 'Joepie' magazine, Sept/Oct 1985
Mar 13, 2023 7:28:00 GMT
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Post by fabiogminero on Mar 13, 2023 7:28:00 GMT
Hi everyone.
Today I share with you an article from the Dutch music magazine Joepie from September / late October 1985: originally titled Mary's Bezoek Was Het Allermooiste Geschenk (translated as Mary's Visit Was The Most Beautiful Gift Of All), the article talks about the party which Freddie Mercury held at the Henderson Club in Munich on September 5th, 1985 for his 39th birthday. It is emphasized that Mary Austin paid a surprise visit to Freddie and that Brian, Roger and John were unable to show up due to work commitments; if I remember correctly however, Brian was photographed that evening with Freddie and his then wife Chrissie Mullen (his arrival at the party was also immortalized in the first frames of the "Living On My Own" videoclip).
Enjoy the reading!
Enjoy the reading!
Mary's Visit Was The Most Beautiful Gift Of All
Freddie Mercury celebrated 39th birthday with ex-girlfriend
"With the 'I Want To Break Free' music video in mind, I decided to make my 39th birthday party something special," said Freddie Mercury.
"I had it stated on the invitations that all male guests had to wear women's clothes. It was the craziest evening I've ever had."
Freddie Mercury celebrated 39th birthday with ex-girlfriend
"With the 'I Want To Break Free' music video in mind, I decided to make my 39th birthday party something special," said Freddie Mercury.
"I had it stated on the invitations that all male guests had to wear women's clothes. It was the craziest evening I've ever had."
The nicest surprise for Freddie, however, was the moment when a real woman walked in. And what kind!
Two thousand roses
Two thousand roses
Freddie had invited more than 300 guests to the Munich Mrs. Henderson's club to celebrate his thirty-ninth birthday in an exuberant atmosphere. "It looked great", he laughs. "I had the walls covered with two thousand black and white roses. I'm happy to admit that the joke cost me £20,000."
There was a lot of s@#&&*£ing, especially among the female guests. "All those men in women's clothes looked terribly ridiculous," says Freddie. "It's not a sight especially for guys with beards. You should have seen their surprise when I turned up in a man's outfit to top it off: an old military jacket with gold shoulder pads and many medals and my well-known, extra-exciting 'checkerboard pants'. Not exactly what you call inconspicuous, but I was about the least noticeable guest at the party. Imagine!"
Cake with content
Many familiar faces showed up in Munich. "My Queen colleagues Brian, Roger and John couldn't come due to various musical activities," says Freddie, "but they did provide a very nice telegram of good luck.
Then who were there? Nothing but friends. Visage's Steve Strange and Elton John's manager John Reid, to name just two. Steve disguised himself as an exotic bird while a friend played golf ball. "Nice, of course, but a bit difficult for the birthday kisses." Lots of presents too. "The record company CBS gave me a wonderful cake, laughs Freddie. A mini piano in delicious biscuit, in which a beautiful antique jug was hidden. The greatest gift of all, however, was the unannounced visit of my ex-girlfriend Mary Austin, disguised as a freckled schoolgirl. We hadn't seen each other for a long time and we shared fond memories together. Do I feel older now? Not really. I still have energy for ten and even the symbolic milestone of 40 doesn't deter me. As long as parties like this are part of it, I will continue to find the life of a pop star very interesting."
There was a lot of s@#&&*£ing, especially among the female guests. "All those men in women's clothes looked terribly ridiculous," says Freddie. "It's not a sight especially for guys with beards. You should have seen their surprise when I turned up in a man's outfit to top it off: an old military jacket with gold shoulder pads and many medals and my well-known, extra-exciting 'checkerboard pants'. Not exactly what you call inconspicuous, but I was about the least noticeable guest at the party. Imagine!"
Cake with content
Many familiar faces showed up in Munich. "My Queen colleagues Brian, Roger and John couldn't come due to various musical activities," says Freddie, "but they did provide a very nice telegram of good luck.
Then who were there? Nothing but friends. Visage's Steve Strange and Elton John's manager John Reid, to name just two. Steve disguised himself as an exotic bird while a friend played golf ball. "Nice, of course, but a bit difficult for the birthday kisses." Lots of presents too. "The record company CBS gave me a wonderful cake, laughs Freddie. A mini piano in delicious biscuit, in which a beautiful antique jug was hidden. The greatest gift of all, however, was the unannounced visit of my ex-girlfriend Mary Austin, disguised as a freckled schoolgirl. We hadn't seen each other for a long time and we shared fond memories together. Do I feel older now? Not really. I still have energy for ten and even the symbolic milestone of 40 doesn't deter me. As long as parties like this are part of it, I will continue to find the life of a pop star very interesting."