SOUNDS [[ 25

finds out

yant frontman, Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara at Wembley,of scene his band’s greatest triumph Like her son,views, Jer but rarely she is givesremembered keen inter- for and himgrips “to a be celebrated”. tissue throughout oursation. She conver- WithKashmira’s her husband. is Roger Cooke, in Zanzibar. The familyoverlooking lived in the a flat sea,life”, Jer, “a 83, says. comfortable As arokh young boy Far- wasmusic, she very says: folk,He happy opera, would classical. throw and parties. At 8, loved timesonline.co.uk/theknowledge

Tim Teeman

him? September 2 - 8, 2006

was Queen’s flambo The next day Mercury died of bron- am famous for myPlease lack of interviews. understandcontinue.” this policy will chial pneumonia resulting from Aids. He would haveday turned and the 60 occasion on isby being Tues- marked a number ofin events: , a where tributeand he day had where a astands, home an bronze exhibition of statuein photographs London, of and an him examining ITV documentary his life and his legacy.

Mercury

his mother remember press over the lastto two confirm weeks, I thatHIV wish positive I and havecorrect have been Aids. tested I toprivate felt to it keep date toof protect this the those privacy aroundtime information has me. come However,and now fans the around forthe the my truth world friends and towill know I join hope thatthose with worldwide everyone my inthis the doctors terrible fight against disease. andalways My been all privacy very has special to me and I

To the world Freddie but how does in 1974 that New Musical Express Then on November 23, 1991, Mer-

so one rumour goes,cocaine) dwarves serving yet ifwould he visit was his in mumhis the once favourite a UK meal week (dhansak) he for andabout talk “normaltold family things”.he was He as “gayinformation as slipped a from daffodil” public but view. He that was anwilfully old-school shrouded celebrity himself in who mystery. cury issued thising statement: the “Follow- enormous conjecture in the ‘We he’d thought go on for ever’ But he was also and, most famously, Radio Ga Ga Mercury’s life was a game of con- . fiercely private and softly spoken.had He huge, insane parties (featuring, trasts. He wasshowman, belting a out cartoonish,as anthems mega- such looks a lot like herthere son.) In is the corner ahis statuette accession commemorating into theHall Rock of Fame. and A Roll paintinghe he did was when 14the of other two white, hangs horses, on one the black, wall. Yet here he is, her much-loved and missed Freddie, infrom a his seriesidolish videos, handsome. of (With stills looking herand full matinee- lips wide smile, the diminutive Jer on thewhere Jer now lives. outskirts It ismira”, called “Fred- combining of thetwo names Nottingham children, Freddie of andWith her Kashmira. its plumpedcarriage cushions, clock chiming and neutralnot decor, the it’s kindrock of god’s mother place to you inhabit. expect a September 2 - 8, 2006

er andmost Bomi of Bulsara Freddie Mercury’scerts. went con- But to not Live13, 1985, Aid, when their on son, July quite lit- timesonline.co.uk/theknowledge It’s hard to square Mercury’s clam-

24 erally, rocked the world.a “It was huge such event itcomplicated,” would have Jer beenwatched too recalls. itproud. on “So My husband television. turned to we said, me I and ‘Our boy’s was done so it.’ ” orous, strutting stagethe presence small, with immaculately kept house J ELPETN-RETNA - PRESTON NEAL

SOUNDS

CD reviews Downloads Gig guide Classical Clubs . [[ they sent him to boarding “I’m completely panto Did she know he was gay? Did he it was getting better. Freddie said: about the future,” says Roger. baritone Matthias Goerne school in India. “I cried when we left come out to her? ‘You have to understand that what I Mercury’s songs come on the radio TOP in Schubert lieder, and his him but he just mingled with the compared with his “No.” She grips the tissue, wells up, have is terminal. I’m going to die.’ which is “sometimes emotional” for last Wigmore appearance other boys,” Jer recalls. There he looks down. “That area’s too sensi- That was it. He didn’t say it was Aids. Jer. Her favourite is Somebody to CLASSICAL with the pianist Elisabeth adopted the name Freddie (the boys voice and him as an tive,” Roger says, and adds that Mer- It didn’t register immediately. We Love. Hearing his soft spoken voice is Richard Morrison Leonskaja was a sensational used to adopt “English” Christian entertainer. His voice cury never came out to his family. were driving home and I put a cas- harder as it’s more “him”. Bomi died event. Wigmore Hall, names) and formed a band, the But later, more relaxed, Jer says sette on, and of all the things it was three years ago, which “left a big Wigmore Street, W1 Hectics. was like a Freddie wouldn’t have minded peo- him singing Who Wants to Live Forev- hole”, but Jer keeps busy and has (www.wigmore-hall.org.uk 020-7935 2141), Fri Her son wasn’t a rebel, Jer insists machinegun. It hit ple finding out that he was gay, that er? That suddenly brought home the grown used to being recognised in in her quiet precise way, “but he al- everything perfectly” he didn’t care what people thought of significance of what he had said.” the street and supermarket. The JOHN METCALF: ways wanted to be a showman”. In him. But he cared enough not to say How would he have felt about the other day one man said to her: “It’s 3 A CELEBRATION 1964 there was a revolution in Zanzi- Robbie Williams it openly? “At that time. Society was criticism that he could have done good to see you looking so well.” The Lontano ensemble bar and the family came to England, different then,” says Jer. “Nowadays more good had he come out and She has gone through what every performs Metcalf’s Paradise settling in Feltham, West London. it’s all so open isn’t it?” Jer thinks that been open about his Aids diagnosis? parent shouldn’t — outliving their BBC PROMS 2006 Haunts, Not the Stillness, “Freddie was so excited: ‘England’s “He had theatricality, had he been alive today, Mercury, “He would have thought, ‘F*** ’em, own child — and she remains as im- 1 Who better to kick off and Messiaen’s Quartet the place we ought to go, Mum.’ But too, would have become more open. it’s none of their business,” says Rog- mensely protective of him as he was the final star-studded week for the End of Time. The it was very hard.” Bomi got a job as a he was larger than Roger thinks that Mercury may er. “It was only Jim Beach, his manag- of her. One thing that keeps her go- than Simon Rattle and the Warehouse, Theed Street, cashier, Jer as an assistant at Marks life, new, fresh, cool. have worried that coming out would er, who convinced him to release that ing, she says, are the letters she gets Berlin Philharmonic? SE1 (020-8521 8075), Fri & Spencer. affect record sales, though he was nat- statement.” Jer says quietly: “He from people (addressed to “Freddie Highlights include Freddie went to art school. “I said, This is a god that urally private. “His attitude was ‘My wanted the world and his fans to Mercury’s mother, Nottingham”) say- Szymanowski’s First Violin LET THE WOMEN ‘What are you going to do, son?’ and walks as man” life is my business.’ The distinction know the truth.” ing what his songs have meant to Concerto (Sat). Later in 4 WEAR THE TROUSERS he said he didn’t know. I remember was that he was private, not shy.” Mercury once told his mother that them. Had he been alive now, she the week, the refined The mezzo-soprano him filling out application forms for Mike Myers “He didn’t want to upset us,” Jer he might retire and paint. “We just thinks he would have composed rock Philadelphia Orchestra plays Katherine Allen teams jobs and saying, ‘I hope I don’t get says. “I don’t think it was aimed at laughed and told him we wouldn’t let operas. In an interview he once said Beethoven’s Ninth (Sun). up with the harpsichordist it.’ ” Watching Elvis Presley on TV, he the family,” Roger says. “He liked to him. We thought he would go on for that he wanted to go to Hell, rather Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Julian Perkins to show that “The difference vowed: “I’m going to be like him one have people in different sets.” ever.” The last time Roger saw him than Heaven: “Think of the interest- Gore, SW7 (www.bbc.co.uk/ the arias composed by between Freddie and proms 020-7589 8212) Handel for castrati can day.” He hung out on the music scene, “When he came home he was just he spoke about “normal things, cer- ing people you’re going to meet get a fabulous showing changing his surname to Mercury almost all the other ‘Freddie’,” Jer says. He was down to tainly not the illness”. He stared into down there.” MATTHIAS GOERNE by a woman, too. Handel after his ruling astrological planet. rock stars was he earth, Roger adds. “When I think of the water of the pond of his Japanese Jer is still gripping the tissue as I 2 AND ELISABETH House, Brook Street, W1 Queen were formed in the early Freddie I think of that Eagles song, garden. Jer says quietly the last time leave, but she is far from tragic or be- LEONSKAJA (www.handelhouse.org 1970s. Jer remembers going to their was selling the voice” Life’s Been Good: ‘It's tough to handle/ she saw her son was “very emotional, reft. She laughs merrily as we imag- The new season at the 020-7399 1953), Thur first gig. “’s mum and I Montserrat Caballé This fortune and fame/ Everybody’s very hard. He asked, ‘Are you all ine how Mercury would have Wigmore Hall begins in style. For more classical, go would ask each other, ‘Are they go- so different/ I haven’t changed.’ ” right? Did any of the media worry celebrated his 60th (probably de- When he’s on form, no one to timesonline.co.uk/ ing to make it?’ That night I thought, What about his illness? In his book you?’ We said: ‘Don’t worry about us bauchedly). It’s a long way from Zan- surpasses the German theknowledge/classical ‘Yes’, ” although after her son became “Freddie, if you’re out Mercury and Me, Jim Hutton, Mer- dear’. He was so ill and still he was zibar to Nottingham but, like her late, famous she carried on working in cury’s partner for the last six years of being so caring.” life-loving son, Jer Bulsara has rel- M&S for some time. there and you want to his life, says that Mercury tested posi- There were many tabloid stories ished the incredible journey. 0 Did she mind Mercury’s outra- choose any artist to tive in 1987. Jer, again visibly very up- after his death, including the charge Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Basslines, with support from geous stage persona? “It’s what a per- set, looks into nowhere. he had hidden his Indian back- Singer of Songs, Sony Ericsson TOP FIVE Nick Matthews (Best Kept former has to do to please the audi- channel your work, Roger says: “He didn’t tell anybody ground. “But Freddie wasn’t Indian,” Proud Central, 5 Buckingham Street, Secret) and Dom Servini ence,” she says. The parties? The please give me an in the family. We gradually became says Roger. “He was Parsee. The Par- London, WC2 (020-7428 4949; SOUNDS CLUBS (Wah Wah 45s). Medicine, hedonism? “As a parent you worry aware he had an illness but we had sees settled in India and were gradual- www. proud.co.uk), Sep 8-Nov 17; Ed Potton Great Eastern Street, EC2 but you have to let your child get on album, or at least a no idea what it was or how serious it ly absorbed into its culture in much Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic, (020-7739 5173), Sat with their life.” Roger suddenly says: middle eight” was. Then in August 1990 Kash and I the same way as Jews were absorbed Sept 12, ITV1, 9.45pm

SOUNDS POPJUSTICE “Freddie kept his life in compart- Robbie Williams saw a mark on his foot. It was Kapo- into other cultures and countries. In 3 Two floors of danceable ments: the job, social circle, us. He si’s sarcoma [a malignant tumour of fact, the Parsees were known as the Above: Jer Bulsara at home in modern pop at this weekly didn’t mix them much.” Jer says: “He From Freddie Mercury: A Kind of the connective tissue often associated Jews of India.” But he never spoke Nottingham, and with her son bash from the website hailed always respected his family and loved Magic, ITV One, details right with Aids]. about it? “For Freddie the past was Below: the many faces of Freddie, as the new Smash Hits. us so much.” “Kash asked what it was, whether the past. He only wanted to talk the ultimate rock showman Trash Palace, Wardour Street, W1 (www.trashpalace. NOISE OF ART co.uk 020-7734 0522), Fri 1 Laurent Garnier and the pianist Benjamin Rippert CHEW THE FAT! create a live soundtrack for 4 Pendulum, the Rogue the classic French docu- Element, Vlad Sokolov and drama Finis Terrae, as this Paul “Trouble” Arnold take the nomadic music-meets-art reins in the main room, while festival returns to the NFT. Kidology is in the Lounge. The The Berlin techno producer End, West Central Street, Vector Lovers and Les WC1 (www.endclub.com Hommes du Train also 020-7419 9199), Fri feature. National Film Theatre, South Bank, SE1 DTPM AT FABRIC (www.bfi.org.uk/nft 5 Mixed night with house, 020-7928 3232), Sat electro and tribal from Craig Daniel, Lisa German and ZERO dB ALBUM Mark Wilkinson. Fabric, 2 LAUNCH Charterhouse Street, EC1 The rightly fêted duo play (www.fabriclondon.com punk jazz, fractured house, 020-7336 8898), Sun hip-hop and future funk in For more clubs, go support of their new album, to timesonline.co.uk/ Bongos, Bleeps and theknowledge/clubs LFI / SCOPE / RETNA

26 timesonline.co.uk/theknowledge September 2 - 8, 2006

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