Why Freddie Mercury never dies

A television signal once flickered on a local channel and brought Freddie Mercury back to life. As the writer entered adolescence in the early 1990s, the channel repeatedly showed footage from Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance. Mercury appeared at Wembley in Adidas Hercules shoes, gripping a microphone attached to a broken prop stand as he sang “Radio Ga Ga.”

The image was irresistible: a tireless, mustachioed showman in a white sleeveless vest, with a studded leather armband and a matching belt over faded jeans. The writer remembers unconsciously wanting to resemble him. Mercury had already died on Nov. 24, 1991, but on the screen he seemed completely alive.

That sense of revival returned when the remix of “Living on My Own” was released. The song had appeared on Mercury’s commercially unsuccessful first solo album, “Mr. Bad Guy,” in 1985. Its video used footage from the extravagant party he held for his 39th birthday at Munich’s Old Mrs. Henderson nightclub, a gathering place for drag performers. The camp spectacle reflected the turbulent six years Mercury spent in Germany, including his intense romance with restaurant owner Winfried Kirchberger.

After their relationship ended, Mercury met Irish hairdresser Jim Hutton at London’s Heaven club. Hutton became his gardener and remained beside him as a de facto husband until Mercury’s death and afterward. Hutton later described Mercury’s final moments to The Times. After a dose of morphine put Mercury to sleep, Hutton realized he had died while changing his underwear.

Most of Mercury’s estate went to Mary Austin, a former fashion-boutique saleswoman who had begun dating him a year before Queen formed. Their romantic relationship lasted until 1976, when Austin left their shared home after Mercury told her he was involved with a man. She nevertheless remained his most trusted lifelong friend.

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After he was given a dose of morphine and fell asleep, he wet himself. As I changed his underwear, I realized that he was dead.