Have time for 5 years. Mercury did when he found out he had AIDS

23 November 1991 Freddie Mercury confirmed the rumors that he has AIDS. The next day he died, but more in the five years before he passed an HIV test which proved positive. This prompted the musician to be active - that he had?

"The more I have problems, the better my songs"

- Freddie Mercury

Mercury was the first project in this last stage of his work was the creation of a solo album. Mercury came to write it in Munich, he did not want to be distracted by anything else. Indeed, in the German city, he felt more than ever free. According to the producer of the album Reinhold Mack, Freddie somehow came to him and said: "It's great, I can eat hot dogs on the street and to me no one pesters I am happy that I can be the same as all!". Although it is unlikely he liked to be like everyone else, always. In 1985 he published a record called Mr. Bad Guy. Mercury specifically chose a symbolic name for the album, under the "bad guy," he meant himself.

Freddie his album called the march to the left: he did not want a solo career, since then, he said, he would have to re-assert itself. And a year later the band Queen gave a concert in Budapest, which accounted for 80 thousand people. In the speech Mercury appeared in person role, which controls their own destiny: he galloped across the stage, climbed the ladder, which was crowded marketplace, and, as always, turned the concert into a theatrical performance. A final performance as part of Queen, Freddie held August 9, 1986 in England: it came a record 300 thousand people. "I remember the last concert Freddie swore obscenities and said," I can not stand it! "

- Brian May, guitarist of Queen

But Freddie did not stop his solo work. 1987 was very quiet for Queen, Mercury and used it to record a few solo songs. The result was a track like The Great Pretender.

"He chose that song, because he was a pretender. Freddie was a shy man who was hiding behind his stage manner"

- Paul Gambaccini, radio host and friend Mercury

The same year became a landmark Mercury - he met Montserrat Caballe. For the first time he saw her at a London concert. During his speech, Freddie jumped up on a chair, pointing at the scene and was happy as a 12-year-old boy, who first saw the Beatles. Soon Mercury already flew to Barcelona to meet with an opera diva. He gave her to listen to the tape with two of his songs. Caballe so they liked that then she sang them in Covent Garden. Freddie was insanely happy. Already in April, they started working on a joint album. A month later, at the close of the festival in Ibiza, Mercury and Caballe sang the song Freddie wrote in honor of the diva and her native city - Barcelona.

October 8 already in 1988 Freddie and Montserrat appeared at the festival La Nit in Barcelona. They presented three tracks from their album - How Can I Go On, The Golden Boy and Barcelona. A long-awaited album "Barcelona" finally was released two days later, on 10 October. The self-titled album was the title track as a result of one of the anthems of the summer Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. But Freddie did not know about it. Solo album, a record with Montserrat Caballé, concerts - Mercury launched a vigorous activity. But his strength had less. It proved 1989. In May, there is an album The Miracle. Symbolic name - "Miracle" is indeed a miracle: this time, Freddie began to change dramatically in appearance - he was very thin, but continued to deny all rumors about his health. Only the closest people knew about his diagnosis. After the release of the album the band Queen has given the first few years of a joint interview on the radio. Members of the band said that they decided not to stick to the plan "album - tour" and therefore did not go on tour. But the real reason for the retreat from this scheme was the physical state of Mercury. He was no longer able to give all the best at the concert as it always did. HIV AIDS has moved to.

In February 1991, Mercury stepped into the studio to begin work on a music video for the song I'm Going Slightly Mad. The crew was shocked: instead gladkovybritogo and muscular Freddy in front of them appeared a ghost - clothes hanging on Mercury, and gray face was covered with spots. He could live another nine months. All immediately warned that the shooting will take place intermittently, because the singer's knee problem - no one wanted to say the word "AIDS". In the dressing room of the singer put the bed so that he could rest, and two bodyguards were on duty outside. To shoot Freddy face covered with a thick layer of makeup, and her head covered with a black wig. To hide his painful thinness, also resorted to a ruse: a singer donned a suit jacket with long sleeves.

Then in February, the band released their last album Innuendo - "Innuendo". The album entered and the swan song of Mercury, Show Must Go On. This composition was written especially for Freddie, Brian May, he was one of the few who knew about Mercury's disease.

23 November 1991 Freddie Mercury made with the words: "Given the rumors that circulated in the press last two weeks, I want to confirm that the analysis of my blood showed HIV presence I AIDS I thought it necessary to keep this information secret, to keep quiet family and.. ones. However, it is time to tell the truth to my friends and fans around the world. I hope that everyone will join the fight against this terrible disease. "

A day later, at seven, Freddie died. Before his death, he wrote his own funeral, he wanted to turn them into a real show - it also needs to go on? Mercury was buried according to the rites of the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism, which is professed by his parents. The ceremony lasted only 25 minutes: the coffin was covered with white Freddie silk cloth, put on top of a red rose. There were prayers for the dead in the ancient Iranian language, favorite musician singer Aretha Franklin song, aria from the opera "Il Trovatore" by Giuseppe Verdi performed Caballe. Then Freddie was cremated body. By will only Mary Austin, "the love of his life", knows where his remains lie.