When Freddie Mercury died in 1991, aged just 45, the world was rocked by the vibrant and flamboyant star’s tragic secret that he had been battling AIDS. That Mercury had even been diagnosed came as a shock to his millions of fans, with his announcement coming less than 24-hours before his death.
In Somebody to Love, biographers Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards skilfully weave both Freddie Mercury’s incredible pursuit of musical greatness with Queen, his upbringing and his endless search for love with the story of a terrible disease that swept across the world in the 1980s, as medical treatment fought to catch up with it despite underfunding, social ignorance and homophobia.
With brand new perspectives from Mercury’s closest friends and fellow musicians, this unique and deeply moving tribute casts a very different light on both his death and the origins of AIDS itself. The death of this vibrant and spectacularly talented rock star, shook the world of medicine as well as the world of music. Somebody to Love finally puts the record straight and pays detailed tribute to the man himself.
Matt Richards is an award-winning film director, television producer and screenwriter who has written and directed numerous documentaries and series in the UK and the U.S. In 2012 he was awarded the Spirit of Tiger Award for “Outstanding Documentary Coverage of World War Two”. He directed and co-wrote the feature film To Say Goodbye, which was screened in competition at the 2012 San Sebastian International Film Festival.
Mark Langthorne is CEO of Roland Mouret and has previously worked in the music industry and managed such stars as Kanye West and Annie Lennox.
