Freddie Mercury’s longtime personal assistant and friend Peter Freestone claims Mercury was aware that his health was declining in the mid-1980s, which was why he decided to be tested for HIV. However, though Mercury went for the test, when his doctor called to give him his diagnosis, he reportedly avoided speaking to him, afraid that he would get the worst news possible. Treatment for HIV was still in its infancy at the time, unlike today, when the condition can be managed with regular medication. To be given such a diagnosis was practically a death sentence.
But as his friends and colleagues have made clear, when Mercury became aware of his condition he showed great resolve. According to Elton John, who was close friends with the Queen singer and who continued to receive gifts from Mercury up until the latter’s death, it seemed that Mercury was unafraid of death.
Indeed, Mercury’s bandmates have confirmed that despite his diagnosis and ailing health, he remained focused on his music. In the documentary “Queen: Days of Our Lives,” guitarist Brian May explains that after Mercury sat his bandmates down, he explained his condition, but he didn’t want to linger on it, and instead planned to dedicate his remaining time to making music as they had always done. For their final work before his death, Mercury shared songwriting credits with his bandmates, which reportedly brought the four men closer than ever before, while they all agreed to remain silent about his condition.
