Audiences around the world responded positively to 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, for which Rami Malek won an Oscar for Best Actor. While his portrayal of Freddie Mercury was outstanding, Queen fans have noticed that there were quite a few factual inaccuracies in the biopic, which chronicles the life of Freddie.
Towards the end of the film, Freddie is shown leaving Queen to pursue solo music, upsetting his bandmates in the process. The three musicians fall out with Freddie, full of resentment over his success as a solo artist.
While the scenes made for entertaining cinema, fans speculate whether Queen really did fight and break up like that. Did the legendary Freddie spend his last days on bad terms with the other members of the band? Keep reading to find out.
Queen’s Portrayal In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
The 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody depicts Freddie Mercury falling out with his Queen bandmates. In the movie, Mercury is offered a solo deal for an undisclosed but impressive amount of money, which he takes. His friend and manager, Paul Prenter, steals him away from the band and encourages him to pursue his solo projects instead.
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When the band hears that Freddie wants to go solo, they become upset with him and there’s a sense of betrayal. Freddie goes to Munich, where he records solo music and falls down a rabbit hole of drugs and partying. During this time, he also first notices symptoms of AIDS.
Freddie’s best friend and former fiancée Mary travels to Munich and convinces him to return to London. The film correctly shows the two sharing a close relationship. He apologizes to his bandmates and Queen reunites to play their iconic set at Live Aid. But did it happen like that in real life?
Did Freddie Mercury Really Fall Out With His Bandmates?
In real life, there were arguments between the members of Queen just like there are arguments in all bands. But they did not have a huge falling out and split up over Freddie’s desire to go solo.
Actually, Freddie wasn’t even the first band member to pursue a solo career. Drummer Roger Taylor released his own album called Fun in Space in 1981. Freddie didn’t release his Mr. Bad Guy solo album until 1985.
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In 1982, Queen released their Hot Space album, which ended up performing poorly and received negative reviews. They were exhausted from this as well as the pressures of touring, and collectively decided to take a break.
Although the four members of Queen struck gold whenever they were together, they didn’t resent each other for having solo careers too. It is thought they each had different musical styles and allowed each other the space to explore those avenues.
The film shows the band reuniting for the first time at Live Aid. But in reality, when they performed at Live Aid in 1985, they were still together and had also just come off a stadium tour, which explains why they were at the top of their game.
The Arguments Between Freddie Mercury And Brian May
Freddie Mercury was the lead vocalist of Queen, but he wasn’t the leader or boss of the band. All four members were equally allowed to contribute to the songwriting and recording process. And all four did write hit songs for the band.
Though they all had disagreements, those between Freddie and guitarist Brian May seem to have been the most prominent. In one 1984 interview, Freddie revealed that he would only have to be in the same room as Brian for a few minutes before they started bickering.
“I haven’t hit him yet,” Freddie joked, before adding, “but there’s still time.”
Freddie Mercury Praised His Queen Bandmates
There may have been arguments and disagreements behind the scenes as Queen was making their music. But overall, the band members were on good terms with each other and respected each other. While video recordings exist of Freddie and Brian arguing, there are also those interviews where Freddie compliments Brian.
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In one instance, Freddie called Brian “the world’s greatest guitar technician.”
What Brian May And Roger Taylor Have Said About Freddie Mercury
Tragically, Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991 of AIDS-related pneumonia. Since his passing, Brian and Roger have spoken openly about their close relationship with the front man.
“We handled it in different ways,” Brian revealed of the way he dealt with Freddie’s death (via Society of Rock). “For a time, I really wanted to escape from Queen; I didn’t want to know about it. I think that was my grieving process. But I’m very proud of what we did together.”
Roger admitted that he’s never gotten over losing Freddie. “None of us have. I think that we all thought that we would come to terms with it quite quickly, but we underestimated the impact [the loss] had on our lives. I still find it difficult to talk about. For those of us left, it is as though Queen was another lifetime entirely.”
Freddie Mercury’s Relationship With John Deacon
Little is known for sure about Freddie’s relationship with the former Queen bass guitarist John Deacon, who left the band after Freddie passed away. But fans speculate that his departure is a testament to how much John cared for Freddie.
Freddie’s friend and former assistant Peter Freestone revealed that Freddie and John had a close bond, and Freddie protected John, who is naturally shy and quiet, from the pitfalls of fame.
“Without Freddie there, John was not able to stay in the band,” Peter explained. “Freddie drew the attention away, and without Freddie there, I don’t think John could face any of it."
