Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury

As an avid Queen fan, I had decided to learn more about the frontman for the band. It was very enlightening to see the history behind music both in the 1970s and 1980s, and the effects music had on the people producing it and the people listening to it. This biography explores the man behind huge hits like "Somebody to Love" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", defining songs for the band in their heyday, and where his inspiration came from. Lesley-Ann Jones does not sugarcoat the dangers of being a rock star in the 80s, where drug use and promiscuity were fairly common. To me it was very interesting to read about how a lifestyle completely changes when money becomes involved. However, fame never changed him as a person. He remained generous, caring, and very introverted until the very end. I believe the most memorable aspect of Freddie was his love for his cats, as I have cats myself. Freddie's stage persona was never the real him, and he often felt like he was pretending to be someone he wasn't, something I think many high-school students also experience.