A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world.

But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse bands the world has ever seen. When Freddie passed away in 1991, he left to his former fiancé and dearest friend, Mary Austin, not only his house and possessions, but also a creative archive spanning almost two decades. From his earliest works before Queen was formed, right through to the end of his solo career, his notebooks and doodlings contain previously unpublished material including alternate lyrics and abandoned verses for "Bohemian Rhapsody" and multiple drafts of "Don't Stop Me Now," as well as entire songs that were never recorded.

Accompanied by stories, memories, and anecdotes from his lifelong companion, and illustrated with photographs from Freddie's personal collection, many of which have never been published before, A Life in Lyrics is the definitive creative record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946. As a teenager, he emigrated with his family to London, where he would meet the future band members of Queen in the late 1960s. Over the 20 years that followed, they became one of the most successful rock bands in history. While, on stage, Freddie became known for his extraordinary showmanship and vocal range, off stage, he was responsible for drafting the lyrics to many of Queen's greatest hits, including for "Bohemian Rhapsody," the third biggest-selling British single of all time. Today, more than fifty years after they were formed, Queen continues to be one of the most recognized bands in the world and Freddie Mercury is widely acknowledged as one of the 20th century's greatest-ever lyricists and performers.

When Mary Austin first met Freddie Mercury in 1970, it marked the beginning of an enduring friendship that would shape the rest of each of their lives. She, aged 19, worked at the Biba store in Kensington, while he, aged 24, ran a stall selling his artworks in Kensington Market. They would become engaged four years later, on Christmas Day 1973, the same year that Queen released their debut album. After Mary and Freddie's relationship came to an end in the mid-1970s they would remain a central presence in each others' worlds for the next two decades. When Freddie passed away in 1991, he left his home, Garden Lodge, and his possessions to Mary, who has treasured and celebrated the memory of her beloved friend ever since.