The Queen member talks about his late bandmate in a new documentary, saying that he was upset by the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS after his pal's tragic death.
- Oct 31, 2021
AceShowbiz - Queen star Roger Taylor was determined to pay tribute to his late bandmate Freddie Mercury following his death from HIV/AIDS.
The group's frontman will be remembered in new BBC documentary "Freddie Mercury: The Final Act", which follows the story from Freddie's last concert to the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
It features new interviews with Queen members Roger and Brian May, Freddie's sister Kashmira Bulsara, his friends Anita Dobson and David Wigg, and his PA Peter Freestone.
Speaking in a press release, the drummer admitted he was angered by the stigma surrounding the virus and became determined to organise the gig - featuring Elton John, David Bowie, and Annie Lennox - to give Freddie the send-off he deserved.
"We were very angry and we had to stick up for our friend - our best friend," recalled the musician. "I became fixated with the idea of giving him a hell of a send-off."
Several musicians who performed at the concert - including Gary Cherone (Extreme), Roger Daltrey (The Who), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Lisa Stansfield, and Paul Young - as well as the concert's promoter, Harvey Goldsmith, appear in the film.
And guitarist Brian heaped praise on his late pal, admitting, "Freddie opened up his heart and gave it everything he had. He was a musician through and through and through."
"He lived for his music. He loved his music, and he was proud of himself as a musician above everything else."
"Freddie Mercury: The Final Act" will air in November (21).
