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  • Somebody to Love

  • The Life, Death and Legacy of Freddie Mercury
  • Written by: Matt Richards, Mark Langthorne
  • Narrated by: Tim Bruce
  • Length: 15 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (75 ratings)

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Somebody to Love

Written by: Matt Richards,Mark Langthorne
Narrated by: Tim Bruce
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Publisher's Summary

For the first time, the final years of one of the world's most captivating rock showmen are laid bare.

When Freddie Mercury died in 1991, aged just 45, the world was rocked by the vibrant and flamboyant star's tragic secret that he had been battling AIDS. That Mercury had even been diagnosed came as a shock to his millions of fans, with his announcement coming less than 24 hours before his death.

In Somebody to Love, biographers Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards skilfully weave Freddie Mercury's incredible pursuit of musical greatness with Queen, his upbringing and his endless search for love with the story of a terrible disease that swept across the world in the 1980s, as medical treatment fought to catch up with it despite underfunding, social ignorance and homophobia.

With brand-new perspectives from Mercury's closest friends and fellow musicians, this unique and deeply moving tribute casts a very different light on both his death and the origins of AIDS itself.

An intimate listen, like Freddie and his art, it will stay with you for a long time.

©2014 Matt Richards & Mark Langthorne (P)2017 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

What listeners say about Somebody to Love

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Morbid Garbage

This book reads like a blow by blow story of a dying man. I found it disgusting and a poor memorial to a fantastic entertainer. I am requesting my credit back. A far better read is "Freddy and me"

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6 people found this helpful

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Two storylines: Mercury and HIV/AIDS.

I was fascinated by the historical background information on the development and spread of HIV/AIDS juxtaposed with the life and times of Freddie Mercury. You know at some point the storylines must intersect.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • fab
  • 2021-08-07

Awesome from the start to the end

The real life of Freddy mercury.. nothing to do with the movie. Way more information about his life... I really loved it

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1 person found this helpful

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Fascinating

I enjoyed listening to this story. It was difficult to hear about all of the debauchery, because you know of the outcome and want it to be different. I've watched many videos since BR, I couldn't get enough. I had to know how, when & why things happened in his life and of the band. It makes me wonder how he'd feel knowing how much everyone loves him now, maybe even some of the critics! They were harsh! You're legacy and music will live on forever ❤️

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wild ride

the beginning was a bit dry but once the story truly takes off you will laugh cry and ask why many times

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Fabulous

A great history of QUEEN, but even more so of the AIDS pandemic.it is certainly sad and gut wrenching at times, but that gives the book and the life it celebrates more depth

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A must for Freddie Fans!

I think what I was intrigued by most in this biography was the parallel paths the author drew between Freddie Mercury's life and the AIDS epidemic. Just as one cannot think of Freddie without thinking of Queen, one cannot quite separate the man from the disease that took him. And yet, the author did not make the whole Freddie Mercury story about how he died. This is very much a biography that celebrates life.

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ALWAYS A FAVORITE

I love this book. The story and presentation are exceptional, tasteful, informative. Freddie Forever.

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Best best

I thought this particular biography was the best Audible I've listen to . Very thorough

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Freddie Mercury 💕

I couldn’t put it down!!

Emotional, funny, exciting and knowledgeable.

His legacy will truly live on

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  • tru britty
  • 2018-07-19

Stunning dual biography of Freddie and AIDS

Freddie Mercury's history has become inextricably linked with the AIDS epidemic, but he was so much more than that. It's his music that has become his legacy. His performance at 1985's Live Aid was merely the crowning glory of this charismatic performer.

Still, authors Matt Richards and Matt Langthorne made the decision to tell Freddie's story at the same time they unfolded the story of AIDS, which from the most recent evidence seems to have passed from chimp to human via an animal bite sometime around 1908 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Both stories are fascinating in the extreme. But it's Freddie's that takes up the largest chunk of the story, as the authors follow him from his birth in Zanzibar to Indian parents of Persian descent. There's the Indian boarding school, the move to London, the art school and the first band. (You can find an unearthed home movie of Freddie with his college pals on YouTube. What's amazing is how reserved and camera shy he is.)

The story gets into Queen territory when Freddie becomes a dedicated follower of Jimi Hendrix and a local London group called Smile, with Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums, some guy on bass (eventually to be John Deacon) and a lead singer, whom Freddie would eventually replace, rechristening the band Queen.

The chapters are a good mesh of band and music history along with glimpses of Freddie's personal life. Freddie dated girls, and had one long-term girlfriend (Mary Austin) in particular. But he seemed to begin identifying almost exclusively as a gay man in the mid-70s. That brought him into contact with the gay scene in New York, where AIDS was already making inroads, though no one knew it because the retrovirus has an incubation period of up to 10 years.

The authors try to pin down Freddie's infection to 1981 or 1982 and cite a Saturday Night Live performance in 1982, when Freddie was battling a throat condition, a possible indicator a person has been infected, showing up within weeks of the original infection though the virus otherwise remains dormant.

There is information about Freddie's boyfriends (including his last Jim Hutton), the Live Aid performance, the leaking of Freddie's HIV test to the British tabloid press, the last concert tour in 1986, Freddie living with full-blown AIDS (with the press hounding him for a confession), Freddie throwing himself into studio work, his final recordings and music videos with Queen, his death in November 1991, and the Freddie tribute concert organized by May and Taylor.

Narrator Tim Bruce does an excellent job. His voice is well-suited to the story.

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34 people found this helpful

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  • Rabid Mongoose
  • 2018-11-18

Great story, but the NARRATOR -- yikes!

I wish the author had gone a bit more into the history of HIV, but that's only because I'm in the medical field. Probably it was enough for the average person. I have to say, though, that the narrator really grated on me. It reminded me of a smarmy BBC nature commentator -- you just want information on the magnificent creatures you're watching, but you have to put up with a kind of arch, almost camp narration style that gets on your nerves. The narrator also has a habit of "upspeaking," where his tone rises at the end of sentences, almost as though he's asking a question, instead of making a statement.

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25 people found this helpful

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  • Trystin Figel
  • 2019-01-24

Beautifully written

After seeing Bohemian Rhapsody two times in theaters. It reignited my passion for queen and made me want to learn more about them and Freddy as a whole. There were so many books to choose from and I’m glad I picked this one , the origin of HIV was fascinating , and the accounts of such a wonderful man’s life was pieced together seamlessly. This book brought out so many emotions , happiness , wonder, inspiration , sadness , and hope . Highly recommend ... Still can’t get over how great of a read it was .

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  • mizeryluvkompany
  • 2018-05-20

Queen Freddie Mercury.

best Queen book ive ever read or heard. tons of insight in this book. recommend.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • J. Beecher
  • 2018-11-13

Excellent biography, with context

I loved this biography in part because it placed Mercury's life and death in the context of the overall history of the beginning of the HIV/AIDs pandemic and the world events surrounding the initial discovery of HIV/AIDs as well as the politics of the time vis-a-vis gay men and the stigma around HIV/AIDs. This aspect of the historical context of Mercury's life is not covered in other biographies and I think it's a critical part of understanding Mercury's life choices, such as his decision not to reveal publicly that he was suffering from HIV/AIDs until the day before his death. This biography includes interviews and facts not found in the Mercury bio by Lesley-Ann Jones (although I recommend that one as well, because it likewise contains interviews and facts not found here).

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Calicat
  • 2018-08-23

Extraordinary Biography of Freddie Mercury

As a lifelong fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury in particular, my heart truly took an emotional ride guided by the narrator’s excellent interpretation of the text. The inter splicing of the rise and fall of AIDS and the medical history interwoven with Mercury’s personal history both enlightened me and increased my respect of Mercury through both his professional contribution to modern popular music and his posthumous contribution of money to the research of a cure for AIDS. No doubt if you’re not even a huge fan of Queen you will enjoy this book for its complete and complex look into the life of a true musical genius. When I was in Montreaux I saw the bronze statue of Freddie with his arm raised and index finger pointing upwards towards heaven - and that’s where he belongs if there is a heaven indeed.

Thank you to the authors for treating his life with respect and with brutal honesty. He would have loved the book, I’m certain!

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  • Garry S. Garrett
  • 2018-11-28

Worthwhile, a wee bit heavy on AIDS history

The timeline presented in this book was appreciated in light of the recent movie which oddly compressed things that didn't need compressed. The telling was difficult to follow as the authors quoted many folks and it was perplexing as there was no change of voice or tone for different speakers. I would recommend a female voice for female quotes, for example. While the book was rich with insight into Freddie's crazy little life, it was too detailed on the history and diaspora of AIDS, imo which caused it to drag on.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2018-03-07

Very good!

Interesting and fascinating look on his life, society/world state of mind and origin of HIV. Narrator sounding a bit like Freddie made for a pleasant listen.

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  • Jane Ciau
  • 2018-01-07

Amazing book

The narrator was amazing and Freddy will live on for ages to come. Greatly told story of his life.

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  • Michelle Weese
  • 2019-12-23

More like a history of HIV/Aids

I’m about 1/3rd or so into the book.
It seems more like a complete history or HIV/Aids.
It is still interesting, but less focused on Freddie, heavy on the disease which took him

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