Beeb To Air Freddie Doc To Mark 30th Anniversary Of His Passing

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Freddie Mercury

A TV documentary focusing on the latter days of the late, great Freddie Mercury is to air next month, 30 years on from his death.

It will spotlight the final years of the singer’s life, and features interviews with former Queen bandmates, his sister and friends.

It’ll also follow the journey leading up to the 1992 tribute concert held in the star’s memory, following his battle with HIV/Aids.

Freddie Mercury: The Final Act‘ will air on BBC Two next month, and the film will tell the story of the late Queen frontman’s last chapter – in November 1991 aged just 45 – leading up to ‘The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert‘ at Wembley Stadium, which followed on April 20th, 1992.

The documentary will feature new interviews with many of those who were closest to him, including Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, Freddie’s sister Kashmira Bulsara, his friends Anita Dobson and David Wigg and his PA, Peter Freestone.

Speaking on the programme, Brian says: “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 died from complications of Aids, and the film will also explore those who saw the impact of HIV/Aids first hand.

The documentary starts in 1986, as Queen’s Magic tour reaches its climax at Knebworth Stadium in Hertfordshire.

Following Freddie’s death, Brian and Roger, along with Queen’s manager Jim Beach, devised a plan to commemorate the iconic singer with a concert, and they approached the likes of Sir Elton John, David Bowie, and Annie Lennox to perform.

The show also raised awareness of HIV/Aids.

A number of those who performed at the memorial show will also feature on the documentary, 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.

To accompany the documentary, BBC Two will also show ‘Queen at the BBC‘ – a one-hour special, featuring some of the greatest musical moments from the band that have been shown on the BBC over the years – in November.