Queen guitarist Brian May insists he had no idea bandmate Freddie Mercury was gay - assuming the parading frontman was just flamboyant. May met the late star in 1970 but claims it was not until the 1980s that he realized the frontman's sexuality - because Mercury began to bring men with "that particular Adonis look" backstage.

He recalls, "When I shared a room with him on tour in the early days I can assure you it was girls who generally stayed overnight. But he seemed to be what these days you would call metrosexual. He was into his hair, his clothes - he definitely led the way with regard to preening."

But the 60-year-old is adamant the singer - who died of AIDS complications in 1991 - was much shyer than his strutting onstage persona.

He adds, "We all were - and Freddie was probably more shy than any of us. His way of coping was to act like a god on stage."


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article781518.ece

well, the 70's was the era of glam rock and tons of rock stars wore makeup and were effeminate. The 80's was when Freddie started looking like a Village People member with the butch haircut and mustache :lol:

From what I heard, Freddie didn't realize he was gay until the late 70's, kind of like how George Michael used to deny he was gay, and he meant it because he was in denial and confusion of his sexuality until about 1990-1991. It was a totally different era than now when people are fully aware of their sexuality by the time they're out of high school.

So Brian May was blind?

;)

I'm waiting for Mikey Craig or Roy Hay from Culture Club to say they had no idea Boy George was gay until five years into the band. :rofl:

I saw Queen play in Seattle in December 1978, and they put on a great show! I wish I had stayed a little longer for them to play "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Bohemian Rhapsody". :wallbang

I had never really thought that Freddie Mercury was gay during the mid-70's, though I had heard he was bisexual before the 80's. Songs like "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" gave me some idea what he was about. But in the 80's, when the band began to decline in popularity, I really didn't get into the super-macho mustachio'ed look of Mercury for a while. It just wasn't the way I was first accustomed to seeing him. But I soon accepted his look--and the fact that he was gay (for a long time my then-funda-gelical Christianity "wouldn't allow me". I also read the lyrics of the song "Body Language", and thought, wow, these are the horniest lyrics in the world--they're great!!! :drool: :cool:

I loved the way Freddie looked with his short cut hair and moustache. I love moustaches.:grineyes: I had no idea back then that he was gay. I always thought he was just flamboyant. Same thing with Liberace. I just thought "that's the feminine part of them."

I wonder if he really was bi-sexual for a time or if he put on a "show" by being with girls so as to hide his homosexuality?

Oh well, only he knows for sure and it sure doesn't change how I felt abt their music growing up.

I had no idea back then that he was gay. I always thought he was just flamboyant. Same thing with Liberace.
Me neither. It wasn't as out there as it is now, and people just didn't speculate on whether or not someone was gay. I don't think it even occurred to people (particularly in middle America) because it was such a taboo and obscure subject. Paul Lynde, Liberace, Charles Nelson Reilly, you can look back now and it is so completely obvious, but back then it was just part of their personality.
So Brian May was blind?
Well, and the band was named Queen. :confused:

Me neither. It wasn't as out there as it is now, and people just didn't speculate on whether or not someone was gay. I don't think it even occurred to people (particularly in middle America) because it was such a taboo and obscure subject. Paul Lynde, Liberace, Charles Nelson Reilly, you can look back now and it is so completely obvious, but back then it was just part of their personality.

Well, and the band was named Queen. :confused:
:lol: Well said...on both points. ;)

Paul Lynde, Liberace, Charles Nelson Reilly, you can look back now and it is so completely obvious, but back then it was just part of their personality.

OmG, you are so right!! Having grown up with all 3 of those names, when you're younger, it didn't even dawn on me that any of them were gay. I loved Paul Lynde, though(but that in that way!:D ), he was what made the Hollywood Squares so funny.


Well, and the band was named Queen. :confused:

On one of my live Queen CD's, Freddie tells the audience "We're not bad for 4 aging queens" and the audience laughed.