Freddie Mercury Items Left to Mary Austin to be Sold at Auction
Freddie Mercury left many of his possessions to his longtime friend and confidant, Mary Austin, in his will. Now, those items will soon be on display and later be auctioned.
About 1,500 items will be heading to four Sotheby’s locations this summer. The auction house announced the collection is being dubbed “Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own.” The collection is heading to the following Sotheby’s locations on the following dates:
-New York: June 1-8
-Los Angeles: June 14-18
-Hong Kong: June 26-30
-London: August 4-September 5
Sotheby’s notes, “This collection has remained at Freddie’s beloved Garden Lodge for over three decades and displays a quality and diversity of works that are a testament not only to his passion, but his brilliant mind.”
The auction of Mercury’s items will take place in London over the course of three days on September 6-8. Items heading to auction range from stage costumes to hand-written lyrics to pieces of art Mercury collected.
As previously reported, Mercury designated in his will that Austin would receive 50% of his share of future Queen earnings while designating 25% to his parents and 25% to his sister, Kashmira Bulsara. Since the passing of Mercury’s parents, their 25% share has now gone to Austin.
5 Best Performances from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Freddie Mercury left this Earth on November 24, 1991. While he left a void in the rock landscape that is still felt today, his inspiration has transcended his era. Decades later, he continues to influence new generations of music fans.
He also transcended musical genres. About five months after his death, Queen, along with an all-star lineup, put on The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness. The concert was held at Wembley Stadium before a massive crowd of 72,000 on April 20, 1992. Proceeds from the show went towards launching The Mercury Phoenix Trust. This organization was founded by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Queen manager Jim Beach. Over the years, it has helped fund numerous projects in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The show’s running setlist is split into two parts: Without Queen and with Queen. The “Without Queen” portion featured performances from Metallica, Extreme, Def Leppard, Bob Geldof, Spinal Tap and Guns N’ Roses. U2 and Mango Groove appeared during this portion of the show via satellite. A number of the musicians from the “Without Queen” portion of the show would appear during the second half.
Once Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon took to the stage, that’s when the show really started to cook with gas. The surviving members of Queen performed some of their biggest hits accompanied by some of rock’s most iconic singers and other guest musicians. Among the singers to fill the massive shoes of Mercury were Joe Elliott, Roger Daltrey, Zucchero, Gary Cherone, James Hetfield, Robert Plant, Paul Young, Seal, Lisa Stansfield, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, George Michael, Elton John, Axl Rose and Liza Minnelli.
Simply put: It stands as one of the best tribute shows of all time. The fact it boasts one of the most star-studded lineups in rock history doesn’t hurt either.
Here’s a look back to the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert and its five best performances that day.
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
