jim hutton biography freddie mercury

TV & Movies

How Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury’s Longtime Partner, Transformed The Singer’s Life

Though never legally married, Hutton and Mercury were undoubtedly each other’s life partners.

Freddie Mercury, the lead singer and main creative driving force behind the band Queen, was famous for his operatic voice and flamboyant stage presence. But offstage he was known to be a quiet and charming individual — and someone who didn’t discuss his bisexuality in public. From 1985 until his death in 1991, he lived a quiet life with his longtime partner, Jim Hutton (portrayed recently in Bohemian Rhapsody by Aaron McCusker). Some Queen fans thought the movie glossed over Mercury’s main relationships , both his first with Mary Austin and, especially, his second with Hutton — who only appears in a few brief scenes, but was in effect married to the pop star. So what happened to Jim Hutton in real life?

Unfortunately, Hutton is no longer with us. While Hutton, like Mercury, suffered from HIV , the disease was not his cause of death. ( Mercury died due to complications from AIDS in 1991 at age 45.) Instead, it was lung cancer that took Hutton's life, and the Irish native died at the age of 60 on New Year's Day, 2010.

But before then, he shared a long and meaningful relationship with Mercury. Hutton first met the singer at a London gay club called Heaven in 1985. The Queen frontman approached him and offered to buy him a drink, but Hutton was already dating someone and said no. About 18 months later, they crossed paths again in a club, and this time the sparks flew. Thus began a lengthy relationship that would last for the rest of Mercury's life. (The movie shows the couple meeting under different circumstances, with Hutton meeting Mercury at work and telling him to come find him when he’s emotionally ready.)

The pair ended up living together for several years, starting just months after they began dating. As depicted in the film, Hutton attended the Live Aid concert in 1985 and said he was “gobsmacked” by Mercury’s performance.

Initially, the couple had moments of tension. “I saw him with another guy in Heaven and we had a huge row. He told me he did it to make me jealous,” Hutton said . “Then one day I saw him leaving his Kensington flat with another guy and we had an argument. I told him he had to make his mind up.” But ultimately they formed a true partnership. Mercury wasn’t out in public, nor did he speak about Hutton in interviews, but he didn’t hide the relationship either. And though they were never married (gay marriage was, of course, illegal at the time), they more or less acted as married couples do. Each wore a wedding ring to show how committed they were to one another, and Mercury referred to Hutton as his husband .

Also like married couples, their love lasted through difficult times. After Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 (later than was depicted in the film), he reportedly told Hutton he would understand if he wanted to leave . "Don’t be stupid," Hutton said in response. "I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the long haul." Hutton was himself diagnosed with HIV in 1990; he stayed by Mercury's side and helped care for him until the singer's death in 1991. He remembered, “It didn’t sink in until the last few weeks that he was actually dying.”

Their last conversation occurred a few days before he died, according to Hutton : “It was 6 a.m. He wanted to look at his paintings. ‘How am I going to get downstairs?’ he asked. ‘I’ll carry you,’ I said. But he made his own way, holding on to the banister. I kept in front to make sure he didn’t fall. I brought a chair to the door, sat him in it, and flicked on the spotlights, which lit each picture. He said, ‘Oh they’re wonderful’.”

Mercury bequeathed his house to his ex, Austin, after his death. Hutton said she kicked him out; he apparently received 500,000 pounds and relocated to their house in Ireland. Three years after Mercury's passing, Hutton published a book detailing his time with the singer, titled Mercury and Me . In his memoir, Hutton said he worked as Mercury’s gardener after moving into the singer’s Kensington mansion, and continued working as a hairdresser as well. He never fully embraced the rock and roll lifestyle, instead maintaining a relatively normal life with his famous live-in boyfriend.

Hutton's primary motivation for writing the book was therapeutic in nature. As he revealed in a 1994 interview with the British morning news program The Big Breakfast , he believed it helped him grieve his lover's death.

This article was originally published on Oct. 30, 2018

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Bohemian Rhapsody: The True Story Behind Freddie Mercury’s Relationships

By Yohana Desta

Who were the great loves of Freddie Mercury’s life? Per the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, it comes down to two people: Mary Austin and Jim Hutton. However, the film leaves out many details about both relationships, tweaking and glossing over precious facts. Here are the true stories of Austin and Hutton, who entered Mercury’s life at crucial times and remained close to him until his death in 1991.

In 1969, Austin was a 19-year-old employee at an English boutique called Biba when she met the 24-year-old Mercury. At the time, he was an aspiring singer, but hadn’t yet become one of the biggest rock stars on the planet. Still, Austin was intrigued by the “wild-looking artistic musician.”

“He was like no one I had met before,” she told the Daily Mail in 2013. “He was very confident—something I have never been. We grew together.”

The pair quickly began dating. Bohemian Rhapsody steers close to this origin story, with Lucy Boynton playing Austin. In 1973, Mercury proposed. “He gave me a big box on Christmas Day. Inside was another box, then another and so it went on. It was like one of his playful games,” she recalled. “Eventually, I found a lovely jade ring inside the last small box. . . . I was shocked. It just so wasn’t what I was expecting. I just whispered, ‘Yes. I will.’”

Mercury also cemented his adoration for Austin with the ballad “Love of My Life,” (which gets a fair bit of play in Bohemian Rhapsody ). He also took her to meet his parents. “She was lovely,” Mercury’s mother, Jer Bulsara, said in a 2012 interview .

However, the wedding was called off after Mercury came out to Austin as bisexual, she told the Daily Mail. Though they ended their romantic relationship, they remained incredibly close, with Mercury buying her a home and always speaking fondly of her in public.

“All my lovers asked me why they couldn’t replace Mary, but it’s simply impossible,” Mercury said in a 1985 interview . “The only friend I’ve got is Mary, and I don’t want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that’s enough for me.”

Austin, who later married and had two children, tended to Mercury after his AIDS diagnosis. When the singer died in 1991, he entrusted much of his estate and his London mansion, Garden Lodge, to her, which she still maintains . Austin also fulfilled his wish for his cremated remains to be scattered in an undisclosed location. “Nobody will ever know where he is buried because that was his wish,” she once said. “He wanted it to remain a secret and it will remain so.”

In the film, Jim Hutton (played by Aaron McCusker ) is presented as a member of a cleanup crew who has a testy, but ultimately flirtatious tête-à-tête with Mercury after one of his raucous house parties. In actuality, the Irishman, born and brought up in County Carlow, was a hairdresser who met the Queen frontman at a gay bar in the 1980s, according to an interview Hutton did with the The Times of London in 2006 . Though they would eventually settle into a seven-year relationship, ending with Mercury’s death in 1991, it was far from love at first sight.

Per that interview, Hutton said he first met Mercury at Heaven, a gay nightclub in London. The singer, who was three years older, offered to buy him a drink. Hutton, who didn’t recognize the superstar, rejected the offer. They didn’t connect until a year and a half later, Hutton said in a 1994 interview , when they saw each other, once again, at a nightclub and Mercury offered to buy him a drink again. This time, Hutton accepted. They began dating and, less than a year later, Hutton moved into Garden Lodge. He kept his job as a hairdresser.

They stayed together, though Mercury never publicly came out, which didn’t matter much to Hutton. However, the couple did face ups and downs. “I saw him with another guy in Heaven and we had a huge row. He told me he did it to make me jealous,” Hutton recalled to the Times. “Then one day I saw him leaving his Kensington flat with another guy and we had an argument. I told him he had to make his mind up.”

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Over the course of their relationship, Hutton witnessed historic moments, like Queen’s soaring Live Aid performance in 1985. “I was gobsmacked. You could feel the effect his stage presence had on the crowd,” he said of the show, which he watched backstage. “Afterwards Elton [John] came and said, ‘Bastard, you’ve stolen it.’”

In their downtime, Hutton said the Queen star was quiet and reserved, a world away from his showman persona. “He loved his cats. I’d get in from work. We’d lie together on the sofa. He would massage my feet and ask about my day,” Hutton said. The pair kept on for the next few years, until Mercury’s diagnosis with AIDS in 1987. It was an excruciating time, with friends like Joe Fanelli, Mercury’s cook, and Peter Freestone, his assistant, taking turns nursing the ailing singer.

The couple’s last conversation, Hutton says, took place a few days before Mercury died. “It was 6 A.M. He wanted to look at his paintings. ‘How am I going to get downstairs?’ he asked. ‘I’ll carry you,’ I said. But he made his own way, holding on to the banister. I kept in front to make sure he didn’t fall. I brought a chair to the door, sat him in it, and flicked on the spotlights, which lit each picture. He said, ‘Oh they’re wonderful’.”

After the singer’s death, Austin took over Garden Lodge, reportedly kicking Hutton out , despite Hutton’s claim that Mercury wanted him to stay there. He was devastated by her decision, he said. However, Mercury did leave him with £500,000 (nearly $1 million, per the 1991 conversion rate), which he used to move back to Ireland. He also wrote a book about their relationship, simply titled Mercury and Me.

Hutton died on January 1, 2010, after a long battle with cancer . He was 60 years old.

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Who is Jim Hutton? Freddie Mercury's lover played by Aaron McCusker in Bohemian Rhapsody

17 February 2022, 12:15

Jim Hutton was one of the most important people in Freddie Mercury's life, and was a major character in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.

Jim McCusker played Jim Hutton in the film , but what happened to the real life Jim?

Who is Jim Hutton and when did he meet Freddie Mercury?

Jim was working as a hairdresser when he first met Freddie Mercury at a London gay club called Heaven in 1985, he once told The Times .

The Queen frontman offered to buy him a drink, but Jim was already dating someone else and turned him down.

18 months later, they crossed paths again in a different club, and this time they started a relationship that would last for the rest of Freddie's until his death at the age of 45 in 1991.

However, the movie shows them meeting at one of Freddie's lavish parties, with Jim working as a waiter.

How long were they together?

Jim Hutton - Interview (1994 The Big Breakfast)

The pair lived together for several years, starting soon after they began dating in the 1980s.

While they were never married (as gay marriage was illegal at the time), they were essentially a married couple. They both wore a wedding ring to show how committed they were to each another, and Freddie referred to Jim as his husband, according to The Vintage News .

When Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS in 1987, he reportedly told Jim he would understand if he wanted to part ways.

"Don’t be stupid," Hutton said, according to The Daily Beast . "I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the long haul."

Jim stayed with Freddie, and helped care for him until the singer's death in 1991.

Three years after Freddie's death, Jim published a book about his time with the singer titled Mercury and Me .

He worked as Freddie's gardener after moving into the singer's Kensington mansion, and preferred to stay away from the rock and roll lifestyle.

What happened to Jim Hutton?

Sadly, Jim Hutton passed away in 2010 at the age of 60 on New Year's Day.

While he, like Freddie, suffered from HIV, his death was actually caused by lung cancer.

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Who Was Jim Hutton: The Longterm Partner of ‘Queen’ Fame Freddie Mercury

When British rock band Queen debuted in the early 70s, none would have thought they would go on to become one of the legendary acts to ever exist in music. But here we are decades later still jamming to Killer Queen, rocking out to Radio Ga Ga, clapping our hands to We Will Rock You, dancing to Crazy Little Things Called Love and trying to sing Bohemian Rhapsody. While each and every member of the band brought multiple talents that defined Queen, there is no denying the exposure their frontman Freddie Mercury brought them.

Freddie Mercury was a genius performer with a powerful vocal range and charismatic stage presence who knew how to take control of stadiums full of tens of thousands of people; the Live Aid ‘85. But taking aside his flamboyant stage persona, what do we really know about the man Freddie Mercury? Never having come out as queer throughout his life, Freddie Mercury had relationships with both men and women. One of his most significant partners was Jim Hutton who was with him in his final years. So who is Jim Hutton and what happened to him?

Jim was a Hairdresser

Born in Carlow, Ireland in 1949, Jim Hutton was working as a hairdresser to earn a living. Even after being in a relationship with Freddie, he continued to work as a hairdresser throughout their relationship.

Jim Hutton met Freddie at a Gay bar ‘Heaven’

Unlike in the 2018 biopic movie where Freddie and Jim meet at an extravagant party, they actually first met at a London gay bar Heaven in the early 1980s. Their first exchange was far from an immediate attraction where Jim even failed to recognize Freddie as the frontman of Queen. He even refused a drink offered from Freddie since he was already seeing someone else at that moment. But fate had other ideas as they met again some months later at a restaurant and then again at a club 18 months later. After this the two soon started seeing each other and even moved in his London home Garden Lodge not even a year later.     

Their relationship didn’t Have a Smooth Sailing

In his book ‘ Mercury and Me ’, Jim Hutton revealed that the initial days of his relationship with Freddie were not exactly harmonious. They even got into a fight after Jim saw Freddie leaving Heaven with another man. Another similar incident happened after Freddie was seen leaving his apartment with another man. Their on and off relationship finally stabilized after Jim gave Freddie an ultimatum to make up his mind which he agreed upon. Recalling this, Jim explained:

“Deep down I think that he wanted to be secure with someone who was down to earth and not is impressed by who he was.”

Jim Stayed with Freddie for Seven Years

After their initial hurdles, the couple started to live quite a normal life in their home. While his professional life was full of glitz and glamour, Freddie would go on doing mundane things with Jim. Jim recalled:

“He loved his cats. I’d get in from work. We’d lie together on the sofa. He would massage my feet and ask about my day.” 

Throughout his life, Freddie never came out publicly as a homosexual and rarely talked about his lover. Whenever he was asked about Jim he would always say that he was really happy in his relationship. He once talked about his relationship,:

“I finally found a niche that I was looking for all my life. It’s like I’m not. I don’t have to try so hard, I don’t have to prove myself. I’ve got a very understanding relationship.”

To symbolize their commitment to one another, both Jim and Freddie even wore gold wedding rings.  

The Live Aid concert was Jim’s First Rock Concert

Even though Jim was living together with the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands of that time, Jim Hutton had never seen Queen perform live. The Live Aid concert 1985, held to raise funds for the relief of the famine in Ethiopia, gave the world one of the greatest performances from Queen which Jim got to witness live from the backstage. Reminiscing about the concert, he said, “I was gobsmacked. You could feel the effect his stage presence had on the crowd.”

He stayed with Freddie throughout his battle with AIDS

It is said that Freddie Mercury showed symptoms of HIV as early as 1982 but he was only diagnosed as HIV/AIDS positive in late April of 1987. Freddie Mercury when questioned however denied that he had the disease . While he was battling with the disease, a small group of close ones stayed with him. Among them was his lover Jim Hutton. Remembering his revelation of his condition to Jim, he said:

“He said to me, ‘I would understand if you want to pack your bags and leave.’ I told him, ‘Don’t be stupid. I am not going anywhere.’”

Although Jim was nursing Freddie through his heartbreaking condition, it was pretty evident that he was not responding well to the medication albeit the medication itself was in its initial stage. Jim later on admitted that he was perhaps in denial regarding Freddie’s deteriorating health and had noticed how skeletal he had become on the morning of his last birthday. 

Remembering one of his last days, Jim talked about a day when Freddie suddenly wished to see his beloved art collection. He said:

“It was 6 a.m. He wanted to look at his paintings. ‘How am I going to get downstairs?’ He asked. ‘I’ll carry you,’ I said. But he made his own way holding on to a banister.”

Some days later, on November 24, 1991, Freddie Mercury passed away from bronchial pneumonia as a complication of AIDS. 

What did Freddie Mercury leave for his partner Jim Hutton?

The tragic loss of his partner left Jim devasted and he claimed he went ‘absolutely crazy’. Before dying, Freddie made sure that his partner would not have a hard time ahead in the future and left him a total sum of £500,000. However, Freddie left most of his wealth including the Garden Lodge where the couple was residing to his longtime friend and ex-girlfriend Mary Austin. 

He moved to Ireland after Freddie’s Death

Following the death of Freddie, Jim moved back to Ireland after Mary Austin allegedly gave him three months to move out of Garden Lodge. After going back, he used the money Freddie left him behind to build himself a home. A year later, he published his memoir ‘Mercury and me’ recounting some of his intimate moments with the singer. According to him, the book partially helped him through the grieving process of losing his loved one.  

Jim Succumbed to Cancer

Jim Hutton was diagnosed with HIV in 1990 but he did not tell Freddie until a year later. Throughout his life, he continued to live with HIV and did so for almost two decades. But apart from that, he was also diagnosed with lung cancer that ultimately took his life in 2010. Jim was only three days away from celebrating his 61st birthday. 

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Publish June 30, 2021 3:00 am

Details You Should Know About Jim Hutton And Freddie Mercury's Relationship

The world may have been enthralled by 2018's Academy-Award-nominated Freddie Mercury biopic  Bohemian Rhapsody , but there are many aspects of the singer's life that the (mostly fictional) film barely touched upon. Filled with dramatizations of actual events,  Bohemian Rhapsody presented a more palatable view of Mercury's life. And perhaps one of the movie's biggest white-washings was Mercury's relationship with long-time partner Jim Hutton.

Born in Carlow, Ireland in 1949, Hutton was one of 10 children (via Irish Central ). Working as a hairstylist in London, Hutton and Mercury's paths would cross at a gay club in 1985. And while Hutton would spend seven years with Mercury, until Freddie's death in 1992 from complications due to AIDS, Hutton was by no means impressed with the lead singer of Queen when he first made Mercury's acquaintance (via All That's Interesting ).

The film portrays the pair crossing paths at the clean-up of one of Mercury's many wild parties; Hutton was there as hired help for the party. Their actual meeting, however, was quite different. While hanging out at a gay club called Heaven in London in March of 1985, Freddie approached Hutton, offering to buy him a drink. Apparently Hutton wasn't impressed and refused the drink. Hutton was already involved with someone else, he told Freddie (via All That's Interestin g ).

'Mercury and Me'

But, of course, that wasn't it for the pair. Mercury would run into Hutton (pictured above, left) by chance at the same club, a year and a half later. Hutton and Mercury soon became inseparable, with Hutton moving into Mercury's London estate less than a year later (via Irish Central ). And while their partnership had a tumultuous start, as probably can be expected when dating a celebrity the likes of Freddie, Hutton and Mercury would eventually settle into the routines of a relationship (via Bustle ).

Perhaps the saddest part of Hutton's relationship with Mercury was its secretive nature. Their relationship was kept from the public, even well after Mercury's death. During the seven years they were together, Mercury never publicly acknowledged his relationship with Hutton. In fact, Freddie never even told his parents that he himself was homosexual. That didn't keep him from celebrating their love, however. Even though same-sex marriage wouldn't become legal for another 20 years, the pair acted as did other married couples, according to Bustle . The pair wore wedding bands, and Mercury often referred to Hutton as his husband.

After Mercury's death, Hutton wrote (with Tim Wapshott) a book about his life with Freddie, titled Mercury and Me (via Bustle ). In it, Hutton detailed life with the famous frontman, providing a deeper, richer commentary about the man who at Live Aid (via Ultimate Classic Rock ) would convert Wembley stadium into his own personal congregation.

Hutton died from lung cancer in 2010. He was 60.

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What Happened To Freddie Mercury & Jim Hutton?

Jim hutton & freddie mercury: the real love story bohemian rhapsody leaves out, more from entertainment, r29 original series.

Jim Hutton: The Story Of Freddie Mercury's Longtime Partner

By Milica Jaric

Updated on November 12, 2023

Jim Hutton's and Freddie Mercury's romance started on rocky ground. It had elements of a rom-com until Freddie was diagnosed with HIV.

In 2018, the world re-met Freddie, Queen , and Freddie's last partner, an Irish hairdresser, Jim Hutton, in Bohemian Rhapsody.

However, the movie did not properly introduce the romance, and we are here to dig deep into what it was like being Freddie's partner.

When Jim Hutton Met Freddie Mercury

Hutton first met Freddie in 1985 in a London club. It was not love at first sight.

At the time, Jim was dating someone, and he didn't even recognize the famed musician. But just 18 months later, they were both back in the same club, Heaven , and started dating.

Less than a year after their second meeting, the lovers started living together in London. But, Freddie had another lover, and this is where things got complicated.

The flamboyant rock star dated a German guy, Winnie. Unlike Jim, Winnie, just like Freddie, had a flair for drama.

Many details became public when Jim Hutton published his book Mercury & Me. It was three years after Freddie's death, and he said, at the time, that it was therapeutic for him.

Epic Fights With Winnie And Domestic Life With Jim

According to Hutton's autobiography, Freddie and Winnie had a major blowout at Freddie's birthday party.

The same party for his 39th birthday ended up being in Freddie's video for Living On My Own.

"I had the distinct impression that Freddie had another boyfriend in the city somewhere… I realized why Freddie probably wanted me there so desperately."

"I was just part of a game between lovers. He wanted to flaunt me so that his boyfriend would see or hear of me and be jealous…. Whenever Winnie appeared, Freddie made a big fuss of me while the German shot me piercing glances."

"Back home with Freddie that night, I was tempted to tell him I wasn't prepared to be a pawn in his game. But, as we got into bed, I decided to say nothing."

And while Jim was not ready for that conversation, he did fly out to Munich. It was September 5, 1985, and Freddie prepared a lavish cross-dressing black and white ball.

Winnie was Freddie's first "husband," and he gave him a 20,000 euro ring at the party. Brian May once stated that Winnie was "busy breaking Freddie's heart."

The German refused to move to London, and Winnie reportedly threw the ring on the ground.

Freddie went to Jim and Jim was part of the video. The two lived together until the rockstar's death.

Hutton And Mercury Wore Wedding Rings During Their Relationship

After Munich, and Winnie, Freddie, and Jim became more exclusive. At some point, they were wearing wedding bands.

Their happiness was short-lived. In 1987 Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS. He told Jim he would understand if he packed up his things and left.

But, Jim simply replied:

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for the long haul."

It was the truth. Until his death on November 24, 1991, Jim and two of the couple's friends took care of Freddie Mercury.

The relationship lasted for almost seven years. Jim never fully accepted the rock'n'roll lifestyle. However, when they were alone, the two would watch movies, talk about their days, and pet their cats.

Jim and Freddie spent their days in a mansion in Kensington. While Jim did not officially work for Mercury, as the movie implied, he worked in their garden.

Like his partner, Hutton also found out he had AIDS in 1990. He only told Freddie before the superstar's passing.

Jim Hutton's Life After Freddie Mercury's Death

After Queen's frontman passed away, many speculated: what will happen to his fortune?

Jim Hutton was an important part of Freddie's life. But there was someone who knew him before fame before he became a superstar. Someone who was always by his side - Freddie's ex-girlfriend, Mary Austin.

Austin inherited half of everything Freddie owned, including the Kensington mansion. According to Hutton, she kicked him out as soon as Freddie passed away.

Though they were both close to Freddie, there was some bad blood between the two. Mary was the one who helped Freddie understand his sexuality. She was Mercury's inspiration for the song Love of My Life.

The tabloids mocked Freddie's gay friends and lovers, claiming he left them without anything. But that was not the truth. Hutton received 500,000 pounds, and he went back to Ireland.

He used the money to buy a home, and apart from his book, he continued working until his death in 2010. Hutton died of lung cancer, and not much else is known about his life after Freddie.

In 1994, he did an interview in the British morning show The Big Breakfast . Hutton talked a bit about his book, and obviously, he was still grieving the loss of Mercury.

Mary Austin Is Keeping Her Promise And Not Talking To The Media

Austin briefly dated Brian May, but after meeting Freddie, she found her soulmate. Freddie loved her more than life:

"All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, but it's simply impossible."

"The only friend I've got is Mary, and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage."

Today, a twice-divorced mom of two is the only person who could give a more in-depth insight into Freddie's life. But Mary Austin does not talk about Freddie's life. In fact, she is the only person who knows where his ashes were spread.

In a rare interview, she revealed that though not intimate, their relationship will always be the most important for her:

"It took a long while for me to really fall in love with this man but once there, I could never turn away from him."

"His pain became my pain, his joy became my joy."

"I was able to look inside — almost — another human being and what I saw was a treasure trove of beauty."

Jim Hutton, Joe Fanelli, and Peter Freestone received £500,000 after Freddie's death. Austin's net worth is around 120 million.

The rest of the money went to Freddie's family.

The Mystery Of Freddie's Final Resting Place And Tribute Concert

Jim Hutton believed Freddie Mercury's ashes were buried under a big cherry tree in the garden of Garden Lodge.

Mercury said he wanted to be strewn into his beloved Lake Geneva. But, again, the only person who knows is Mary Austin.

Only recently, the public discovered the last known photo of Freddie. Behind the lens was Hutton.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Freddie Mercury (@freddiemercuryclub)

It is unclear whether Mary Austin or Jim Hutton attended the Tribute concert for Freddie Mercury and AIDS awareness held on April 20, 1992. The once-in-a-lifetime venue gathered over 70,000 people, and it was one of the last John Deacon's performances before leaving the music industry in 1998.

In an ironic twist, the star of that night was George Micheal's cover of Someone to Love . In the audience was his then-boyfriend, Anselmo Feleppa.

Feleppa died from AIDS-related complications less than a year later, in March 1993.

Also in attendance was Lady Diana. Freddie Mercury and Lady Di were great friends. He once dressed her up as a man, and they partied in The Vauxhall Tavern.

Freddie was loved, not just admired. Though the tabloids claimed he was alone as he took his final breaths, this was not the case. He had a small but tight circle of people who loved him when the stage lights went down.

And Jim Hutton was one of them.

Rest in Peace Jim Hutton (January 4, 1949 - January 1, 2010)

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Mercury and me

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Mercury and Me Hardcover – January 1, 1994

• Print length 211 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Bloomsbury
• Publication date January 1, 1994
• ISBN-10 0747519226
• ISBN-13 978-0747519225
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury; First Edition (January 1, 1994)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 211 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0747519226
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0747519225
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
• #13,255 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

About the authors

Tim wapshott.

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The Complicated Nature of Freddie Mercury's Sexuality

Mercury hid his sexuality from his family

For most of Mercury's life, the wider world didn't accept gays and bisexuals. Born in 1946, he grew up at a time when same-sex attraction was considered a mental illness, a tragedy, a joke, or some combination of the three. LGBT people were barely represented in the media, and the message society had to offer was that not being heterosexual was unacceptable.

With homophobia rampant, many gay men felt pressured to hide their sexuality, including from their families. Mercury's Parsee parents practiced Zoroastrianism, a religion that saw being gay as a type of demon worship. While Mercury remained close to his family throughout his life, he never discussed his sexuality with them. In fact, his parents were apparently told that a male lover living at Mercury's home in London was the gardener.

READ MORE: Meet Mary Austin, the Woman Who Stole Freddie Mercury's Heart

He openly dated both men and women

As a young man, Mercury dated women, and he entered into a serious relationship with Mary Austin in the 1970s. The two lived together for several years and even got engaged before Mercury told Austin he was bisexual (her response was that she thought he was gay). The two would maintain a close friendship after splitting up, with Austin continuing to appear at his side in public. He called her the love of his life and left her the bulk of his estate in his will.

Mercury was also seeing men, both while he was with Austin and after ending their sexual relationship. These included record executive Paul Prenter, David Minns, chef Joe Fanelli, DHL courier Tony Bastin, German restaurateur Winfried "Winnie" Kirchberger, and Jim Hutton, who was with him until Mercury's death in 1991. Yet Mercury didn't entirely give up on women: in the 1980s his female paramours included German actress Barbara Valentin.

Mercury also didn't limit himself to steady relationships. While on the road in Queen's early days, Brian May, who shared hotel rooms with Mercury, saw his bandmate with female companions. In 2017 May told the Sunday Times , "It was fairly obvious when the visitors to Freddie’s dressing room started to change from hot chicks to hot men." Cities like New York and Munich had gay scenes where Mercury, who'd called his sex drive "enormous" and who'd sung about being "a sex machine ready to reload," found one-night stands and more.

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Being a rock star allowed Mercury to push gender boundaries

Mercury was the one who suggested naming the band Queen, which at the time was a derogatory term for a gay man. Onstage, he wore outfits that left gender and societal norms behind. Among his sartorial choices were leotards, angel-wing cloaks, tight shorts, and leather or PVC attire that evoked a biker image then popular in gay nightclubs.

Being a star allowed Mercury to push some boundaries, but he still lived at a time when honesty about his attraction to men could have limited his career, and the careers of his bandmates. For someone who wanted his music to be heard, and who was loath to drive fans away, being open about his sexuality was something to avoid.

Yet even in this climate, Mercury was able to use music to express himself—and he may have said more than a quick glance at his catalogue shows. For some—including renowned lyricist Tim Rice—"Bohemian Rhapsody," a worldwide hit written by Mercury, was a coming-out song. In this interpretation, lyrics like "Mama, just killed a man" could be a reference to Mercury doing away with his heterosexual self. Of course, Mercury himself never confirmed this take on the song.

Mercury didn't label his sexuality even after his AIDS diagnosis

The exact circumstances of how Mercury was infected with HIV are unknown, but the virus was spreading through New York City's gay community in the late 1970s and early '80s. This lines up with when Mercury was often visiting nightclubs and bars, and having one-night stands. (At the time, people weren't aware of how the virus was transmitted.)

As the 1980s progressed, it was obvious many gay men were getting sick and there was talk about a "gay cancer"; Mercury himself knew people with the disease. After displaying some signs of illness, his own HIV infection was confirmed by the late '80s. Even after developing AIDS, he denied reports about his illness and being gay. He was more upfront with his bandmates, but never told his family why he was ill.

One reason for Mercury's silence was worry about how his public image and legacy would change with this revelation, which at the time would have been enough to confirm him as gay. It wasn't until November 23, 1991, that he issued a statement that said in part: "Following enormous conjecture in the press, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV-positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private in order to protect the privacy of those around me." He died the next day. Mercury's statement didn't mention his sexuality—meaning he maintained his policy of not commenting on the matter to the very end.

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Everything We Know About Freddie Mercury’s Last Relationship

Freddie Mercury's relationship history is complex, but his relationship with Jim Hutton brought him happiness for the last seven years of his life.  Freddie Mercury and Jim Hutton crossed paths long before entering into a relationship, but once they bonded, the two men remained devoted to each other until Mercury's death in 1991.

The details of Mercury and Hutton's relationship remain somewhat hidden, leaving many to ask who Jim Hutton really was. According to many observers and Hutton himself, the rock legend and the hairdresser had a normal relationship, full of ups and downs like any other.  

When Mercury First Asked Hutton Out, Hutton Said 'No'

When Jim Hutton, an Irish hairdresser, and Freddie Mercury first met, it was anything but love at first sight. Mercury approached Hutton at a gay club in London in 1983, but Hutton didn't know who Mercury was. According to Hutton, who was dating a man named John Anderson at the time, Mercury wasn't his type so he turned the singer down for a drink. Mercury persisted, asking him about the size of his male anatomy . Hutton responded by telling him to "f*ck off."

Hutton remained in a relationship with John Anderson until the spring of 1984. He saw Mercury out at one point while eating dinner with Anderson, but there was no real contact between Hutton and Mercury. Hutton and Mercury crossed paths again at Heaven, a London night club, where the singer again offered Hutton a drink. He accepted this time, and joined Mercury's group of friends for dancing and drinking into the morning hours. 

Mercury And Hutton Used To Rub Each Other's Feet

Hutton recalled some of the quiet moments he and Mercury shared together. Hutton and Mercury would watch television or watch old movies, sitting side by side or laying in opposite directions next to each other while Hutton rubbed Mercury's feet. Hutton continued working as a hairdresser at The Savoy Hotel in London for a time. He remembered how much  Mercury  "loved his cats," saying, "I’d get in from work. We’d lie together on the sofa. He would massage my feet and ask about my day." 

After Mercury passed, Hutton explained to a reporter that the couple was content in their private domesticity . According to Hutton, "He might have worried about how coming out would have affected him professionally but he didn't say that. We both thought our relationship, and being gay, was our business."

Hutton Claims He Was Thrown Out Of Mercury's Home After The Singer Passed

According to observers, there was growing tension between Mary Austin, Mercury's common-law wife, and Jim Hutton as Mercury's health faded. At one point, Mary suggested that Mercury remove the wedding ring he wore as a symbol of his union with Hutton. She claimed it would cause discomfort if his hand swelled. Moments like this foreshadowed the rift between Austin and Hutton that fully formed after Mercury's passing.

In his will, Mercury left Mary Austin half his fortune, as well as his home, Garden Lodge, and all of its contents. His parents and sister received the other half of his wealth. His live-in staff and friends, Jim Fanelli, Peter Freestone, and Jim Hutton, all got £500,000 . Hutton claimed he was evicted from Garden Lodge, despite Mercury's wishes that he stay. Fights ensued and many of the couple's friends refused to believe Mercury would have wanted Hutton ousted. Hutton left Garden Lodge in March 1992.

Hutton Had To Pretend To Be The Gardener When Mercury Had Visitors

At times, Hutton's exact place in Mercury's life was difficult to understand. After months of dating, Hutton moved into Mercury's Kensington mansion, Garden Lodge, but was introduced as the gardener . When Hutton first met Mercury's parents, Bomi and Jer, in 1988, it was under this pretense. If anyone asked, Jim slept in his own bedroom and there was no mention of a relationship.

Hutton was in a precarious position as an employee of Mercury who was also sleeping with him. His circumstances were made more awkward by the fact that he was paid for his work  through Mercury's companion, former fiancée, and Queen organization associate, Mary Austin. 

Mercury Treated Hutton Like A Husband But He Also Had A Common-Law Wife

Freddie Mercury was open about the fact that he never loved any of his partners the way he loved Mary Austin, even Jim Hutton. Mercury said , "All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, but it's simply impossible... I couldn't fall in love with a man the same way as I did with Mary."

This didn't stop Mercury from referring to Jim Hutton as his husband. Mercury once told a German reporter , "Piaf did it, so did Streisand. Now I have a hairdresser husband!" The men wore rings to symbolize their love and devotion to one another. 

During Mercury's Final Days, Hutton Attended To His Lover And Friend

As Mercury's health declined in 1991, Hutton and Mercury's other live-in friends, Peter Freestone and Jim Fanelli, would take turns tending to the ailing star. Hutton protected Mercury on one occasion, threatening to beat up a reporter who got too close to Garden Lodge. Hutton also kept his emotions to himself, claiming , "I often used to cry on my own, but I made sure Freddie never saw me upset." He added , "Throughout the day, for him I'd be strong, but his dying face haunts my nights, and I'd always end up crying myself to sleep." 

On of one of Mercury's last days, Hutton offered to carry Mercury down the stairs so he could look at his elaborate collection of paintings. Mercury made his way down the stairs on his own, with Hutton close by to prevent him from falling. When Mercury glimpsed the works of art, he simply stated, "Oh, they're wonderful."

Mercury Kept Tabs On Hutton Before They Started Dating

After being rejected by Hutton, Freddie Mercury supposedly did his best to keep track of where the mustached Irishman spent his time. According to Hutton , Mercury was working in Germany for most of 1984, but when he would return to London, he'd frequent the gay club, Heaven. On his way to the club, Mercury would have his driver take a detour by the Market Tavern, where Hutton spent his much of his free time, to see if he was there. 

Hutton wasn't a fan of Heaven - he called it "impersonal." However, on March 23, 1985, he decided to party at the popular club. When he went to the bar to get a drink, he was once again approached by Mercury. The singer offered to buy him a drink, but Hutton ended up buying Mercury one instead. 

Hutton's First Concert Experience Was At Live Aid In 1985

Jim Hutton witnessed some of the most significant events in Freddie Mercury's life, including Queen's performance at Live Aid in 1985. Hutton had never been to a concert before and, unaware of this, Mercury invited him along to Wembley in 1985. Once there, Hutton walked Mercury to the stage and gave him a kiss for luck.  

After the show , they went home like an "old married couple." But Hutton said , "I was gobsmacked. You could feel the effect his stage presence had on the crowd... afterwards Elton [John] came and said, 'Bastard, you’ve stolen it.'"

Hutton watched the Live Aid performance from backstage, which was characteristic of his preferred role in Mercury's rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Hutton stayed away from the cameras , and was often replaced by Mary Austin when the media came calling.

After Their First Night Together, Mercury Didn't Call Hutton For Three Months

Mercury and Hutton's first night together, full of drinking and dancing at Heaven in London, ended at the singer's home in Kensington. They flirted with each other all night and ended up in bed, but were both too inebriated to do anything more than cuddle. The next day, Mercury made Hutton tea and the men exchanged phone numbers. Hutton didn't hear from Mercury for three months, when the singer called to invite him to a dinner party.

Hutton bought flowers to take with him to the party but threw them away before he got there, embarrassed by his own romantic gesture. The dinner party included  several of Mercury's friends and staff members, including Peter Freestone (Mercury's assistant), Paul Prenter (Mercury's personal manager), and Joe Fanelli (Mercury's chef), who all asked probing questions to try to find out more about Hutton. Hutton was apprehensive and intentionally evasive, but his chemistry with Mercury was undeniable. Mercury explained that he hadn't called sooner because he had been in Germany working and had been on tour. 

Mercury Offered Hutton An 'Out' After He Was Diagnosed With AIDS

In late 1986 and  early 1987 , London tabloids ran stories that two of Freddie Mercury's former lovers had succumbed to AIDS. Rumors about the singer's own health swirled and it is generally accepted that Mercury received a diagnosis of either HIV or AIDS around the same time. Freddie told his live-in assistants and friends, Peter Freestone and Joe Fanelli, as well as his companion Jim Hutton.

All of the men were sworn to secrecy and, according to Hutton, Mercury told him he understood if he wanted to leave.  Hutton told him , "Don't be stupid. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for the long haul."

Hutton Also Contracted HIV And Died Of Cancer In 2010

Jim Hutton returned to Ireland in the 1990s . He surrounded himself with cats and dogs, gardened, and lived a quiet life. He spent time with his family and occasionally worked odd jobs to make ends meet. 

Jim Hutton succumbed to lung cancer in 2010. Despite assertions that his passing was due to complications from HIV, a disease that Hutton, too, had contracted, he passed away from cancer on New Years Day 2010.

Hutton wrote an account of his life with Mercury, a memoir entitled  Mercury and Me,  to share his own experiences with Mercury . 

Mercury Did His Best To Stay Faithful To Hutton

After meeting Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury cut back on his clubbing and partying in an effort to stay faithful to his lover.   It upset Hutton to see Mercury with other men and it caused tension in their relationship.

Hutton recalled , "I saw with another guy in Heaven and we had a huge row. He told me he did it to make me jealous... then one day I saw him leaving his Kensington flat with another guy and we had an argument. I told him he had to make his mind up.”

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The Best Freddie Mercury Biographies: Three Must-Reads About The King of Queen

By Joshua Kanter

Joshua Kanter

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

After Bohemian Rhapsody , 2018’s blockbuster Freddie Mercury biopic, there was a surge of renewed interest in Queen and its charismatic frontman. Younger fans began discovering the group  – digging out their parents’ dusty LPs, launching the title track to over a billion streams on Spotify, and even making viral YouTube reaction videos of their first time hearing Mercury’s magnum opus.

Older fans were reinvigorated too, revisiting the albums of their youth, reminiscing about seeing the band live (those who were lucky enough to), and seeking to learn more about Mercury with all the newly available information regarding the theatrical but notoriously private singer.

Both groups will discover something new in these Freddie Mercury biographies, which offer three completely different perspectives of Mercury’s incredible life. 

The first book is from his partner, Jim Hutton, who gives a wistful retelling of his time with Mercury right up until the end. The two had a complicated relationship – intimate and close in private, yet Mercury always kept a distance from Hutton while in the eye of the public and the relentless British tabloids, at a time when being openly gay was not yet widely accepted (homosexuality had only been decriminalized in the UK less than a decade earlier). Though their relationship was rocky at times, Hutton loved and cared for Mercury, was by his side when he died, and offers a fly-on-the-wall observation of his life and a heartbreaking account of his final days. 

Another, a collection of quotes and interviews from Mercury himself, paints a picture with verbal pieces. Freddie’s quotes, quips and insights fuel the timeline along, creating a look at his life through his own thoughts and observations.

Finally, Somebody to Love delves deep into the history of HIV/ AIDS , eventually incorporating Mercury into the disease’s trajectory, and telling the story of his final years battling the virus that eventually took his life in 1991.

All three are must-reads for any fans of Freddie looking to learn all they can about the singer’s life offstage and behind closed doors. 

1. Mercury and Me

For those more interested in a glimpse beyond the glitz, Jim Hutton’s book provides a unique perspective of Freddie Mercury in his final years.

Hutton, Mercury’s partner and close friend from 1985 to 1991, was also his caretaker and confidant (and gardener as well, for a time), and offers an accurate and intimate account of the singer’s life and death. The book is almost an epilogue of sorts to the Bohemian Rhapsody film, which ends before the majority of these years take place.  

Hutton, who died in 2010, gives insight into the Freddie that he knew –  the tumultuous ups and downs and everything in between. He wasn’t in the spotlight, and maybe even preferred it that way, but he was alongside Mercury for the ride, and gives what often times feels like a fly-on-the-wall narrative of the singer’s life that was hidden from the public eye. 

The book does touch upon the musical side of things briefly, mentioning what Mercury was working on in his last years, his devoted work ethic right up until the end, and which songs and artists were most inspirational to him. But mainly the focus here is the relationship between the two.  

PROS:  Hutton’s book offers a one-of-a-kind window into Mercury’s life that won’t be found anywhere else. Hardcore Mercury fans that want to learn as much as possible about the legend’s life will enjoy this. The paperback also includes color photos as well. 

CONS:   Readers looking specifically for Mercury’s life story, or behind-the-scenes rockstar tales about him and Queen, may want to sit this one out. The main focus is the deep, rocky and complicated relationship Hutton and Mercury shared until the end. While some users appreciate Hutton’s storytelling of the memories shared with Mercury, others find the writing style to be dull and uninteresting. There’s also controversy among readers about the book itself, and if these intensely personal and private moments of Mercury’s life really needed to be shared publicly. 

Buy Mercury and Me

2. A Life In His Own Words by Freddie Mercury

The title may be a bit misleading here – yes, it’s his own words, but this is more a collection of quotes and interviews than a true autobiography. Still, Mercury didn’t give many in-depth interviews in his life, and this book acts as a nice collection of his humor, wit, and insight into his creative process. 

While most quotes are about music and the business, there are poignant ones that break the mold regarding friendship, societal problems, personal thoughts, and heartbreaking reflections on his own mortality. 

Though it’s not in the format of a traditional autobiography, A Life in his Own Words gives the reader the most intimate one-on-one feel with Mercury, almost as if he’s speaking directly to you.   

PROS: True Queen fans will love this one. Even if they’ve already watched the interviews quoted here, having them in one collection gives a look at Mercury’s legacy from the inside out. The forward is also written by Freddie’s mother, Jer Bulsara, giving it an even more special and bittersweet tone. 

CONS:   The book doesn’t really provide a narrative or a timeline, which can be confusing to new fans. There’s also not much context into where Mercury was in his life with each quote, or the situations he’s referring to when he said these things, which makes his words less impactful to the average reader and casual Queen fan.

Buy A Life In His Own Words by Freddie…

3. Somebody to Love: The Life, Death and Legacy of Freddie Mercury

Somebody to Love , a well-researched collaboration by Mark Langthorne and Matt Richards, two entertainment industry veterans, is wholly unafraid to show Mercury from all sides. A rock legend living a lifestyle of excess, the choices he made along with their consequences, and being one of the first victims of AIDS in the early days of the epidemic. 

The narrative provides a parallel and intersecting storyline about the history of HIV/AIDS, dating all the way back to the early 1900s in Africa, and chronicling the devastation the LGBTQ community went through in the Seventies and Eighties. There’s a heavy focus on Mercury’s promiscuity here, and his sexuality in general. At times it’s relevant, such as the difficulty of coming out in an era before being gay was widely accepted, but can also get lost in the extremely uncensored details and detract from the main storylines.

The book could be a standalone epidemiological study about the history of HIV/AIDS even without Mercury. But eventually, it weaves him into the timeline, giving a detailed account of his personal life, and his battle with the disease that tragically took him at age 45 in 1991. The result is a powerfully emotional read.

PROS: Fans of Mercury who are already well-versed in the legend’s life will learn something new here, providing a new lens into his life and death.  

CONS: Mercury’s personal life and the history of the HIV/AIDS virus are the main subject matter here, and fans looking for stories about Queen may be disappointed here. While the book does give some attention to the band’s music, it’s mostly their mega-hits, without much insight into the lesser-known fan favorites. 

Buy Somebody to Love: The Life, Death and… $2.99

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Jim Hutton, Irish partner of Freddie Mercury, dead at 61

Jim hutton, the irish partner of the late pop idol freddie mercury, died on new year’s day, 2010, and was laid to rest in his hometown of carlow, ireland..

Freddie Mercury's Irish partner Jim Hutton was laid to rest in his hometown of Carlow. 

Jim Hutton, the Irish partner of the late pop idol Freddie Mercury , died on New Year’s Day, 2010, and was laid to rest in his hometown of Carlow, Ireland.

Hutton, a handsome and charismatic Irishman who also worked as a hairdresser for the Queen singer, died on January 1, 2010, after a long battle with cancer , just three days short of his 61st birthday.

Hutton lived with Queen frontman Mercury for the last six years of the pop singer’s life, and he was present at his bedside when the adored singer passed away at his Kensington home in London on November 24, 1991. 

Read more:  Five facts about Freddie Mercury’s former partner Jim Hutton

Freddie Mercury and his Irish partner Jim Hutton.

Mercury died of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS after publicly acknowledging he had the disease just a day before his death. Mercury left his partner £500,000 as well as a plot of land at Rutland Terrace, Co. Carlow where Hutton built a house.

The bulk of the rock singer's vast estate went to Mary Austin, his former girlfriend of six years. Hutton himself tested positive for AIDS in 1990 but he didn’t tell Mercury for nearly a year afterward.

In the years after Mercury’s death, Hutton moved back to Ireland and is survived by his brothers, sisters, aunts and other relatives.

Read more:   How Freddie Mercury met his long-term Irish love, Carlow man Jim Hutton

* Originally published in January 2010. 

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