@peterfreestoneoff
Peter Freestone was born in Surrey, just south of London on January 8th 1955. The first five years of his life were lived in South London, then due to commitments of his parents, he was transplanted to India for the next five. On his return he attended Isaac Newton Secondary Modern School in West London. On leaving school, not knowing where his life was directed, he started work in the catering department of Selfridges department store. After a number of years he started full time work at the Royal Ballet, in their running wardrobe. After a chance meeting with Freddie Mercury he commenced work for Queen taking care of touring costumes and then became personal assistant to the rock star for the next eleven years.
After Freddie’s demise he hid away for a couple of years before he started work at Guy’s Hospital in London after which he was involved with various projects including an opera company and a small hotel.
He relocated to the Czech Republic in 2001 where he has involved himself in opera, education and touring schools with a project to raise AIDS awareness. During this time he has been regularly travelling to Montreux in Switzerland, to take part in various Freddie orientated events.
He has recently released his autobiography which fills in all the details of this short biography.
Last week I spent a great few days being part of the International Festival of Academic Choirs, IFAS. I have been part of this bringing together choirs from all over the world since 2010. This year I had the honour of conducting the mixed choirs, including from Estonia and Poland, as well as some from around the Czech Republic at the opening concert. It's wonderful to be with so many people speaking the same language, MUSIC!
I will be back in Montreux for the evenings arranged by Freddie Tours. A number of events are organised annually where I’m able to meet fans in a much calmer atmosphere than large conventions.
I have been invited to the Queendag in Holland on the 17th February. I’ve regularly attended these events in the past as it gives me time to catch up with friends, and make new ones, in a friendly atmosphere, just like a family.
Since 2020 I have collaborated with Freddie Tours in Montreux, Switzerland. This is the town where many fans say that the spirit of Freddie can be felt! Not only have I recorded the English version for the guided tours, but I’m often present at the various special evenings that are organised by Freddie Tours. These range from a visit to a Cave in the town to try the wine Freddie loved, to a visit to a vineyard where they make this same wine, or an evening in Claude Nob’s chalet, where Freddie spent time and there is a large collection of memorabilia, including the piano that was in the Mountain studios, and so much more. The archives of the Montreux Jazz Festivals are also there. Because there are a limited number of places on each of these events, it is much easier to have more personal contact and be able to just talk to each other rather than shout over a huge crowd.
Accompanied by a guide and an audioguide, follow in the footsteps of Freddie Mercury. You will learn more about the singer's relationship with Montreux through photos, anecdotes and fascinating stories. I personally recorded the voice for the English version.
Spend an intimate and convivial evening with me in a historic wine cellar in Montreux. Enjoy a three-course meal of delicious traditional Swiss specialities and taste some local wines.
Discover the Lavaux (UNESCO) and spend the evening with me in the family estate of a winegrower. Freddie Mercury particularly appreciated the wine of this region.
Spend an unforgettable evening in my company at the mythical chalets of Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, discover rare objects.
This memoir was the result of many meetings with David Evans, who knew Freddie from the middle of the 1970s.Starting out as a series of ‘therapy’ sessions over the course of three years, eventually David said these memories would answer a lot of questions that fans were asking. A decision was made and we then put it into the form that you see here. It covers my twelve years with Freddie, firstly just looking after the band’s costumes and then as personal assistant to one of the most kind, generous, loyal friends anyone could wish to have.
This book is a follow up to Freddie Mercury. David Evans asked me if we could piece together what had happened to ‘Freddie Mercury’ in the years since his death. Hear we recount how the press dealt with Freddie and what was happening to his legacy.
Freddie Mercury’s Royal recipes actually completed an idea that Joe Fanelli, who also took care of Freddie from 1985, originally had in collaboration with Freddie. Joe was going to write out recipes he had cooked for Freddie and everything would be photographed in Garden Lodge using crockery and silverware from the house. Joe managed to put down two or three recipes, included in this book, as he was working with David Evans as well. Eventually my list was seen on my computer by a friend, a film producer and also publisher, who convinced me to let her publish it.
The most recent book is my autobiography, covering my life from before my birth until the day I acquired Czech nationality. Included are some adventures in India, my time with the ‘real’ stars, as Freddie Mercury put it, at the Royal Opera House, London and of course some different parts of my time with Freddie. I go through my time working in Guy’s Hospital and The Kintyre Hotel in Torquay, Devon. My life took a sharp turn when I up-rooted myself and moved to the Czech Republic. My life has been interesting throughout, more so than I imagined when I started writing this, and continues to be so, with the various events and projects that are still part of my life, putting into practice some of the things I’ve learnt over the last 60 years!
I tell the story of my 12 years of living alongside the king of rock, until his death and the filming of Bohemian Rhapsody, in which i was an advisor to director Bryan Singer. The Talkshow with a projection of photos from my personal archive is accompanied by the songs of the band QUEEN in a concert unplugged performance by the band DEVINNE.
The TFA Project, Titanic, Freddie, AIDS, is a unique lecture created by Czech singer, Milan Devinne. It describes a parallel between two world famous ‘giants’, Freddie Mercury – the phenominal rock legend and the Titanic – the unsinkable ocean liner. Milan invited Freddie Mercury’s former personal assistant, Peter Freestone to the project, to tell the story of how the HIV virus affected Freddie, until his death in 1991. The project has been marked ‘without censorship’. How else to make people aware of the virus that still kills today!
Since its beginnings in 2001, Montreux Celebration has continued to attract fans from all over the world to celebrate Freddie Mercury's birthday. I am involved in this project not only because I am part of the organization, but I participate every year by offering many activities.
