Freddie Mercury notebook to be auctioned

Queen
Queen in 1989 (Image credit: Getty)

A notebook once owned by the late Freddie Mercury will head to auction this summer.

It was in Mercury’s possession for the last three years of his life and contains lyrics to 19 Queen tracks which featured on 1989’s The Miracle and 1991’s Innuendo, including Too Much Love Will Kill You and The Show Must Go On.

Mercury died on November 24, 1991, from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

The notebook will be auctioned by Bonhams on June 29 and has an estimated price of £50,000 - £70,000.

Consultant specialist in entertainment memorabilia at Bonhams Stephen Maycock tells the Guardian: “We see and sell lyrics from all sorts of different artists but they tend to be one piece of paper for one song.

“To have a notebook which contains tracks recorded over a three-year period is really exceptional. I can’t think of another one.”

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Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald newspapers, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.