| musicland munich 01.08.2014 18:51 |
David Wigg: "He had known since 1984 that he was HIV-positive, but he had told no-one else"...source Daily Mail article by David Wigg himself. 1) This thread isn't about the reliability of HIV dignoses in the early 80's 2) This thread isn't about his private life and health issues. Well, "if" David is right...were there any affects on Mercurys/Queen decisions around 84 -86 ? Maybe in lyrics or the length of touring especially on the Magic Tour( Prenter wasn't hired- lowered personal risk) ? |
| The Real Wizard 02.08.2014 02:18 |
Interesting. When was the article published? |
| musicland munich 02.08.2014 03:16 |
link ^ 2012 maybe it was just published on their website but Ià m not sure. You will find the particular quote at the end of the article. |
| The Real Wizard 02.08.2014 14:13 |
Cool, thanks. I doubt it would've affected Queen's touring decisions from 84-86, as he didn't tell the other members of the band until much later. But again - who knows. We weren't there. What happens in the band stays in the band.. |
| MadTheSwine73 02.08.2014 15:36 |
Interesting, thanks for the link. |
| jenss8585 03.08.2014 11:35 |
I find it hard to believe he would have confided in a reporter. |
| luthorn 03.08.2014 11:37 |
David Wigg is a different breed of a reporter. Who knows what Freddie told him off the record. |
| Mr.QueenFan 03.08.2014 12:41 |
Thanks for the link. Great story by Montserrat Caballe about her relation with Freddie. |
| Costa86 03.08.2014 13:21 |
I think it makes a lot of sense that he knew since probably late 1984 - all the info we have tallies with that. Barbara Valentin had made it clear that by 1985 he started showing symptoms, so I believe he probably had a very strong indication he was infected in 1984. |
| Stelios 03.08.2014 13:39 |
If they both knew by 1984, then its a little akward that candid '85 interview moment when Fred is pointing at God saying " he is looking after me". |
| Costa86 04.08.2014 04:54 |
musicland munich wrote: David Wigg: "He had known since 1984 that he was HIV-positive, but he had told no-one else"...source Daily Mail article by David Wigg himself. 1) This thread isn't about the reliability of HIV dignoses in the early 80's 2) This thread isn't about his private life and health issues. Well, "if" David is right...were there any affects on Mercurys/Queen decisions around 84 -86 ? Maybe in lyrics or the length of touring especially on the Magic Tour( Prenter wasn't hired- lowered personal risk) ?To answer your questions, I think the biggest of effect Freddie knowing he may have HIV, was on his own personal demeanour. This said, incredibly, even after "knowing" he had HIV in 1984, he still continued to party like mad until probably around 1986. They say his 1985 birthday party was his last "hurrah", but I'm not so sure (his 1987 Ibiza one was though). Freddie says in a few interviews how his mentality sort of changed, and he no longer felt he had to live up to the Freddie mercury image - I think this may have been influenced by his knowledge that he had HIV. Re song lyrics, songs like WWTLF were not written by Freddie, so I don't think many songs on the AKOM album were influenced by his condition. Re the length of touring, we know he knew it would be his last tour, so I think he wanted it to be their biggest and greatest ever. It certainly didn't make the tour shorter. We can't be quite sure what Freddie knew or didn't know in 1984 - this may seem like an obvious statement, but what I mean is that this was a time of substantial confusion when it came to AIDS. There was no HIV test in existence till 1985, so he must have been diagnosed through his symptoms and the fact he was in a high risk group. But I doubt he had any defining symptoms in 1984 - he didn't get AIDS till 1986. So when Wigg says Freddie "knew", I think knowing here is a relative term. I think he wasn't 100% sure. He certainly seemed to want to run away from the problem. If he knew so certainly in 1984, this leads to the opening of the can of worms labelled "why did he keep on having reckless sex, infecting others on the way?". And we don't want to open that can. I know my last paragraph deviated from your question - my apologies. |
| ipeniemela 04.08.2014 06:42 |
Every official source says he found out in spring of 1987. I think up until then he didn't know for sure, but suspected it. |
| jenss8585 04.08.2014 09:21 |
and that he would meet, live with a infect a new partner in 1985? I agree he probably knew, but didn't want to know. But as been stated, there was no test in 1984. |
| akan 04.08.2014 09:23 |
Costa86 wrote:I agree with you. I add another point of view too: if you watch the post-1986 videos you see Freddie was looking the camera in a very different way respect to all the pre1986 videos. He looks more sad from 1987 on, I think it is very clear on the Great Pretender video too.musicland munich wrote: David Wigg: "He had known since 1984 that he was HIV-positive, but he had told no-one else"...source Daily Mail article by David Wigg himself. 1) This thread isn't about the reliability of HIV dignoses in the early 80's 2) This thread isn't about his private life and health issues. Well, "if" David is right...were there any affects on Mercurys/Queen decisions around 84 -86 ? Maybe in lyrics or the length of touring especially on the Magic Tour( Prenter wasn't hired- lowered personal risk) ?To answer your questions, I think the biggest of effect Freddie knowing he may have HIV, was on his own personal demeanour. This said, incredibly, even after "knowing" he had HIV in 1984, he still continued to party like mad until probably around 1986. They say his 1985 birthday party was his last "hurrah", but I'm not so sure (his 1987 Ibiza one was though). Freddie says in a few interviews how his mentality sort of changed, and he no longer felt he had to live up to the Freddie mercury image - I think this may have been influenced by his knowledge that he had HIV. Re song lyrics, songs like WWTLF were not written by Freddie, so I don't think many songs on the AKOM album were influenced by his condition. Re the length of touring, we know he knew it would be his last tour, so I think he wanted it to be their biggest and greatest ever. It certainly didn't make the tour shorter. We can't be quite sure what Freddie knew or didn't know in 1984 - this may seem like an obvious statement, but what I mean is that this was a time of substantial confusion when it came to AIDS. There was no HIV test in existence till 1985, so he must have been diagnosed through his symptoms and the fact he was in a high risk group. But I doubt he had any defining symptoms in 1984 - he didn't get AIDS till 1986. So when Wigg says Freddie "knew", I think knowing here is a relative term. I think he wasn't 100% sure. He certainly seemed to want to run away from the problem. If he knew so certainly in 1984, this leads to the opening of the can of worms labelled "why did he keep on having reckless sex, infecting others on the way?". And we don't want to open that can. I know my last paragraph deviated from your question - my apologies. |
| musicland munich 04.08.2014 10:34 |
ipeniemela wrote: Every official source says he found out in spring of 1987. I think up until then he didn't know for sure, but suspected it.What is an "official source" in this case ? I think all we have are statements from different people...that's why I choose the words "if" David is right.... |
| GERRYISADICK 04.08.2014 10:40 |
Costa86 has a point if he did know he was HIV positive in 1984 why did he have that huge 39th birthday party in Munich. Interesting idea it may be true considering Wigg knew Freddie as well as he did. |
| The Real Wizard 04.08.2014 12:40 |
Costa - excellent post. There are plenty of signs to suggest that he knew it on the Magic tour. Even Mary Austin has said Freddie walked off at Knebworth and they shared a glance, knowing full well it would be the last time. |
| Supersonic_Man89 04.08.2014 14:35 |
I don't think he knew, maybe in 85 he realised a few of his former lovers were diagnoses and worried about it. He possibly suspected it, but probably tried to put it the back of his mind. By 1986, i don't think those 'be together until we fucking well die' comments are coincidental, i think he's presuming he has got it but wants to go out with a bang. And by the end of the year, he's possibly in denial and not wanting to confront the issue. |
| Mrmarioanonym 08.08.2014 14:09 |
as for him knowing in 1986 also telling is his comment during one interview done in Budapest something like: "if i'm still alive i'll come back" |
| GERRYISADICK 08.08.2014 14:11 |
^^^^ He may have been joking for all we know |
| Day dop 09.08.2014 00:07 |
I don't buy it. I'm fairly sure he wouldn't have knowingly passed it on to Jim Hutton. |
| mariah carey 15.05.2019 15:26 |
the first HIV test was only possible in 1985. What a load of bs |
| mariah carey 15.05.2019 15:52 |
Only in 1986 the virus that causes AIDS was named HIV. So Freddie couldn't have known that he had it back then. I hate when people talk **** like that |