Freddie Mercury's muse inherits millions: Inside the $1.2b queen deal
Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991, but his legacy lives on. The music he created continues to attract new generations of fans worldwide, generating substantial profits. Some of these profits will go to Mary Austin, who captured the artist's heart.
11:48 AM EDT, June 29, 2024
Mary Austin, now 73, was the woman who won the heart of rock legend Freddie Mercury. He bequeathed part of his estate to her, despite them never marrying. According to reports by "The Sun," Mary, as the heir to the artist's estate, may now receive $228 million and find herself among the 100 richest women in the United Kingdom. This is all related to an agreement signed with Sony Music Entertainment.
Media reports indicate that the music giant paid $1.2 billion for the band's greatest hits and image rights. Sony will now own the band's biggest hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Don't Stop Me Now," and "I Want To Break Free." Despite the sale of the rights, Brian May and Roger Taylor can still perform as Queen, continuing their tour with Adam Lambert.
The agreement also covers revenues from merchandise sales, funds generated by the 2018 biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody, and any future projects and licensing agreements. The band's enduring popularity drove Sony to pay such a large amount.
I don't know if there are many rock bands that could say they are as popular among people under 30 as Queen currently is. Many of their songs have something unique that keeps bringing generations back to them — said Guy Blake, a leading music industry lawyer who worked on the catalog acquisitions, in an interview with the "Daily Mail."
The relationship between Freddie Mercury and Mary
Mary and Freddie first met in 1970 when he was a young, aspiring musician who had moved to London from his native Zanzibar six years earlier.
The couple moved in together and then got engaged in 1973. However, they never married because Freddie confessed to his fiancée that he was gay. In one of the few interviews, Mary recalled that conversation.
He said: 'I think I'm bisexual.' And I said to him: 'I think you're gay.' And we didn't say anything more. We just hugged — she revealed.
Mary and Freddie remained closest friends throughout his life. He said that even though she wasn't his wife in a formal sense, he treated her that way. Their closeness is evidenced by the fact that Mary asked the artist to be the godfather of her child and that he bequeathed half of his estate to her in his will.
