Jer Bulsara, Freddie Mercury’s Mother, Dies
The mother of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, Jer Bulsara, has died. She was 94.
Queen guitarist Brian May broke the news on his website yesterday, saying that it happened this past Sunday (Nov. 13) and that the family had requested privacy regarding the funeral. May wrote about his 50-year association with Bulsara, beginning with his days in Feltham, England. “Jer was a busy Mum, full of life and optimism,” he wrote. “And even then, fiercely proud of her children, Freddie and Kashmira. … Jer was always a keen follower of our progress as a band, and always came to see us when we played nearby, always with huge enthusiasm.”
Adding that Freddie “took a mischievous pleasure in trying to shock her,” May recounted a story of when she attended one of their concerts. “Mother’s in the audience tonight,” he recalled Mercury saying prior to the show. “Better throw in a few extra ‘f—s!” May noted that, after Mercury’s death in 1991, he and the other members of the group always consulted her whenever embarking on a new Queen project, and that they often visited her for tea. "We were always able to speak about ‘My Freddie' without shyness, feeling that he was not far away," he wrote. May concluded with an expression of support for Mercury’s sister, Kashmira.
May has been dealing with his own health issues. Last month, he canceled all of his remaining public appearances for 2016 in order to deal with an unnamed but “persistent illness which is destroying my energy and my will.”
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