A Favourite Fur Jacket Worn Regularly between 1973-1977 And For Performing Killer Queen On BBC Top Of The Pops in 1974

Freddie Mercury's fur jacket

worn regularly between 1973-1977, notably when performing 'Killer Queen' on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops in 1974

Half-length jacket of black wool crêpe with long pointed collar and deep patch pockets applied with panels of Coyote fur, the front with fur from shoulders to chest, pocket fronts and the upper half of the long sleeves, the back with fur applied to the full length and three quarters of the width, with black jersey tie belt and two black braided hook fastenings inside, lined in black cotton and labelled inside: ‘Albert Frome Tel Grosvenor 3595’; and a pair of silver satin flared trousers with two button fastening at waist, labelled inside ‘Made in England’ (with maker’s name inked over) and size ‘28’

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This jacket, a staple of Freddie’s wardrobe from 1973, made its first notable impact when he wore it as an outfit with identical silver flares to those included in this lot to perform 'Killer Queen', Queen’s breakthrough hit in the UK and USA, on the BBC's Top Of The Pops show on 11 October 1974. Footage was repeated on the Top Of The Pops’ Christmas Special, 27 December 1974. Freddie also wore this combination with two other lots included in this auction, a silver choker (lot 111), and a pair of similar white clogs lot 139).

After ‘Top Of The Pops’ its next most significant appearance was at the soundcheck for Queen’s famous Christmas Eve concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, 1975. The last notable sighting of this fur jacket occurred in 1977 when he was photographed wearing it at an afternoon sound check at the Civic Centre, Ottawa on 25 January 1977.

Freddie was photographed in this jacket throughout the mid-1970s on numerous occasions: during rehearsals before recording sessions in July 1975; backstage at Bristol in November 1975; arriving at airports including Tokyo on 20 March 1976; and on various car and coach journeys and events during this period. Peter Freestone recalls that Freddie was wearing this jacket the first time he set eyes on him at the Rainbow Room restaurant at the top of the Biba store on Kensington High Street in London, where he was taking tea with his then girlfriend Mary Austin – and how his appearance turned all heads. This fur jacket clearly occupied a special place in Freddie’s heart and he probably wore it for a longer period of time than any other garment in this collection.

LITERATURE

Freddie Mercury The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures, 2012, illus. p.65

Phil Sutcliffe with Peter Hince, Mick Rock, Reinhold Mack and Billy Squier, Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of The Crown Kings of Rock, 2009, illus.p.104

Peter Freestone with David Evans, Freddie Mercury, 2009, p.15

SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.