It is after this show, after this giving of his entire being, that he must retreat into himself and become the private, withdrawn, secretive person that he was off stage.

Some people draw from others; taking in their energy and making those others feel drained and listless when around them. Freddie was the reverse, he gave. You could imagine flows of Freddie's passion and music, his soul, emanating from him and encompassing his audience. After a concert, drained and yet ecstatic, he would need to withdraw from public contact, need to enmesh himself in his privacy to once more recharge for the next time.

An understanding of this ballet of opposites is essential to understand the genius of Freddie Mercury. As stated, it is too easy to dismiss him by concentrating on the character Freddie rather then the person Freddie. Is it his stage persona which is the real Freddie, or is it the private off-stage persona? In the case of many singers or actors it is the private persona and the character is merely played, it is a mask that is put on to enable a function to be performed. In the case of Freddie it is both facets which are the real Freddie Mercury and without an understanding and

perhaps more importantly, and acceptance, of this then a true understanding of who he is and what he has done is impossible.

Freddie was the consummate showman. He knew what to do and how to do it almost by instinct. He knew what music would work and what wouldn't, he was a lyricist, a composer, a pianist, a vocalist a guitarist and, yes, a showman. From reports from himself and others he was a diva on occasions, and thought he knew better on many occasions. History records that, on the whole, he did.

Most of what we know of Freddie comes from his shows, his rare interviews, and interviews of others. His interviews show his discomfort talking about his music, and his downright refusal to speak of his private life. He knew, which many did not - and still do not - that there must be a break between his professional and private lives. If that did not occur then the pressure of his genius would destroy him. This is true of most people with the gift - or curse - of genius. Of course, Freddie, unlike many 'stars' could not see the relevance that his personal