True Stories Behind Popular Queen Songs

If you've seen the "Bohemian Rhapsody" movie, you probably know that Freddie Mercury had a life-long relationship with a woman called Mary Austin. According to Vintage News, they started out as lovers in the early 1970s, though their story began a little differently than the movie describes. Austin actually briefly dated Brian May first, and she met Mercury after she and May (amicably) broke up.

The singer's feelings toward Austin were quite genuine, as they lived together for seven years and he reportedly said she was the only person he truly loved. However, Queen's popularity grew, and Austin felt uncomfortable in Mercury's new celebrity circles. Thinking that Mercury would eventually lose interest in her, she tried to break up with the singer. Mercury also saw the writing on the wall but refused to let go, tried to keep them together through music, and wrote several songs about Austin. 

"Love of My Life" was the most famous of those songs, but ultimately, it wasn't enough. Mercury soon came clean with numerous infidelities with men, and the surprised Austin finally left him. However, they remained extremely close for the rest of Mercury's life, and Austin became something of a muse to him. Their relationship was so strong that Austin dropped everything to devote herself to the dying Mercury's care ... and Mercury left her the lion's share of his fortune.