FREDDIE MERCURY'S FRIEND; PETER STRAKER From 'Hair' to Iconic Friendship with QUEEN FRONTMAN

Peter Straker tells the extraordinary story of his journey from the original London production of Hair to a remarkable career spanning theatre, film, cabaret and recorded music—and his enduring friendship with Freddie Mercury.

Born in Jamaica and raised in Britain, Peter grew up surrounded by classical music and opera. After deciding that he wanted to perform, he began singing in working men’s clubs before winning a role in the revolutionary original London production of Hair.

Peter explains why Hair was so important, how it challenged theatrical convention and censorship, and what life was really like for its young, diverse cast in late-1960s London.
He also discusses his pioneering screen and stage roles, including Girl Stroke Boy, The Rocky Horror Show and Tommy, as well as his recording career and his contribution to the Alan Parsons Project album I Robot.

At the heart of the interview is Peter’s friendship with Freddie Mercury. Peter remembers their first meeting in a London restaurant, playing tennis together, their shared passion for theatre, ballet and opera—and the complaint they received about their extremely short tennis shorts.
Peter reveals how he simply asked Freddie to produce an album for him. Freddie agreed and enlisted Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker to help create Peter’s 1977 album This One’s on Me. Freddie encouraged Peter to write songs, attended his theatrical performances and remained closely involved in his musical development.

Peter also reflects on what Freddie may have learned from him, the devastating losses of the AIDS era, his friendship with Donna Summer and the importance of continuing to perform and reinterpret songs throughout his life.

This is an intimate, funny and moving conversation with an artist whose life connects some of the most important moments in British theatre, rock and popular culture.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Preview
01:12 Introduction
01:38 Moving from Jamaica to Britain
02:33 Growing up in a musical family
03:23 His mother’s values and a strict upbringing
04:40 Where Peter’s drive came from
05:48 Deciding to become an actor
07:08 Singing in working men’s clubs
08:00 Auditioning for Hair
10:35 Why Hair was revolutionary
12:00 Changing censorship and changing society
15:00 Life inside the original Hair company
16:50 Choosing pioneering theatrical roles
17:29 Playing the Acid Queen in Tommy
18:59 Becoming a recording artist
19:58 The BBC playlist system
21:28 Working with the Alan Parsons Project
22:45 Meeting Freddie Mercury
24:22 What Freddie was like in private
25:04 Playing tennis together
25:20 The extremely short shorts complaint
26:14 Asking Freddie to produce an album
26:58 Roy Thomas Baker joins the project
27:22 Recording This One’s on Me
27:35 Freddie’s songwriting advice
28:35 Creating an album outside musical fashion
30:08 What Freddie Mercury learned from Peter
30:36 Their shared love of theatre
31:51 Freddie supporting Peter’s stage career
32:36 Freddie’s love of opera
33:00 Seeing Queen during “Bohemian Rhapsody”
34:40 Gay life and friendship in the 1970s
35:00 Living through the AIDS crisis
36:10 Losing friends and confronting grief
39:19 Peter’s friendship with Donna Summer
41:40 Friendship, fame and staying connected
43:00 Interpreting songs with age and experience
45:00 Reworking Peter’s own music
47:00 Final thoughts

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