Jacket from Freddie Mercury's swan song to be sold

A jacket worn by rock legend Freddie Mercury during his last live performance is looking for Somebody to Love as it goes up for auction this week.

Bidders will be Under Pressure for the cropped leather jacket the Queen star wore during a surprise guest appearance alongside Cliff Richard at a charity gala at the Dominion Theatre, in London, in April 1988.

Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son, based in Devizes, Wiltshire, expect the jacket to fetch up to £150,000 when it is put under the hammer on Saturday.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the jacket is part of a group of items which are an "extremely important part in the history of Freddie Mercury".

Letters from charity AIDSTakeCare International and the daughter of actress Barbara Valentin, who had been given the jacket by Mercury, will be included in the sale.

The charity performance of Time The Musical saw Mercury appear on stage with Move It singer Cliff Richard in 1988, in support of the Terrence Higgins Trust.

During the show, Mercury sang It's Only Rock 'N' Roll, In My Defence, Time, and duetted with Richard on It's In Every One Of Us.

Aldridge said: "This lot has an extremely important part in the history of Freddie Mercury as it was the jacket he wore on stage for his final live singing performance in front of an audience ever.

"This would be the very last time ever and he delivered an incredible performance and reminded the world why he remains one of the greatest legends of all time.

"Although he did appear on stage later that year with Montserrat Caballe for Barcelona, that performance was lip-synced."

Mercury died three years later aged 45 from bronchial pneumonia, a complication of Aids.

The jacket is from the Jean Paul Gaultier 1987/88 Rock Stars collection.

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