Heavy mettle

Freddie Mercury—the beating heart of Queen—was an awesome singer who refused to repair his overbite for fear of ruining his voice. He was also a great songwriter, producer, and performer—just check out video from the fantastic show Queen gave at Live Aid in 1985 on YouTube. In Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury (Touchstone, $26), music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones has done an outstanding job of writing about his life as an artist and a man, putting his work in the context of his passion for opera, art and fashion. It’s all there, without pointless gossip but with a useful discography.