Freddie Mercury’s stage-worn Superman vest, 1979-1980

Freddie Mercury’s stage-worn Superman vest, 1979-1980 

A white cotton ribbed vest with the Superman logo hand-stencilled in red, yellow and black ink, labelled ‘Hanes’ (partially removed); Freddie wore this or an identical vest on stage usually with either red vinyl trousers (see lots 207 and 212), or white jeans and the ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ black leather jacket (see lot 203)

Superman seems to have been a favourite theme of Freddie’s: there is a photograph of him wearing a darker Superman logo vest or t-shirt in a photo session with Queen by Johnny Dewe Matthews, Primrose Hill, 4 September 1974, and also two ‘glitter’ Superman t-shirts, possibly 1970s, included in the auction (see lots 2140 and 2141).

LITERATURE

Freddie Mercury, The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures, Mercury Songs Limited, 2020, p. 81 (illus.) – Freddie wearing a Superman vest preparing to go on-stage during the South American Tour, 1981.

Queen, The Complete Illustrated Lyrics, foreword by Roger Taylor & Brian May, Backbeat Books, 2012, p. 55 (illus.) – photo from 1974.

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song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

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