Elton John will write a personal account of his life during the AIDS epidemic*, including his friendship with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991 aged 45.

    The “Rocket Man” musician founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation around 20 years ago to raise funds to help fight the disease, and proceeds from “LOVE IS THE CURE: Ending the Global AIDS Epidemic” will go to the charity.

    In a statement released on Monday, publishers Hodder & Stoughton promised a “very personal story of ... Elton’s life during the AIDS epidemic, including his agony* at seeing friend after friend perish* needlessly.”

    Among the individuals it describes are Mercury and Ryan White, an American boy who became a “poster child” for HIV/AIDS after he was banned by a school because of his condition.

    According to reports at the time, John was with White when he died in a U.S. hospital in 1990 aged 18.

    “This is a disease that must be cured not by a miraculous vaccine*, but by changing hearts and minds, and through a collective effort to break down social barriers and to build bridges of compassion,” John said.

    It is due to be published in July 2012.(SD-Agencies)