‘He has this tremendous charisma’: Queen’s Roger Taylor showers praise on Adam Lambert

Queen’s Roger Taylor and Brian May just completed a triumphal U.S. debut with Adam Lambert, bringing a stage show to Las Vegas which had already made a huge impression in Europe. Taylor has high praise for the ex-Idol finalist.

“Brian and I love him to bits,” Taylor says in this recently posted clip. “He’s fantastic on stage. He has this tremendous charisma, and he’s got a range like I’ve never heard. It’s extraordinary, actually.”

Queen appeared as part of an iHeart radio event, following a series of concert appearances last summer. Lambert first performed with Queen in 2009, as part of the American Idol finale. They also made a splash at the 2011 VMAs.

That makes Lambert the longest-tenured frontman Queen has worked with since Paul Rodgers, who served in that role for four years beginning in 2005. They’re both filling in for the late Freddie Mercury; Queen’s original singer died in 1991.

“Paul was great, actually,” Taylor says. “I love his voice. He’s a very long way from Freddie, you know. It’s a different end of the spectrum. But he was one of Fred’s favorite singers — ever.”

Up next, Taylor is set to release a new solo album. Fun on Earth, his first since 1998’s Electric Fire, is due in October 2013.

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2 Comments

  1. Yes, I agree with Roger. Adam has an incredible “one of a kind” voice, charismatic stage presence, and coupled with Queen’s iconic music made for one f***ing performance at IHeart.

  2. Tess McGinnis says:

    Thanks, Roger, for appreciating Adam so much. Adam must also love you and Brian both, as it shows so much in his performances with you. Even though he’s a grown man, he is childlike in his interaction with you. Among my favorite of Queen’s songs is “Under Pressure”, where you two dueted and got it so immensely perfect, especially the third day in London, I watched it over and over till I memorized every moment of the song. I had hoped you two could have sung it in place of “STL” with fun, but then that’s why we clamor for Queen’s equal treatment here in the US as for across the pond. Would three concerts or six concerts for this continent be too much to ask for? Well, okay,
    one, maybe at the Madison Square Garden, or in Seattle. Just dreaming, and might as well dream big. You don’t know what a treasure Queen and Adam are to every day people like me who can’t go too far to witness the best show on earth. Thank you ever so much, Queen for giving Adam and hopefully us some more of your time. You will not regret it. You will be rejuvenated.