‘I was pinching myself’: Adam Lambert looks back on Queen tour, ahead to new album

Now that Adam Lambert has completed a well-received world tour with Queen, he’s pausing to take everything in. It was, for someone who grew up admiring Freddie Mercury, the experience of a lifetime.

“I was pinching myself every step of the way,” Lambert tells Ryan Seacrest. “This is an iconic rock band, and it is an honor to be up there singing the songs that Freddie helped to write and make famous.”

Lambert had appeared off and on with Queen since 2009, when he shared the stage with the group during his stint on American Idol. But they’d never played over such a sustained period a time. In fact, this was just the second global jaunt for Queen — following shows with Paul Rodgers in the last decade — since Mercury’s passing more than 20 years ago.

“That was the thing that was intimidating about it,” Lambert adds. “I knew that this is sacred ground — and I kind of went in cautiously, because I was a little concerned by that. I had to, with the band, figure out how to do it respectfully and make sure that we were communicating that I’m also in love with the first image of this band that we all know and loved.”

Since his return, Lambert has sat in as a special guest judge during American Idol auditions in New York — completing a circle for the former finalist. He’s also signed with another label, after ending his post-Idol deal with RCA. That’s about all Lambert is willing to confirm with Seacrest about his forthcoming third album.

“I’m not going to say too much, because I like to keep things under wraps,” he says. “I’m not usually that good at that, but I’m trying something new. You know, the element of surprise in this post-Beyonce world.”

Something Else!

One Comment

  1. Keith can’t make it so let’s call Adam. American Idol still has an audience?