Something that at first seemed like a setback ended up becoming a pivotal moment in the rocket-ride career of singer Adam Lambert. After all, on the same 2009 night in which he finished second on American Idol, Lambert performed for the first time with Queen.
“I met them, actually, at the Idol finale,” Lambert tells UK DayBreak. “We all sang together on stage, and something clicked. It was a nice match, it was a nice pairing, and we stayed in touch. I did a couple of other things, and hopefully there’s more to come. It’s a big honor to be up there with them, and we have a really good working relationship.”
Lambert has gone on to a series of European performances, including a stop at the VMAs, and a huge performance in Ukraine with Queen. Last September, he made his stateside premiere with the group, as part of the iHeart Radio festival at Las Vegas.
Queen, of course, was originally fronted by Freddie Mercury, before his early passing after a bout with AIDS. Roger Taylor and Brian May have since appeared with a number of other singers, including George Michael and Paul Rodgers, but none enjoyed as lengthy a stint as has Lambert.
“There’s no replacing Freddie Mercury,” Lambert says. “That’s unfathomable. He’s such an idol for me — as a vocalist and musician, and as a performer. The way he commanded the crowd? Totally awe inspiring.”
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I don’t care what anyone says about Adam Lambert and Queen. I was there when he performed in London and saw two shows. I’ve seen many big names in my life incl. Eric Clapton, Elvis, ZZTop, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, RS’s, but Adam Lambert performing his OWN music is incredible. When he fronted Queen it was a dream come true. Many die hard Queen fans were doubters before seeing Adam with Queen but within minutes were chanting his name and singing along to every song except WWTLF. The venue was silent and I could hear grown men crying. That is how good Adam is singing Queen songs. Saw him w Queen at iHeart in Sept. Once again he made Brian and Roger proud and every one in the audience.
Absolutely right, I was also there 🙂
Adam Lambert has the best voice of anyone alive today and he is the most physically beautiful human I’ve laid eyes on, But what is fantastic about being at one of his live events is that he pulls you in. You FEEL like cheering him on and you FEEL proud of him. There is some kind of energy exchange that can’t be explained. So MAGIC comes to mind.
Thanks for this great piece on Adam! One minor correction: he actually isn’t (yet) the longest-serving Queen frontman after Freddie. Paul Rodgers actually was with them as frontman for 4-1/2 years with countless arena concerts and they even recorded an album together. As a matter of fact, Rodgers left Queen the very same month that Adam performed with them on the 2009 Idol Finale. However, the way it’s going now, I think Adam is well on his way to becoming a bona fide longtime member of Queen for years to come. It’s a perfect marriage!