Following his surprising loss to Kris Allen on last week's American Idol finale, rumors are flying fast and furious that Adam Lambert has been offered a job as the new frontman for veteran British rock band Queen.
The Idol runner-up performed with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor during the show's star-studded season finale (he also performed with fellow glam-rock vets Kiss), and many view his flamboyant glam-rock persona as being a natural successor to seventies glam-rock stars like Queen's original vocalist Freddie Mercury.
Queen have been largely inactive since Mercury's death from AIDS, and recently ended a four-year partnership with former Bad Company and Free vocalist Paul Rodgers. While Rodgers is a great vocalist in his own right, many never saw his bluesy, and frankly more masculine style as being a proper fit for Queen's operatic style of glam-rock. Lambert (who some fans refer to as "Glambert") would seem a more logical choice to fill the shoes (not to mention the black eyeliner) of the more overtly theatrical style of original Queen vocalist Mercury.
While neither camp has confirmed or denied the rumors, Queen's Brian May certainly seems open to the idea of a working relationship with Lambert.
“Amongst all that furor, there wasn’t really a quiet moment to talk,” May recently told Rolling Stone. “But [drummer Roger Taylor] and I are definitely hoping to have a meaningful conversation with him at some point. It’s not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn’t that easy. But I’d certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there.”
Adam Lambert has yet to make a public comment on the Queen rumors.
Queen were one of the most successful rock bands in the world during their original run in the seventies and eighties, scoring such huge hits as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Are The Champions," and "We Will Rock You" — the latter two of which have become staples in sports stadiums to this day. Adam Lambert was widely perceived as the odds-on favorite to win this year's American Idol competition before his surprising loss to Kris Allen in the season finale.
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Article comments
1 - Kaleo
Given that half of Queen has tried to make more money by allowing Queen songs to be used in dumb commercials and have continued to tour (I like Paul Rogers but the Queen + band doesn't work), I would not be surprised if they stoop to recruiting Adam Lam(e)bert.
Adam is a mediocre singer with the ability to shriek like an Axl Rose wannabe. There are many heavy metal singers who can do what he does better.
Adam, Justine J and Clay A (the other gay finalists), made it to the end based on some mysterious appeal to prepubescent girls. As with the other two, he lost in the end. None of the 3 deserved to even be in the final 12.
Shame on Queen/2 if they choose him as their frontman. It would be the greatest insult to Freddie Mercury.
2 - JP
I must say, I hope not! Though I'm a huge fan of Brian May and of Queen, I haven't paid much attention to Queen since "Made in Heaven" in 1995. I'd be more interested in the "We Will Rock You" West End show than the guys with Paul Rodgers or with Adam Lambert.
Hang it up, guys!
3 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I have to agree with Kaleo but not to the extent that Adam Lambert is mediocre. There are quite a bit of Metal Vocalists that have a high range while keeping their masculinity intact. While, Adam can hit the high notes, he does it in a way that I think won't hold up in a touring environment - He screams and he does it too much like a woman with soul. Now, Freddie Mercury... He had that low to high range with control(just like late 60's Elvis). He was singing in a similar octave - He wasn't screaming. As much as I would like to see Queen emerge,once again, in all of it's glory, I just don't think that Adam Lambert is right for the job. I don't want to see them make the same mistake Journey did with Arnel Pineda. What I mean is, I don't want some glorified cover band.
4 - zingzing
if you're looking for talent on american idol, you've made a bad mistake somewhere.
5 - Glen Boyd
I'm not normally a fan of Idol at all, but this year Lambert gave me a reason to watch (other than the always hilarious really bad singers you get at the beginning).
As for his chances with Queen, he looks the part, he is certainly over the top enough, and his range -- while not quite in the same league as Mercury -- is likewise suited to them. At least more so than Paul Rodgers was.
It'll be interesting to see if and how this plays out, but I think Lambert's future looks pretty bright either way.
-Glen
6 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
I can agree that Mr. Lambert has a very bright future ahead,though, with Queen I think they would end up in a similar situation to Journey & INXS. These "vocalists" don't have the ability to help create the level of songwriting that once put these bands in the spotlight. Being able to cover a band's material, no matter how perfect, isn't the same as having that driving essence to produce quality material.