The argument is still raging, with some Queen fans struggling to accept Lambert in Freddie Mercury’s place. The singer even confronted the audience at one concert and agreed he could never be Freddie, nor was he trying to be. As with the endless wrangling over the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, ultimately only two people really have the right to decide – Roger Taylor and Brian May. John Deacon, of course, is still alive but no longer involved at all with the band. May had this extraordinary thing to say about his new frontman as they prepare to embark on a huge North American stadium tour.
In a major interview with guitar world, May reinforced the existing views of just how talented Lambert is before he delivered the killer line.
May said: “Adam can do all the stuff that Freddie did and more. It doesn’t matter what you throw at Adam — he can do it…” Yes, he really did say Lambert can do everything Freddie did and MORE.
He added: “He’s a born exhibitionist. He’s not Freddie, and he’s not pretending to be him, but he has a parallel set of equipment. He knows how to deal with an audience. He teases and taunts an audience quite naturally, without thinking about it. He loves to dress up.”
All of this, frankly, is already quite evident but May also added a very personal piece of praise.
May continued: “Adam lives and breathes that stuff. Adam is style, and that’s not to say he’s not content as well.
“He’s a born rock star and frontman, so it’s a very vibrant relationship we have with him.
“We treat Adam exactly the same as we treated Freddie in almost every way.”
Lambert isn’t just a hugely talented frontman, filling in for Freddie, he has become something much more.
In numerous recent interviews, May and Taylor have often talked about the band as a family. How their fractious fights and butting heads helped create musical magic and bring out the best in each other.
The fact that Lambert is now included in that sentiment, is the highest possible accolade he could be given. He isn’t just helping keep the Queen back catalogue alive, he is an integral part of moving it forward, a creative force in his own right.
He has become part of the family.
