Queen’s new singer reveals why he’s ready to step into Mercury’s shoes

London - Former American Idol finalist Adam Lambert grew up listening to his parents’ Queen albums and once even auditioned for the musical ‘We Will Rock You’.

So when Brian May and Roger Taylor were looking for someone to step into Freddie Mercury’s boots for a series of summer concerts, they made an inspired choice in selecting Lambert.

The U.S. superstar is seen as a new Robbie Williams, but his flamboyant style and spectacular vocal range also make him perfect for Queen and he’ll be doing the fandango with them in London next month.

The 30-year-old singer has already sung with the rock legends: on American Idol and during last year’s MTV EMA Awards in Belfast.

“You can’t replace Freddie. But playing with Queen is the best thing that could happen to me, and my intention is to pay tribute to Freddie,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“We want to keep the music alive and give it an energy that would have made him proud,” he said.

Apart from the three nights at the Hammersmith Apollo, Lambert will appear with Queen in Russia and Poland — and there is a possibility of more dates.

According to guitarist May, he has been chosen for his ‘extraordinary’ voice, while drummer Taylor predicts ‘fireworks’ once the shows start.

Lambert, however, takes a more down-to-earth view, insisting that he is joining the band to learn from rock royalty.

“When I auditioned for We Will Rock You in the States, I prepared songs like I Want To Break Free. I did my homework,” he said.

“Now I’m looking forward to spending time with Brian and Roger. I want to make myself familiar with their more obscure songs and hear some stories from the guys themselves. I’ll get my own personal Queen documentary,” he said.

Lambert, who is gay, said that he could relate to the problems Mercury faced over his sexuality during Queen’s heyday.

Lambert publicly spoke about being gay during the rounds of American Idol in 2009, and there were suspicions it cost him public votes (he lost narrowly in the final to Kris Allen).

He admits it was ‘possible’ his sexuality had an impact on the result, but insists that the pressure on Mercury was far greater.

“It wasn’t easy for him to come out in the Seventies. But the big irony is that it was easier for him to be flamboyant when he was performing,” he said.

“Today it is the opposite. I’m one of the few openly gay pop artists in the States, but people find it harder to accept anything flamboyant on stage. Pop is very macho now, and the mainstream shies away from anything too camp,” he said.

Lambert also has the welcome problem of balancing his Queen commitments with a burgeoning solo career. He’ll shortly release his second album, Trespassing, and a new single, Never Close Our Eyes, in the UK.

As for any further dates with Queen, Lambert is remaining tight-lipped.

“Working with them is going to be a great honour,” he said.

“But I’m also very keen for people to hear my own music, so who knows what the future will hold?” he added.