Adam Lambert interview: ‘There’s always going to be haters

Starstruck judge and Queen frontman Adam Lambert reveals all about life, music and time touring.Adam Lambert chatted about the ten years he’s spent working with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor.Adam said of the reaction from Queen fans when he first started singing with the band: ‘There’s always going to be haters,’ Adam told GHR ‘That’s just how it goes and it’s fine – I get being protective of your memory of the band, I totally understand. I think early on that actually lit a fire in me to prove myself and prove them wrong. I was very careful not to imitate Freddie, I always felt that would be tacky and disrespectful, and that’s not what Brian [May] and Roger [Taylor] would have wanted. But I did try to consider the spirit with which the songs were originated, so why the song was written, what it was about, and why Freddie approached singing it that way I try to stay true to the intention.’

He admits that “I don’t embarrass easily: I’m kinda shameless”.

Adam on how he thinks Freddie would have felt about his collaborating with Queen: ‘Brian and Roger have often said Freddie wouldn’t have wanted the songs to gather dust, he wanted the music to live on, so I hope in whatever afterlife that might exist he’s having a good time and getting a kick out of it. I always have in the back of my mind when I’m making certain decisions -how to approach a song or what to wear – I’m always like would Freddie get a kick out of this?’

Asked if he feels he’s a part of the band now: ‘It’s a collaboration – the songs were written and originated by the band and everyone knows their songs because of their records, so I look at it as I’m a guest. I get to go on stage and sing these incredible songs. I get to be of service to Brian and Roger so they can perform their songs live and the fans of Queen want to hear these songs played so they need a singer. I’ve tried to approach it with that kind of respect. Freddie was one of a kind, there’s no replacing him but what we try to do on stage is really celebrate him and remember him fondly with the audience.’

Recently Adam (a favourite of ours here at MarkMeets) revealed “A guy I was dating said I would never make it. I had the last laugh”.

Quick Q&A

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting to challenge the status quo by being myself, just existing openly and honestly and boldly on a public level. It hasn’t always been easy, and it came with its fair set of challenges and sacrifices, and I am proud of that.

Would you choose fame or anonymity?
If I were crazy uber famous, that would rob me too much of my freedom and my normalcy but, at the same time, a little notoriety feels good.

What would your superpower be?
I was lucky enough to get one. The talent that I have has done a lot for me, I think that is sort of a superpower.