# Adam Lambert fronting Queen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630 "2009-05-26T00:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/1 "2009-05-26T00:33:16Z")
[Story here.](http://tv.yahoo.com/contributor/2461071/news/urn:newsml:tv.tvguide.com:20090525:1006316__ER:1) What’s your thought? My thought is it’s probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since the surviving members of the Doors decided to reunite a few years ago–with the frontguy of the Cult as Morrison’s replacement. Brian, Roger, and Dean, as much as you might hate to admit it, Queen died when Freddie died. Reuniting under the Queen name with Paul Rodgers was kinda pathetic, but at least he’s around your age. If they go through with it’ll be “cheesy teen idol with three old guys”. Why not just form a new band with a different name if you’re so desperate to stay in the spotlight? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/2 "2009-05-26T00:34:55Z")
This just in: Freddie Mercury rises from grave and declares Lambert “Too gay” to front Queen. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/3 "2009-05-26T01:18:46Z")
Isn’t it true that the _American Idol_ producers have right-of-first-refusal to the top 6 finishers for music contracts. If so, do you think they’ll let Adam go to Queen. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/4 "2009-05-26T01:42:38Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > [Story here.](http://tv.yahoo.com/contributor/2461071/news/urn:newsml:tv.tvguide.com:20090525:1006316__ER:1) > What’s your thought? My thought is it’s probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since the surviving members of the Doors decided to reunite a few years ago–with the frontguy of the Cult as Morrison’s replacement. Brian, Roger, and Dean, as much as you might hate to admit it, Queen died when Freddie died. Reuniting under the Queen name with Paul Rodgers was kinda pathetic, but at least he’s around your age. If they go through with it’ll be “cheesy teen idol with three old guys”. Why not just form a new band with a different name if you’re so desperate to stay in the spotlight? Who is Dean? It is actually only two old guys, since John Deacon is retired.Although Queen+PR did use Danny Miranda(from Blue Oyster Cult) as the Bassist who is in his mid 40s. I have only heard a few songs sung by Adam,I liked him. My thoughts are.. if Queen wants to continue performing(Which I think and hope they do),Roger should sing,he isn’t as good as Freddie was,but he is pretty damn good. If Roger doesn’t, I wouldn’t mind seeing George Michael or Gary Cherone taking up vocals. The Queen+PR years were not pathetic,I enjoyed it.The albums they released did pretty good and they played a concert to over 350,000. LONG LIVE QUEEN! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/5 "2009-05-26T02:03:14Z")
I got a chuckle over this Wiki article. [Humpy Bong - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpy_Bong) ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/6 "2009-05-26T06:15:29Z")
Now _that_’s a band for Adam to front. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/7 "2009-05-26T10:43:11Z")
Queen died with Mercury, I agree. However, I can understand the remaining band member’s desire to continue on. It’s undoubedly very difficult to go from being in a very famous, very successful band with a hefty paycheck to poor obscurity. At least in Queen’s case, the dismantlement was not a by-product of competing egoes, so it’s easier (at least for me) to accept someone else stepping in. Many bands have tried to carry on with an essential member of the band MIA and none have succeeded. It’s especially hard to carry on without the lead singer. At the end of the day, the new band ends up being a cover band (albeit a really good cover band) for the old band and can, at best, fill venues that are a fraction of the size they used to play in. On the one hand, it does seem rather pathetic to go from playing Wembley Stadium to playing the Kansas State Fair. On the other hand, the surviving bandmates are still making a living doing what they (I presume) love to do. We should all be so lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/8 "2009-05-26T13:30:00Z")
It’ll be as successful as INXS reforming with (who was it again?) some guy who won a TV singing competition. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/9 "2009-05-26T13:37:40Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Queen died with Mercury, I agree. However, I can understand the remaining band member’s desire to continue on. It’s undoubedly very difficult to go from being in a very famous, very successful band with a hefty paycheck to poor obscurity. I can’t imagine the members of Queen are really hurting for money, are they? Their songs are licensed for all kinds of stuff, they still get radio airplay, and they recently had their catalog turned into a stage musical. ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/10 "2009-05-26T13:47:40Z")
AC/DC did alright with a replacement singer. That’s about the only case I can think of though. And the Sex Pistols of course, they did great without Sid and Johnny. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/11 "2009-05-26T14:07:44Z")
I’d say Van Halen was successful with a replacement singer after David Lee Roth left. Styx has had some success after replacing Dennis DeYoung with Lawrence Gowan. Lynyrd Skynyrd is still selling out stadiums with Ronnie Van Zandt’s brother filling in for him. Genesis did alright after replacing Peter Gabrial with Phil Collins. Black Sabbath did fine after replacing Ozzy Osborne with Ronnie James Dio. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/12 "2009-05-26T14:18:29Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I can’t imagine the members of Queen are really hurting for money, are they? Oh, I’d imagine they aren’t. There was an article in Rolling Stone about the band a few months ago (right before the Queen + Paul Rodgers CD came out), and, IIRC, they recorded the album at drummer Roger Taylor’s manor house in rural England. And, Brian May does have a little side project these days, as a [university chancellor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_John_Moores_University) (he got his Ph.D in Astrophysics a few eyars ago). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/13 "2009-05-26T15:22:33Z")
I don’t see the problem. Personally, I thought Paul Rodgers was an _awful fit_. > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’d say Van Halen was successful with a replacement singer after David Lee Roth left. > > Styx has had some success after replacing Dennis DeYoung with Lawrence Gowan. > > Lynyrd Skynyrd is still selling out stadiums with Ronnie Van Zandt’s brother filling in for him. > > Genesis did alright after replacing Peter Gabrial with Phil Collins. > > Black Sabbath did fine after replacing Ozzy Osborne with Ronnie James Dio. You may as well throw AC/DC into that list too… but the other members of Van Halen, Sabbath and Genesis were not well into their fifties (sixties?) when they replaced their frontmen. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/14 "2009-05-26T15:23:07Z")
> [@mrpayday](#): > > AC/DC did alright with a replacement singer. That’s about the only case I can think of though. Pink Floyd. Anyway, a lot of these examples are of bands that were still quite popular when they made the switch. Queen is just looking for someone to replace one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time so they can go on tour and collect a paycheck. Upon review, what **RNATB** said. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/15 "2009-05-26T15:27:52Z")
The difference here from all the other situations cited is that Lambert would be joining the band with \*significant \*hype, popularity, and a built in audience. Some of the other replacement singers cited above had some of those qualities, but this kid is currently at his fame zenith aka “so hot right now”. I’m not saying his career couldn’t get bigger, but it’s pretty damn big now - and millions are interested in what his next move will be. No matter how well they fit and ultimately performed, I don’t think the same could have been said of Sammy Hagar and company. Personally, I don’t think he could touch Mr. Fahrenheit - but who could? Can’t say I wouldn’t be interested in their sound though. The clincher for me would be \*new \* songs, not just pale covers. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/16 "2009-05-26T15:35:26Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I can’t imagine the members of Queen are really hurting for money, are they? Don’t know about the others, but since Deacon is out of the music biz by choice I assume he’s doing alright. May is a [remarkably prolific](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May_discography#Other_recordings) musician. His score to the video game _Rise of the Robots_, for example, turned out to be the only good thing about the most over-hyped game in history. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/17 "2009-05-26T15:37:44Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’d say Van Halen was successful with a replacement singer after David Lee Roth left. > > Styx has had some success after replacing Dennis DeYoung with Lawrence Gowan. > > Lynyrd Skynyrd is still selling out stadiums with Ronnie Van Zandt’s brother filling in for him. > > Genesis did alright after replacing Peter Gabrial with Phil Collins. > > Black Sabbath did fine after replacing Ozzy Osborne with Ronnie James Dio. Yeah, but all of those bands _sucked_ after replacing the lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/18 "2009-05-26T18:27:46Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I can’t imagine the members of Queen are really hurting for money, are they? Their songs are licensed for all kinds of stuff, they still get radio airplay, and they recently had their catalog turned into a stage musical. According to this site [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich\_list/rich\_list\_search/](http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_search/) All 3 surviving members of Queen, and Mary Austin,the woman who received the lion’s share of Freddie’s estate, are all very wealthy.Brian £70m,Roger £65m,John £50m and Mary £30m. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/19 "2009-05-26T19:42:25Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > Yeah, but all of those bands _sucked_ after replacing the lead singer. As evidenced by…what exactly? **AC\DC** has had numerous hit albums and sold-out tours with the new singer. Same with **Van Halen**. **Styx** were has-beens already, so the change didn’t hurt them. **Genesis** had much more commercial success _without_ Gabriel than with him. They did several great records after he left (_Trick of the Tail_, \*Second’s Out \*and _Duke_, which was their best). They started to suck mightily after that, but not because of Gabriel’s absence. **Black Sabbath** with **RJD** was hugely popular, producing several great records and tours. They didn’t start sucking till \*\*Ian Gillan \*\*came on board. \*\*Lynyrd Skynyrd \*\*…well…OK, I’ll conceed that one. This a bit different. they aren’t trying to continue, they are trying to resurrect. Paul Rodgers was a horrible choice, but anyone stepping into that will be lame. They should form a new group and do instrumental rock. That would be GREAT! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630/20 "2009-05-26T19:50:50Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > This a bit different. they aren’t trying to continue, they are trying to resurrect. To me, there’s a distinction between a band like Styx, and a band like AC/DC. Styx (and I’d put other bands like Boston and Journey in this camp) isn’t doing much in the way of recording anymore, but they still tour regularly, probably because it can be lucrative. All of these bands, for a variety of reasons, no longer are associated with their original singer, and, thus, in order to tour, they need a new one. (Heck, Boston [found their new lead singer at Home Depot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_DeCarlo). 😉 ) Bands like AC/DC or Van Halen were still ongoing recording bands who found themselves without a singer. While one can argue whether they were better or worse after the change, they all had significant success after those changes. Queen did put out the one album with Rodgers; as MadTheSwine notes, none of those guys need to tour for the cash, so I’d tend to put them into the second group of bands. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adam-lambert-fronting-queen/497630.md?page=2)