Adam Lambert, former American Idol finalist, who has made a name for himself in the glam-rock halls of fame, is about to return to the scene in a major way. Not only is he about to release his second album, Lambert has been invited to sing with legendary rock band Queen, stepping into the bejeweled lead singer shoes once filled by the man many consider to be the first glam-rocker and certainly one of the most influential musicians in history, Freddie Mercury. Lambert will join original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor in a July 7th concert at Knebworth Park in London, where the band will belt out a few choice numbers for audiences of the U.K. Rock festival Sonisphere.
Lambert, who like Freddie Mercury, is openly gay, says it is a huge honor to be singing for the band, adding that he feels he will be “paying tribute” and trying to add some “flair.” The similarities between the two rockers are hard to overlook. Not only do they both sport powerful, soulful voices, they are both given to flamboyant fashion ensembles, including glitter, eyeliner, leather, and a diversity of styles, fabrics, and textures. One of Lambert’s trademarks is his stylistic glam-rock flair that combines elements of the glittery, the gothic, and the regal. Lambert has run the gamut of styles since his explosion onto the scene on American Idol.
Here are just a few of his diverse fashion appearances:
Elvis Presley. Sporting a shimmering silver suit, slicked back hair and a black dress shirt, Lambert performed “Tracks of My Tears.” Lambert wore a similar getup, though with a black suit, for his performance of “If I Can’t Have You.” Lambert’s depiction of 1957 Elvis was bolstered by his dyed, jet-black hair, charismatic voice, and sensuous physicality topped off by a garish but subtle outfit.
Mad World. The encore performance of the Cat Stevens song found Lambert looking like a character from the Matrix, with a long black trenchcoat, plenty of leather, and silver V-neck trimmings. Lambert has donned this look before, and in fact, his psuedo-goth look is what earned him such devotion from emo fans in the first place.
Rat Pack. Lambert’s performance of “Feeling Good” came with a white suit, white tight, white shoes, and a black dress shirt. Channeling the collective energy of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Joey Bishop, Lambert harkened to sharkskin suits, slim ties, and perfectly tailored dress shirts from the early 1960s.
Who knows what ensemble Lambert will wear when he performs with Queen. You can make a solid bet that it will match the theatrical style of the band that arguably created glam rock. Some fans say Adam Lambert is the 21st century Freddie Mercury, missing only the band to back him up. At least until now. The original members of Queen agree that Lambert is the perfect fill-in for Mercury, and they would know—they’ve collaborated with Lambert twice before, once at the MTV European Music Awards.
While there were months of doubt as to whether Lambert would perform with Queen, the official bill for the UK Sonisphere Festival confirmed the collaboration, in addition to featuring such bands as Kiss, Faith No More, Incubus, Marilyn Manson, and Cypress Hill. Lambert’s previous collaboration with Queen included renditions of such classics as “We Are The Champions,” “We Will Rock You”, and “The Show Must Go On.” Will Sonisphere performance grace us with a glam-version of “Bohemian Rhapsody?” We’ll just have to wait to find out.
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