Adam Lambert said touring with Queen paid off in a big way, and he meant it literally.
The American Idol alum revealed how his decade-plus run with the British rock band has impacted both his career and his finances.
In a recent interview with journalist David Begnaud, the singer admitted that spending years touring with the legendary rock band not only fulfilled a lifelong dream but also provided him with significant financial security.
Adam Lambert Reflects on His Time With Queen
Lambert first teamed up with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor in 2009 after appearing on American Idol. What began as a one-off collaboration eventually evolved into Queen + Adam Lambert, a partnership that has toured the world for more than a decade.
Looking back on the experience, Lambert said “It’s been amazing. They’ve taught me a lot, both directly and indirectly. Just being around them and hearing stories, I’ve learned a lot about the world, hearing these great stories. Also just being in the proximity of them on stage playing these iconic pieces of music, osmosis. It rubs off on you, the gravity of that.”
‘It Really Did Put Some Coins in the Bank’
Lambert also acknowledged that touring with Queen has been financially rewarding.
“Yeah, I will say Queen really did put some coins in the bank, which was nice,” he said. Still, he emphasized that he made sure everybody in the audience was enjoying it and that he felt he earned the money that he made.
He added, “I really want everyone to enjoy themselves when they come to these shows, whether it’s a joyful moment where they’re laughing with me or it’s completely cathartic and dramatic and they’re feeling something deeply. I’m very concerned with the audience. I always have been. And even in these songwriting sessions for my solo stuff, that’s sort of what I bring to the table, is I bring, ‘Let’s zoom out. How is this gonna make a listener feel? What do I want the listener to experience or understand?’ I always think about a show… ‘Cause I wanna drive a certain journey.”
Future Queen Tours
Queen reuniting again seems to be unlikely despite Taylor and Lambert both stating they are open to touring again.
Speaking about the prospect of performing with the band again, Lambert said in a previous interview that there are currently no concrete plans in place. “There’s nothing on the books with Queen,” Lambert explained. “We’ve never had the conversation saying we’re done, but there’s nothing actually planned right now. It’s sort of up to them. They’re the boss. I’m the guest. If they call me and say, ‘Hey, we wanna tour again,’ I’ll say, ‘Yeah, sure, I’d love to.'”
Taylor, on the other hand, said it’s up to May. “Well, it is a big machine to gear up, if you know what I mean. But, yeah, really, I think it’s more down to Brian than me. I love playing live. I enjoy it, always have. It’s really how he feels about it. So if we both wanna do it, I’d be happy to. But we’ll see. Never say never. We have been working for a while with Adam Lambert, who has the most incredible voice.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, May expressed concerns about touring, particularly in the US. “It’s very sad because I feel like Queen grew up in America and we love it, but it’s not what it was.”