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Day in Rock Report for 01/03/2018


Today's Day in Rock Stories


'It's Not Really AC/DC Anymore' Says Def Leppard Singer

(hennemusic) Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott has offered his take on Brian Johnson's departure from AC/DC in 2016 due to medical issues. Following 2014's "Rock Or Bust" album, AC/DC halted the accompanying tour in early 2016 after Johnson was advised by doctors to stop performing in arenas and stadium-sized venues immediately or risk total hearing loss; Axl Rose stepped in to assist the band complete a spring run across Europe and a ten-show fall US trek.

In an official statement on the issue at the time, AC/DC thanked Johnson "for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures."

"I wouldn't have done it like that," Elliott tells the Life In The Stocks podcast. "I can't speak for Angus [Young] and his team as to what their reasons were for doing what they did, but considering that we had a drummer lose an arm and we waited for him, the way that they dealt with it was not the way I would have done it. Put it that way."

While Elliott didn't see any of the Rose-fronted AC/DC shows in person, "I saw some stuff on YouTube, and I think he did a pretty good job, actually. He's a huge fan, so he took to that like I would take to singing a Mott The Hoople song."

"Obviously, there's detractors in any walk of life, so somebody out there thinks he was awful, some people think it was the best thing ever," he added. "So it is what it is, but it kept AC/DC on the road, I suppose. But it's not really AC/DC anymore, is it?," referring to the band's lineup changes in recent years. "It's basically just Angus and the other four now. So I don't know that Brian's ever gonna come back."

While rumors of Rose's continued involvement with AC/DC surfaced in 2017, the band's future remains unknown. Read more here.

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Guns N' Roses' Slash Recalls Reuniting With Axl Rose

(hennemusic) As the Guns N' Roses reunion tour heads into its third year, Slash is sharing the story of his first contact with former bandmate Axl Rose in 2015 after nearly two decades apart.

"It was on the phone, and then we got together when I got back into town," Slash tells Nikki Sixx on his Sixx Sense radio show (video below). "I was on the road; I was in Peru. I remember it specifically. It was very cathartic to physically talk. 'Cause there's a bond that you have that's never [broken], and then what happens is the bond makes the negative side of that much worse, because you're forced out of it.

"There was always that thing, and I won't get into all the personal stuff," he continued. "There was a lot of bad feelings from the breakup all throughout that 20 years, whatever it was. But there's also a part of you that's, like, in a marriage, where you love somebody� So there's always that feeling, but then there's all this negative stuff. There was so much stuff perpetuated in the media, and it was just blown out of proportion. So when he and I talked for the first time, it was really, really cool."

Slash, Rose and Duff McKagan launched the Not In This Lifetime tour with a rare club show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 1, 2016; the event saw Rose break his foot early in the performance, requiring surgery and the use of a throne - on loan from head Foo Fighter Dave Grohl - for live shows until the injury healed.

Slash said the Troubadour gig felt "very surreal" when he looked across the stage and saw Rose, adding, "And it just snowballed from there. So it's been 18 months � if you had talked to me 20 months ago, I would have said, 'No f---ing way. It's never gonna happen.' But it did, and it was f---ing awesome.

"There were these moments on stage where you sort of take stock of where you are at the moment and go, 'Wow, this is a trip.' There was something about this particular tour that didn't take me back to the last tour in the '90s � it was completely unique in its own new thing. Same guys, same songs - but a whole different experience." Watch the full interview here.

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A Perfect Circle Kick Off 2018 With New Song Release

(Gibson) It looks like 2018's shaping up to be the year that A Perfect Circle finally put out their first album since 2004's eMOTIVe. In October, the progressive-rock supergroup (made up of members of Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Eagles of Death Metal and more) released the new album's first single 'The Doomed.'

Now, after a New Year's Eve tweet from frontman Maynard James Keenan, the A Perfect Circle have released their second single titled 'Disillusioned,' which can be streamed here.

A little before midnight on New Year's Eve, Keenan tweeted, "Have your headphones ready Tuesday Morning. New Year's treat. Find a nice spot under a tree, by water, mountain view, etc.�#crypticenough?�#apc2018." In the early hours of January 1, 2018, the band officially released 'Disillusioned', the album's latest single. According to Rolling Stone, the single is "muted and somber", with "passages of defiant guitar and rowdy drumming"�"eclipsed by a mournful piano melody."�Read more here.

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Ringo Star And Barry Gibb Honored With Knighthood

(Gibson) The rumors are true. Ringo Starr has officially been honored with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2018 edition of the U.K. monarch's annual New Year's Honours list. The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb also has been chosen to be elevated to a knight by the Queen.

Starr, born Richard Starkey, is being honored for "services to music." He is the second Beatles member to become a knight, as Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997.

"It's great!" Starr said in a statement via BBC News. "It's an honor and a pleasure to be considered and acknowledged for my music and my charity work, both of which I love. Peace and love."

Gibb is being recognized for "services to music and charity." The singer, songwriter and producer notes to BBC News that his late brothers and Bee Gees band mates Robin and Maurice were also knighted.

"It is as much theirs as it is mine" Barry said. "The magic, the glow, and the rush will last me the rest of my life." here.

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Gemini Syndrome Frontman Launches New Podcast

Gemini Syndrome frontman Aaron Nordstrom has launched his new podcast, The Liquid Conversations, with renown DJ and Interviewer Shawn SixX (SIXX STRINGS, CBS Radio, Boston's Classic Rock, 100.7 WZLX, 103.3 AMP Radio).

Debuted at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Las Vegas Strip, the premiere episode features conversations with Vegas resident and guitarist of the Christian metal band Stryper, OZ FOX.

Listen to Take Oz Fox interview discussing real jobs, addiction, line up changes, and relationship pitfalls in the music industry here and check out the show's official Facebook page here.

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Van Halen Star Previews Debut Solo Album 2017 In Review

(hennemusic) Van Halen Star Previews Debut Solo Album was a top 17 story of December 2017: Eddie Van Halen's song Wolfgang is streaming a brief audio preview of a track from his forthcoming debut solo album. The Van Halen bassist is reportedly playing everything on his debut - from guitars, drums and bass to keyboards and vocals.

"A sneak peek to start your week," wrote the multi-instrumentalist on his social media sites alongside the audio snippet from the project, which he's been working on over the past couple of years.

The new audio preview follows one Wolfgang shared in August, where he updated fans on the record, saying: "Progress. Shouldn't be too much longer until everything I've been working on is done."

"Wait til you hear his record," his father, Eddie, told Denise Quan during a 2015 interview at The Smithsonian's National Museum Of American History in Washington, DC. "This is not 'pop' (Dad) talking, this is real talk; it blew my mind."

No official timetable for the set's release has been revealed to date. Read more and check out the preview here.

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Surviving Nirvana Members Reunite During Foo Fighters Concert 2017 In Review

(hennemusic) Surviving Nirvana Members Reunite During Foo Fighters Concertwas a top 17 story of December 2017: Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear reunited for a one-song performance during the Foo Fighters show at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, OR on December 5, and video from the event is streaming online.

"Back in the day, I had this song that I thought might be kind of cool," Grohl told the crowd as Novoselic arrived onstage, "�and we had nothing to do all day long. I was like, 'I got an idea.' And we recorded this song together. It wound up on the first Foo Fighters record. It's called 'Big Me' and it sounds like this�"

The fifth single issued from the Foo Fighters' 1995 self-titled debut, "Big Me" hit No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while the album peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 on its way to sales of more than a million in the States alone.

Novoselic and Kurt Cobain founded Nirvana in Aberdeen, WA in 1987; following a series of drummers, Grohl joined in 1990 in time to record the group's breakout album, "Nevermind", in 1991, with Smear added as a touring rhythm guitarist in 1993.

The three surviving members have rarely reunited on stage since Cobain's death in 1994; they did regroup for Nirvana's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Watch some footage of the reunion jam here.

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Unreleased Jimi Hendrix Songs Coming On New Album 2017 In Review

(hennemusic) Unreleased Jimi Hendrix Songs Coming On New Album was a top 17 story of December 2017: Unreleased songs recorded by Jimi Hendrix between 1968 and 1970 will appear on "Both Sides Of The Sky", a new album set for release on March 9, 2018.

The 13-track project - which includes 10 unreleased tunes - marks the third volume in a trilogy from the guitar icon's archive, following 2010's "Valleys Of Neptune" and 2013's "People, Hell And Angels."

Many of the album's tracks were recorded by the Band Of Gypsys, Hendrix's trio with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. Johnny Winter appears on "Things I Used To Do"; original Jimi Hendrix Experience members Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding are featured on "Hear My Train A Comin'"; and Lonnie Youngblood appears on "Georgia Blues."

"Both Sides Of The Sky" was produced by Eddie Kramer alongside John McDermott and Janie Hendrix, the guitarist's sister and president of Experience Hendrix.

"Jimi's true home was the studio - that's where the music and the magic happened," says Kramer. "He loved everything about recording, and it's been my distinct pleasure and an honor to play a part in that process both then and now.

"The first thing is you put the tape on and you listen to it and the hairs just stand up right on the back of your neck and you go, 'Oh my God. This is too (expletive) incredible. It's an incredible thing. Forty, 50 years later here we are and I'm listening to these tapes going, 'Oh my God, that's an amazing performance.'"

"It was amazing just to watch him in the studio or live," adds Kramer. "The brain kicks off the thought process - it goes through his brain through his heart and through his hands and onto the guitar, and it's a seamless process. It's like a lead guitar and a rhythm guitar at the same time, and it's scary. There's never been another Jimi Hendrix, at least in my mind." Read more here.

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Chester Bennington's Wife Addresses Previous Suicide Attempt Report 2017 In Review

Chester Bennington's Wife Addresses Previous Suicide Attempt Report was a top 17 story of December 2017: (Radio.com) Talinda Bennington, the wife of late singer Chester Bennington, has responded to a report by TMZ that the Linkin Park frontman had attempted suicide just months prior to his death, information which was allegedly redacted from the original coroner's report.

"Fun fact- When your husband dies by suicide, the LA County Coroner's office will PARAPHRASE your private conversation with them to dramatize and sensationalize the story and then SCUMBAG FILTH like TMZ post it for the world to feast on," Bennington's wife posted to Twitter. "It was redacted to protect all the kids!!"

"And now I get to go pull my 11 yr old out of school- because all the kids can use their phones at lunch-to be the first to tell him what REALLY happened in Nov.," she added, referencing son Tyler Lee Bennington. "Thanks again to SCUMBAG reporting. F- you, TMZ." Read more here.

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Tool Album Will Be Out In 2018 Says Band Member 2017 In Review

Tool Album Will Be Out In 2018 Says Band Member was a top 17 story of December 2017: It has been almost a dozen years since Tool released their last studio album "10,000 Days" but drummer Danny Carey said in a recent interview that the following will be out in 2018.

Carey was a guest on The MetalSucks Podcast and was asked about previous comments made by his bandmate that fans can expected the new studio effort to be released in the coming year.

The show asked (via Lmabgoat) "My co-host... talked to Justin Chancellor earlier this year. Justin made us feel like Tool would have a new album out in 2018. On a scale of 1-10, how much did Justin lie to us?

Carey responded, "He did not lie to you. On scale of how much he lied, it would be zero. It'll be out. It'll be out in 2018."

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Foreigner, Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Tour 2017 In Review

Foreigner, Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Tour was a top 17 story of December 2017: Foreigner, Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening have announced that they will be teaming up next summer for the North American Juke Box Heroes Tour.

The trek is scheduled to kick off on June 15th in Bangor, ME at Darling's Waterfront Pavilion and will run until August 1st where it will wrap up in Irvine, CA at the Five Point Amphitheater.

Foreigner's Mick Jones had this to say, "I'm excited to join forces with my fellow U.K. countrymen, David Coverdale and Jason Bonham, for what's sure to be a rockin' summer tour in the States."

Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale says, "We are truly excited and looking forward to playing in 2018 with our friends, Foreigner and Jason Bonham, on their North American tour."

Jason Bonham adds, "Being part of Foreigner's 40th Anniversary Tour last summer was wonderful. Opening a show like that was very special to me, so when Mick asked if I'd do it again in 2018, I said yes without hesitation. I'm excited that Whitesnake will be filling out the middle slot this time as I've known David since I was 14 years old. It's going to be a WHOLE LOTTA FUN!" See the dates and the Christmas themed announcement video here.

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Stone Temple Pilots Announce First Tour With New Frontman 2017 In Review

Stone Temple Pilots Announce First Tour With New Frontman was a top 17 story of December 2017: Fans will soon be able to witness Stone Temple Pilots perform on tour with their brand new frontman Jeff Gutt, who was recently confirmed as the replacement for the late Scott Weiland.

The band have previously released "Meadow", their first song with the new lineup, and this week announced a short tour this coming March followed by some music festival appearances in the spring.

They will be kicking things off on March 2nd in Santa Clarita, Ca. at The Canyon and wrapping up the trek on March 17th in Billings, Mt at Pub Station Ballroom.

The band will also be playing a handful of the leading spring music festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock and Rock on the Range. Guitarist Dean DeLeo had the following to say, "We are thrilled to see all of you and share in the music that belongs to all of us." See the dates here.

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Dio Disciples' Guitarist Explains Goal Of Hologram Tour 2017 In Review

(Gibson) Dio Disciples' Guitarist Explains Goal Of Hologram Tour was a top 17 story of December 2017: Earlier this year, the Dio Returns tour was announced featuring a hologram of the late hard rock vocalist Ronnie James Dio, backed by his old band. However, the idea of reincarnating deceased musical legends as holograms is a deeply polarizing issue among fans.

Responding to critics of the concept, Dio Disciples' guitarist Craig Goldy tried to set minds at ease, saying, "Whenever we do a Dio Disciples concert, in my heart it's a memorial service in the form of a concert." He goes on to say, "The hologram is supposed to be a gift to the fans, plain and simple - given in the same spirit in which Ronnie gave."

He points out that many fans never got to see every side of Ronnie James Dio live: "Some people never got to see Ronnie on stage with Sabbath and Rainbow - some of these holograms eventually will bring back those days, too. This is something that's done in the name of love, honor, missing him and respect, nothing else - and that is the truth." Read more here.

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Prince's Last Year The Focus Of New Documentary 2017 In Review

(Gibson) Prince's Last Year The Focus Of New Documentary was a top 17 story of December 2017: When he passed away in April 2016, Prince was only fifty-seven and presumably, had much more music and work left in him. It's now been announced that a popular UK television channel, UK's Channel 4, will air a documentary in 2018 that chronicles Prince's Piano & A Microphone tour, the only solo tour he ever played.

The documentary will also cover Prince's secret gig at the White House in 2015, when he and Stevie Wonder performed. It then follows him on his solo tour, described in a Channel 4 announcement as, "the sound of Prince stripped bare; the simplicity of these performances showed Prince in reflective mode, all the more poignant in hindsight, as these would be his final shows."

The documentary will feature interviews with George Clinton, Reverend Al Sharpton, Cee-Lo Green as well as insights from his friend Van Jones, the singer Eryn Allen Kane and his former girlfriend Andy Allo. Prince's Last Year will also "follow the musical and political passions of Prince's life" and present a "is a compelling insight into this complex and contradictory character." It will also examine his "long-standing addiction to painkillers" and how they played a role in his demise. Read more here.

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Stone Temple Pilots, Def Leppard Supergroup Announce New Album 2017 In Review

Stone Temple Pilots, Def Leppard Supergroup Announce New Album was a top 17 story of December 2017: The Stone Temple Pilots and Def Leppard supergroup Delta Deep have announced that they will be releasing their second album "East Coast Live" on January 26th.

They are giving fans an early taste of what is to come with the release of the lyric video for the new album's first single "Bless The Blues" which can be streamed online here.

The group includes Def Leppard's Phil Collen, Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo, Debbi Blackwell-Cook (back-up vocalist for such artists as Michael Buble & Gregory Hines), and Forrest Robinson (drummer for Joe Sample & The Crusaders, India.Arie & TLC). See the tracklisting here.

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Gregg Allman's Birthday Celebrated With 'Song for Adam' Video 2017 In Review

Gregg Allman's Birthday Celebrated With 'Song for Adam' Video was a top 17 story of December 2017: (Radio.com) With today (December 8th) marking what would have been music legend Gregg Allman's 70th birthday, his label has shared a new music video for the track "Song for Adam."

The pensive video features a pair of men on a motorcycle road trip across Texas, with the clip filmed on location in Taylor, Austin, South Padre Island and McAllen.

The track is from Allman's Grammy-nominated final album, Southern Blood. "Song for Adam" features background vocals from Jackson Browne, and was produced by Don Was. Watch the video here.

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Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Launches Shelter for Abused Women 2017 In Review

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Launches Shelter for Abused Women was a top 17 story of December 2017: (Radio.com) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has opened "Janie's House," a new shelter for abused women in Atlanta, GA. Tyler also used the occasion to perform new song, "Janie's House."

"Steven's in the mix and Janie's in the house!," Tyler shared on social media. "I've never written a song as beautiful as Janie's House�this was two years in the making!! Spending the day with these girls�I'm just so proud of them! I'm just relieved they have a safe space to be who they are," the singer shared. "We got it going on now," Tyler added in an Instagram video from the launch.

"[Janie's House] takes young girls in. It's got a staff. It's got some therapists. It's got people for them to talk to, and it's got people for them to [help] deal with health issues," Tyler explained in a video shared by TMZ.

"When girls come in and they're broken and battered and have their problems and get out, they have somewhere to go," he added. "It's a safe haven, and more than anything, it gives them a voice. That's what we want in the end, for them to be able to figure out what's going on and be good from the inside out and pass it on."

Janie's House, which has room for 30 residents, is the latest extension of Tyler's Janie's Fund, founded in 2015 as "a big voice for abused girls." See the performance here.

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Dead & Company Reschedule Shows After John Mayer's Surgery 2017 In Review

Dead & Company Reschedule Shows After John Mayer's Surgery was a top 17 story of December 2017: (Radio.com) Dead &Company--with guitarist John Mayer back in the fold after recovering from recent emergency surgery--are set to get back on the road to make up for the shows they missed due to health issue.

The band was forced to reschedule a handful of dates when Mayer had an emergency appendectomy just hours before they were set to perform in New Orleans earlier this week (Dec. 5).

The New Orleans show at Smoothie King Center is now set for Feb. 24, while the band's Ft. Lauderdale gig at the BB&T Center has been rescheduled for Feb. 26. Dead & Co. will now hit Orlando's Amway Center on Deb. 27.

As Mayer continues on his road to recovery, fans can bide their time with the new Grateful Dead photo-book, Eyes of the World. The Grateful Dead have shared a new video of Phil Lesh flipping through the book. Watch it here.

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Linkin Park Release Live 'Crawling' Video Featuring Chester Bennington 2017 In Review

(hennemusic) Linkin Park Release Live 'Crawling' Video Featuring Chester Bennington was a top 17 story of December 2017: Linkin Park are streaming a stripped-down performance of their 2000 Hybrid Theory classic, "Crawling", from the forthcoming package, "One More Light Live", ahead of its release on December 15th.

"One More Light Live" presents material from the group's final tour with singer Chester Bennington, who committed suicide at his Los Angeles area home on July 20 the age of 41.

Linkin Park have dedicated the set to their late bandmate, who is survived by his wife, Talinda, and six children, and was laid to rest in a private ceremony at South Coast Botanic Garden near his home on July 29 that was attended by his family, closest friends and fellow musicians.

"Chester was uniquely passionate, uncommonly generous, sensitive, optimistic, funny and kind," says the band. "With his voice, he turned pain into catharsis, authenticity into art, and passion into connection. His dedication to bringing these songs to life was triumphant.

"For those of you who attended this tour in person, we thank you. For those who could not, we hope this live album gives you a glimpse into how magical these shows were for the six of us." Watch the video here.

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Guns N' Roses Star Announces Solo Album 2017 In Review

Guns N' Roses Star Announces Solo Album was a top 17 story of December 2017: Longtime Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joined the group in the Use Your Illusion era, has announced the release of his debut solo album early next year.

The 12-track effort will be entitled "Rock 'N Roll Ain't Easy" and is set to be released on February 16th. Reed has given fans an early taste of what is to come with a stream of the track "This Don't Look Like Vegas."

The song, which can be streamed here, features vocals from Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick. The album is also said to feature a guest appearance from Reed's GNR bandmate Richard Fortus. Read more here.

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Robert Plant Reacts To Latest Led Zeppelin Reunion Question 2017 In Review

(Gibson) Robert Plant Reacts To Latest Led Zeppelin Reunion Question was a top 17 story of December 2017: With the recent release of Carry Fire, his eleventh studio album, Robert Plant has put out more albums than his famed previous band Led Zeppelin. Still, his career as the lead singer of the band that pioneered modern hard rock music will always overshadow everything else he does.

Even though it's been almost four decades since Led Zeppelin disbanded, Plant was recently asked about a potential 2018 reunion in an interview on Team Rock. His answer: "All these magazines and internet platforms should be supporting new music and help new musicians to find an audience, instead of dwelling on the old crap all the time. It's like there is nothing new and exciting out there any more, when in fact there is. So stop living in the past. Open your ears and your eyes. It's not that difficult, is it?"

Plant's not at all keen on the idea of writing his memoirs either. He recalls that his bandmates and him were "social deviants, pushed out to the corners of society" and that, "we were representing a challenge to the order. So do we want to chum up and cuddle up to the whole idea of going to a publisher and telling stories? I mean, what - who - for? Those stories are locked nicely between my two ever-growing ear holes. So f*** it. There's a lot in there, and that's where it's staying." Read more here.

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Queen's Return Was Inspired By Adam Lambert 2017 In Review

(Gibson) Queen's Return Was Inspired By Adam Lambert was a top 17 story of December 2017: In his new book Queen in 3-D, guitarist Brian May talks about how the band decided to call on American Idol alum Adam Lambert to fill in for their legendary lead singer Freddie Mercury.

He starts by revealing that drummer Roger Taylor and he weren't even looking for a singer at the time: "After we'd finished touring with Paul Rodgers, once again Roger and I felt we were done, and probably that would be the end of Queen touring. We didn't go out looking for a singer who sounded like Freddie and we didn't embark on one of these TV searches for stars. We just quietly got on with our business. But fate was to intervene. A gift from God?!"

He then talks about hearing of Lambert's progress on American Idol, his rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on the show and how people told him that Lambert "is the natural successor to Freddie; he is the guy you should be touring with." May then goes on to recount how they finally made the decision to invite Lambert to perform with them.

He does however, have some idea of what Freddie Mercury would have to say about his replacement: "I always think that Freddie, with a wicked smile, would say something like 'I hate you, Madam Lambert,' because even Freddie would have been gobsmacked at his range and his ability to reinterpret these songs which the four of us originally created together." Read more here.

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