There are few icons of stage or screen who are more unique than Freddie Mercury. How could anyone ever step into his shoes? Powerful new documentary The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story shows how one man did just that. Brian May and Roger Taylor are joined by industry figures like Simon Cowell and a host of famous music stars to pay tribute to Freddie and the man who has brought Queen back to life. Cowell said Freddie’s are “the toughest shoes in the world to fill,” yet the new film also shows a poignant moment when Freddie himself speaks about how he would be replaced.
Lambert has fronted the band since 2011 and they are about to embark on a major new tour, but when Freddie was lost nobody believed it could ever be possible.
Music journalist Lyndsey Parker said: “I remember when Freddie died and people were like ‘You’re not going to overcome this tragedy, you’re not going to be able to recapture any of the old magic, you’re not going to find anyone who can front a band like Queen.’ The fact that Queen are having such new resurgence because of Adam and the movie is one of the greatest comeback stories of all time.”
Pop star Joe Jonas added: “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a band member but his story needed to carry on and they needed to carry on Queen to honour Freddie Mercury.”
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Chris Connelly from ABC news said: “The idea that Queen could continue without Freddie Mercury, you would say, ‘No way, no way’ and yet here we are.”
Taylor and May met Lambert while he was competing on America Idol in 2009, and after he fronted the band at a special convert in Kiev in 2011, May said: “Suddenly you think we can do the old arenas we used to do and we now have someone who can act as a focus and a channel.”
Taylor added: “Everything that’s happened, especially since we met Adam has just been fate unfolding.”
Even Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek paid tribute to Lambert’s incredible achievement: “For them to have found a way to do it without Freddie. It sounds superhuman but it was right there just a riveting as it ever was.”
But did Freddie really see this coming?
The colourful star was known for provocative statements and dry, flippant humour but spoke once about the strength and resilience of the band.
He said: “Through everything, we will just carry on. It’s a survival instinct the whole group has. I mean if I just left they would replace me…”
Of course, he did not know at the time it would one day be necessary. But even then he could not resist a cheeky final word: “Not easy to replace me, huh?”
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story aired on ABC. CLICK HERE to watch
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