Roger Taylor has shot down rumors that Queen had plans to replace Freddie Mercury with George Michael as lead singer. Taylor made the comments to Classic Rock.
There were rumours that George Michael was going to replace Freddie as Queen’s new singer. Any truth in it?
“No, not really. I remember hearing the rumours. But it wouldn’t have suited us. George wasn’t really used to working with a live band. When he heard the power he had behind him in rehearsal he couldn’t believe it. He thought he was on Concorde or something.”
Do you still talk to Freddie at times?
“I don’t think of him being here in my studio now. But when Brian and I are both in the room we think we know what Fred would have said if he’d been in the corner.”
Queen did perform with George Michael and other guest singers including Robert Plant, Elton John, and Axl Rose at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. The band later toured with Paul Rodgers in the 2000’s, and in the last decade they have been touring with Adam Lambert. Queen ‘Couldn’t Accept’ Freddie Mercury AIDS Death.
